Oda may have foretold Imu’s defeat decades ago

One Piece takes audiences to explore the adventures of main character Monkey D. Luffy on his journey to become the Pirate King after being inspired by Shanks.

The story initially focused on Blackbeard as the main antagonist, but it evolved, suggesting that the climax would involve a battle between the Straw Hats, the Five Elder Stars, and Imu.

Throughout his adventures, Luffy liberated kingdoms and many individuals, suggesting a possible outcome where he would liberate the world from the World Government. Recent events in Mary Geoise, involving world nobility have reinforced this idea.

We know that Imu is a mysterious figure at the top of the World Government’s hierarchy, with only the Five Elder Stars knowing of his existence. Imu is currently at Pangea Castle on Mary Geoise Sanctuary, he appears to be immortal and has a connection to the original Joy Boy. So far, his mysterious silhouette is all that has been revealed.

Many One Piece fans speculate that Imu could be the ruler and potential final villain of One Piece.

However, one surprising thing is how the cover of volume 25 of One Piece seems to foreshadow Imu’s defeat.

The cover of this volume was notable for heralding the rise of the new Four Emperors, long before Big Mom and Kaido were defeated. The cover features Buggy, Luffy, Shanks, and Blackbeard, with a goat chewing some paper standing in the center of the frame. Interestingly, in Japanese, “Kami” (paper) can also mean a play on words typical of author Eiichiro Oda, suggesting a deeper symbolism.

In reality, Imu is the shadowy ruler of the world, regarded as a god by the world’s nobles. Thus, the cover image of volume 25 may imply that the Four Emperors are destined to challenge the “god” of the One Piece world. The depiction of everyone except Shanks with their mouths open and the D. clan’s famous opposition to the gods support this theory.

Shanks’ tight mouth may indicate his disapproval of the group, consistent with Red Hair’s origins in the Figarland family. There is another theory that Buggy may be a secret member of the D. family, which would be even more consistent with the above theory.

Fans are eagerly waiting to see how Oda will develop this theory in the final conflict, especially after the recent events at Hachinosu pirate island and the growing importance of Blackbeard and The World Government in the story after the Straw Hats leave Egghead Island.