Saint Nerona Imu is the King of the World (世界の王, Sekai no Ō^?) who occupies the Empty Throne, giving him sole authority over the World Government.^[2][3] One of the First Twenty responsible for the creation of the World Government and the only one alive today,^[2] his status has been kept an absolute secret from the world at large for over 800 years since the Void Century.^[4]

With the ambition of finally bringing the Great War to a decisive conclusion, Imu directed his subordinates the Five Elders to procure Dr. Vegapunk's invention, the Mother Flame,^[5] and ordered the Knights of God to annex Elbaph in an invasion that he eventually personally participated in.^[6]

Imu first appeared during the Levely Arc. Due to his status and actions, he is the overarching antagonist in the Egghead Arc, the main antagonist of the Elbaph Arc, and one of the primary overarching antagonists of the Final Saga and the One Piece series as a whole.

Quick Answers

Who is the true supreme ruler of the World Government in One Piece?

The true supreme ruler of the World Government in One Piece is a character named Imu. Imu is the highest authority and de facto leader of the World Government, which is a worldwide aristocratic regime. Despite the presence of other figures like the Five Elders, it's Imu who holds the reins of power from the shadows and they are not known to the public.

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What is the significance of the Empty Throne that Imu occupies?

The Empty Throne that Imu occupies in One Piece holds a significant symbolic value. It's officially stated to be unoccupied to maintain peace and equality among nations, symbolizing that no one person will take full control of the world. However, the throne is secretly occupied by the enigmatic sovereign Imu, whose authority supersedes that of the Five Elders. The 19 weapons in front of the throne represent the founders of the World Government, and all royals must pledge not to take the throne when they come to Levely. This throne is a symbol of peace, equality, and the shared power of the world's nations.

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Why is Imu's existence kept a secret within the World Government?

Imu's existence is kept a secret within the World Government to maintain the illusion that there is no singular ruler of the world. This level of secrecy is so intense that even the Five Elders, who are publicly considered the highest authorities of the World Government, bow down to Imu and serve their every whim. The secrecy around Imu's existence allows them to wield immense power and control while remaining undetected, making them one of the primary overarching antagonists in One Piece.

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What is the role of Imu in the Levely Arc?

In the Levely Arc of One Piece, Imu is revealed as the secret ruler of the World Government, sitting on the Empty Throne. Despite the world being led to believe there's no singular ruler, Imu holds the highest authority, with even the Five Elders bowing to them. Imu's existence is kept a secret to maintain this illusion. During the Levely conference, the Five Elders consult with Imu about a 'light' that needs to be extinguished from history. Imu also shows a particular interest in certain characters like Monkey D. Luffy, Marshall D. Teach, Shirahoshi, and Nefertari Vivi, keeping their wanted posters or photos.

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Appearance

Imu has only been fully seen while in his partial devil transformation. He is shown to possess unique facial features with a defined nose and mouth, long eyelashes, dark skin, and long light hair that covers his left eye; with sharp, almond eyes with red irises, each having a thin ring around the pupil, with his irises having multiple rings within them. He has two curly horns, long, sharp, black nails, and circuit-like tattoos on his forearms that take the shape of an eye on the back of his hands, a jagged line tattoo from the left side of his face down his left torso, and white dots all over his arms, legs, and torso.

He wears a cloak over his muscular torso with two Covenant symbols on the back, a furry belt with two thick rings attached to it over a striped cloth, baggy pants, spiked bracelets on each arm, and black pointy shoes.^[2] In his partial transformation, Imu's physical size is quite large (though not giant-sized), as he is considerably larger than average-sized humans like Zoro and Sanji.

In his previously silhouetted appearance, Imu possessed a black, shadowy humanoid figure, with only his eyes being visible. Normally, Imu bears a crown atop his head that has four sharp, incredibly tall spikes on the top and wears an extremely long robe that flows upon the ground a great distance behind him. He is also similar in size to a regular human in this form. Prior to his reveal, when possessing someone via their covenant, the possessed individual's eyes usually change to Imu's, and he was also capable of projecting his shadowy silhouette from their bodies to communicate or attack his enemies, as seen with Saturn and Gunko.^[1][3]

Gallery

A closeup of Imu's face.

Imu's cloak from the back.

Imu's silhouette at least 800 years ago.

Imu's initial appearance in silhouette.

A close-up of Imu's face in silhouette.

Imu's anime concept art.

Personality

Imu is a self-absorbed and callous despot who views himself as God,^[7] though he has admitted to not seeing much of a difference between being a god or a devil.^[8] Imu values total domination and control above all else, believing all humans naturally crave power because it is the only path to satisfaction in the world. Imu believes the entire world solely belongs to him, and views others as nothing more than vessels for his agenda or as enemies standing in the way of the world's "completion".^[9] Imu has shown no care whatsoever for the subjects he rules over, and so was unbothered when Rocks D. Xebec attempted to leverage five captive Levely kings.^[10] Imu is even perfectly willing to commit genocide against nations affiliated with the World Government for the sole purpose of conveniently testing new weapons at the government's disposal, having targeted the Lulusia Kingdom to test the Mother Flame's power on for no other reason than its proximity. Even the Five Elders were taken aback by this request, but Imu calmly asserted that the many lives in Lulusia were of no importance.^[11][5]

Despite his craving for total power, Imu has been content to rule over the World Government from the shadows, and has made his very existence one of the world's greatest taboos.^[12] Imu has been known to reveal himself to outsiders as he sees fit, but even this will carry a death sentence for the other party.^[13][4] Only in truly desperate situations will Imu decide to take direct action; by the time the Knights of God moved to annex Elbaph, the suffering of Mary Geoise caused by the Revolutionary Army's blockade caused Imu to view that the giants must be turned to the government's side as soon as possible, and so he brought his own powers to the fray by possessing Gunko's body^[7] and later went there himself despite the apparent physical toll.^[14] The presence of the Davy Family on God Valley was also deemed important enough for Imu to personally intervene in the God Valley Incident.^[9] Imu has shown no disposition toward diplomacy or negotiation, instead forcibly taking whatever he desires using his control and coercion abilities. Although his plans for Harald and Elbaph went completely against the giant king's intentions and were a betrayal of his service to the World Government, Imu did not care about Harald's say in the matter and simply resorted to using the Covenant to bend Harald to his will;^[15] however, Harald was able to resist long enough to enable his death and foil this plot. Imu did not change this approach in the World Government's next attempt to conscript Elbaph into their service, as he is once again resorting to force to subjugate the giants.

Many, if not all, of Imu's goals and desires revolve around figures and events that were relevant during the time of the Great War and World Government's founding. He has a particular obsession over the spreading of the Poneglyphs across the world and Nefertari D. Lili's role in that, referred to by Imu as her "great mistake."^[4] He is shown to possess fatalist beliefs, having expressed the idea that the forces and parties behind the initial Great War will play the same role in the present day—though this has not prevented Imu from attempting to alter this supposed destiny, as evidenced by his efforts to bend Elbaph to his will.^[14] Imu has given considerable credence to inherited will and treats the descendants of past enemies equivalently to their ancestors who once directly opposed him long ago, believing it is inevitable that this enmity will manifest in the present day.^[16] Notably, Imu has been shown referring to modern-day foes by the name of the one whose will and/or power they have inherited, having called Rocks "Davy Jones" and Luffy "Joy Boy".^[9][17] Imu has been seen visiting relics of the past, including a giant straw hat^[1] as well as a portrait of Lili that hangs on the wall despite Imu's seeming animosity toward her.^[18]

For the most part, Imu possesses a calm and equanimous disposition. When not at the Empty Throne, he is typically found in the Room of Flowers, staying still and handling butterflies while being attended to by special servants.^[3][10] In typical conversation, even with non-World Nobles, Imu tends to maintain an air of politeness and avoid petty rudeness. However, he does still show a domineering side in these exchanges by bluntly dictating the topic of discussion, as he explicitly refused to answer Cobra's question about his identity and made clear that he would only answer what Cobra had originally come to ask about Lili and the D.^[4] With subordinates, Imu similarly keeps them in line by giving strict orders and may question faltering maneuvers, but has not been shown to target them with petty insults.^[19] Even when engaging in combat, Imu rarely displays strong emotion and simply focuses on attacking his targets; however, he does have an inclination toward inflicting brutal injuries in combat, such as when he casually severed Brogy's hand with a pistol^[19] and later maimed Gerd and Stansen with his blade.^[20] Imu does not blink in the face of most threats, being secure in his ability. Notably, he barely reacted when Rocks invaded the Room of Flowers, despite this action being unprecedented in history and Rocks having killed a Marine Admiral shortly before, as both parties knew the pirate could not threaten Imu.^[10] In the rare event that Imu's power is actually challenged, he has shown strong reactions, as seen when Joy Boy's Supreme King Haki was released on Egghead.^[21] Imu cares greatly for his body's preservation, and because granting Covenants inflicts a toll on him should a Covenantee be killed, he will avoid sending subordinates places where they may legitimately face mortal peril.^[16]

However, Imu tends to become emotional when dealing with memories or remnants of his contemporaries from the Void Century. His discussion with Cobra about Lili provoked him into going on the offensive; Imu then showed visible rage when he learned that Sabo had witnessed the whole event, going as far as to transform and pursue him.^[4] Imu notably screamed in agony upon sensing Joy Boy's Haki eight centuries following the latter's death,^[21] and his rage compelled him to kill Elder Jaygarcia Saturn for allowing the new "Joy Boy", Monkey D. Luffy, to escape.^[17] Later on Elbaph, Imu screamed in anger while recounting one of his interactions with Joy Boy. But in a similar vein, Imu may even smile and show some degree of glee upon recalling seemingly better relationships, such as with Nidhöggr.^[8]

Imu uses the unique first-person pronoun "Mu" (ムー, Mū^?), seemingly derived from his name, as well as the unique second-person pronoun nushia (ヌシア^?) for others.

Relationships

World Government

Imu withholds his existence from everyone but the Five Elders and full-fledged Knights of God. These groups are completely loyal to Imu and treat the ruler with great respect. They refer to Imu as "Imu-sama" (VIZ: "Great Imu") and by the title "Boss" (御大, Ontai^?, VIZ: "Great One").

Five Elders

The Five Elders show their immense respect toward Imu by going as far as to prostrate themselves in the ruler's presence. They have never resisted any command given by the ruler; at most, when Imu ordered the annihilation of the Lulusia Kingdom they were taken aback by this request and sought reasoning, but obeyed without any further hesitation. In this exchange, Marcus Mars stated that the state of the world would be as "the creator" wills it.^[11] The Elders understand that any outsider that learns of Imu's existence must be eliminated to maintain the illusion of peace and equality among the allied nations, which is why they assisted in the assassination of Nefertari Cobra and joined their sovereign in a failed attempt to kill Sabo.^[4] At worst, the Elders may question a decision from Imu, but nevertheless accept it if rebuffed. For unknown reasons, the more tenured Elders view the outcome of Imu leaving Mary Geoise as so perilous that they would go so far as to plead for their king to reconsider; only the recently appointed Figarland Garling showed no willingness to question Imu.^[14]

It is inherently implied that Imu has sufficient faith in the Elders' ability to serve as the public face of the World Government and execute decrees on his own accord. However, sufficient failure on the part of an Elder can lead to Imu revoking their title and killing them with seemingly no remorse, as happened with Jaygarcia Saturn, while refusing to listen to Saturn's desperate pleas and excuses. Despite Saturn's more than two centuries of service, Imu was angered enough following the Egghead Incident in which Saturn allowed Monkey D. Luffy, whom Imu referred to as "Joy Boy" to escape. Imu replaced Saturn with Figarland Garling even before killing the former and elected to have Garling inform the other Elders of his promotion rather than explaining the circumstances himself, a move that unnerved Saturn's former contemporaries.^[17]

Knights of God

The Knights of God all serve Imu with absolute reverence, regarding him with respect and humility. Imu, on the other hand, admonished the ones sent to conquer Elbaph for their tardiness in light of Mary Geoise's hour of need. Imu does, however, respect the Knights enough to have a cordial conversation with Sommers and Killingham, answering their questions calmly.^[7][19] Despite Imu's general apathy for even the closest subordinates, he would nevertheless be concerned for their lives if knowing they could be killed by some external force, if only for self-preservation as it seems he would suffer damage should anyone with a Depths or Abyssal Covenant die outside of his own will.^[16]

Gunko

Imu has a particularly close relationship with Manmayer Gunko, as the Knight has served as his personal attendant for the last six decades and the two have regularly been seen together in the Room of Flowers.^[10] Imu also chose to possess Gunko out of the three Knights present on Elbaph.^[7] The reasons for Gunko's special relationship with Imu are not currently known. Imu seems to be very possessive of Gunko, becoming increasingly furious at her for regaining her memories and personality, while lashing out at Brook for repeatedly calling out for her by her birth name, "Shuri".^[22]

Harald

Imu observed the king of Elbaph, Harald, during his many years of service as a Devoted Blade of God, and eventually coronated him into full knighthood. However, Imu viewed Harald as nothing more than his servant, and did not respect the king's desire for his nation to be peacefully registered with the World Government, instead ordering Harald to mobilize the giants as slave soldiers. Harald, realizing that Imu, and by extension, the government, never intended to honor his hard work and desire for Elbaph to connect with the rest of the world, came to loathe him for this disrespect and treachery, and defied Imu with all his might. When Loki successfully killed Harald, this reminded Imu that despite the rare opportunity for an Ancient Giant like the king would submit himself to the World Government, it was bound to end in failure and disappointment due to Elbaph being from the Clan of D.^[16] To this day, Imu remains frustrated at the late giant king for his defiance that denied him the giants' military might.

Clan of D.

Imu possesses an immense hatred for those who bear the letter D. as the middle initial of their names, due to it being the moniker of an "ancient enemy". For this reason, he became angered when Cobra admitted that his ancestor, Lili, also had it.^[4]

Rocks D. Xebec

Rocks D. Xebec learned of Imu's existence and desired to dethrone the shadow monarch to take his place as ruler of the world. Imu, however, initially paid no mind to the pirate's threats and dismissed him as a minor nuisance.^[10] Upon learning that Rocks was part of the near-extinct Davy Family, descendants of Davy D. Jones, Imu arrived at God Valley by possessing Saturn to ensure Rocks' death was a top priority due to a certain "promise" that led to the Davy Family's near erasure.^[9] Imu went as far as to convert Rocks into a demon so he could hunt down and kill both his wife and son.

Davy D. Jones

Imu is familiar with the legendary pirate Davy Jones on a personal level. When meeting Rocks again on God Valley, Imu referred to him as Davy Jones himself (similar to how he referred to Luffy as Joy Boy).^[9] According to Xebec, Imu fears Jones on the same level as Joy Boy, which only angered Imu as he claimed that neither of them would ever return once the Davy Family's bloodline was exterminated, showing a deep personal hatred against Davy D. Jones, especially when Xebec claimed that his ancestor was the first "king of the world", as Imu angrily rebuked this by claiming that he was never a king for even a moment, and that Xebec had no right to comment on the fate that bound Imu and Davy together.^[23]

Nefertari Family

Imu shows great disdain for the Nefertari Family, particularly because of the actions of Queen Lili during the Void Century that resulted in the dispersing of the Poneglyphs across the world, which he suspects was no mere accident. However, despite this disdain, Imu seemingly keeps a portrait of Lili inside Pangaea Castle to look at for unknown reasons.^[24]

Despite his utter contempt for Lili, Imu was polite to her descendant King Cobra, although he fully intended to kill Cobra when the conversation ended because he had become aware of Imu being the shadow ruler of the world. Hostilities intensified when Imu learned that Arabasta's royal family had the initial "D." in their names. When Cobra sacrificed himself to ensure that Sabo escaped Mary Geoise, Imu was greatly angered.^[4]

Imu has also developed an interest in Princess Vivi for currently unknown reasons. After she escaped the custody of CP0, Imu ordered the Five Elders to capture and bring her to him.^[5]

Joy Boy

Imu appears to be familiar with Joy Boy on a personal level, as he was kneeling in pain after Joy Boy's Supreme King Haki was unleashed during the Egghead Incident, instantly recognizing that the Haki used to belong to him.^[21] Imu regards stopping Joy Boy's second coming, manifested in the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika's awakening of Monkey D. Luffy, as of the utmost importance and even went as far as to kill Saturn of the Five Elders for allowing Luffy, whom Imu referred to as "Joy Boy", to escape.^[17] According to Xebec, Davy D. Jones and Joy Boy are the two beings Imu fears above all else.^[23]

Curiously, Imu's relationship with Joy Boy did not always seem antagonistic, though reminiscing about their friendlier encounters enraged Imu in the present. However, remembering this scene seemed to fill him with extreme rage afterwards, indicating something terrible came between them that made them sworn enemies.^[8]

Warrior God and Ratatoskr

Imu was familiar with the Warrior God (whom he has referred to as "Nidhöggr", after the beast the Warrior God transformed into), as well as his squirrel companion Ratatoskr. Not much is known about his relationship with them, but given that he smiled upon seeing a transformed Loki and Ragnir, it would suggest a more positive view on his part compared to his feelings about Joy Boy and Lili. However, he has also called Nidhöggr "traitor".^[25]

Abilities and Powers

As the King of the World who occupies the Empty Throne, Imu possesses singular and unimpeachable control over the entire World Government. He commands the Five Elders, who are publicly considered the government's highest authorities,^[3] and has the sole authority to revoke an incumbent Elder's title and replace them should the need arise.^[17] Imu also has the authority to command the Knights of God, an elite group of powerful Celestial Dragon warriors who publicly oversee affairs on Mary Geoise, and many of the Elders' and Knights' abilities are bestowed upon them by Imu.

In addition to his illimitable political authority, it is apparent that Imu's individual combat abilities are among the most powerful in the world. Imu's mere presence is enough to put the strongest of warriors on high alert and understand he is not an opponent to be engaged recklessly.^[20][8] He did not react even when the notorious pirate Rocks D. Xebec committed the unprecedented feat of confronting him personally in the Room of Flowers; despite having killed a Marine Admiral immediately prior, Rocks acknowledged that there was nothing he could do against Imu.^[10] Years later during the God Valley Incident, Imu (while possessing Saturn) took on Rocks, several of his subordinates who would go on to become Emperors of the Sea, the future Pirate King Gol D. Roger, and Monkey D. Garp singlehandedly and had no issues doing so, as Imu quickly managed to subdue Rocks and turn him against the others. In the present day, Imu directly intervened in the Knights' invasion of Elbaph; although the mission had been going well already, it was understood that the ruler's arrival would hasten the subjugation of the island of giants even more quickly. Using his Devil Fruit powers, Imu quickly subdued the Giant Warrior Pirates, including their captains Dorry and Brogy, transforming them into demons.^[19] When confronted by Roronoa Zoro and Sanji, two of the strongest fighters in the Emperor led Straw Hat Pirates, Imu was easily able to withstand each of their attacks and dispatched them both with a single counter-attack each.^[20]

Notably, Imu appears to have possession of one of the Ancient Weapons,^[26] which is powered by the Mother Flame invented by Dr. Vegapunk. This weapon, which floats in the sky above the target location, can effect the total annihilation of an entire island within seconds, which it did to the Lulusia Kingdom.^[11]

In spite of possessing great power, Imu does appear to suffer from some sort of ailment that causes him to become visibly sick and bleed internally in the event he leaves Mary Geoise.^[14] This ailment is known to the Elders and Knights, with Shepherd Sommers stating that Imu's body is "not meant to withstand" the outside world.^[27]

Physical Abilities

In his devil form at the very least, Imu has shown himself to be an adept melee combatant, being capable of using his legs to attack Sanji and parry the pirate's own powerful kicks. Imu is extremely fast, having moved from the top of Aurust Castle to the Western Village near-instantaneously. He can cut off opponents' limbs before they even have time to register his attack, and caught Sanji off-guard with the speed of his kicks despite the pirate being exceptionally fast himself and possessing strong Observation Haki.^[20]

Swordsmanship

Imu is an exceptionally skilled blade wielder. When confronting the New Giant Warrior Pirates, he precisely cut off the giant Gerd's fingers using flying slashes while meters away in order to free Shepherd Sommers from her clutches; he did this so quickly that Gerd did not realize she had been maimed until her fingers and Sommers had nearly hit the ground. Immediately after this, he cleaved through Stansen's leg with a single quick cut intended against Hajrudin.^[20]

Immortality

Main article: Immortality

Imu possesses an immortal and seemingly unaging body; in addition to having lived for over 800 years since the Void Century while still having the appearance of a reasonably young adult, Imu's immortality also allows him to regenerate from any attack no matter how strong. It is theorized by Emporio Ivankov that the "Perennial Youth Operation" performed by a former user of the Ope Ope no Mi is responsible for this.^[28] Notably, Imu is capable of bestowing this immortality on his covenantees, with some (though not all) also being unaging.

Devil Fruit

Main article: Akuma no Mi

Imu possesses the power of the Akuma no Mi, which allows him to transform into a devil.^[2] The transformation boosts Imu's size and grants him wings to fly with as well as a pointed tail that can pierce opponents and clash with blades. Furthermore, Imu has shown the ability to manifest a considerable number of esoteric symbols and substances which grant powerful applications. These include magic circles called the Abyss which enable instantaneous transportation, black flames called Omen which serve as devastating projectiles, and a book which can summon weapons.^[19][20]

Imu is capable of granting at least some of these abilities to other people by marking them with Covenants. Imu has bestowed these Covenants on the Five Elders and Knights of God, making them immortal and granting them usage of the Abyss. In return for granting these powers, Imu becomes capable of controlling and even possessing covenantees, though the level of control depends on the amount of power granted by the Covenant.^[15] Because of his ailment that discourages leaving Mary Geoise directly, should Imu decide to personally intervene in a conflict, he typically possesses one of his subordinates.^[19][29]

Imu can also transform enemies into demons using another form of Covenant, granting them immortality and a mindless bloodthirsty disposition that serves him well on the battlefield.^[19]

Haki

Further information: Haki

Supreme King Haki

Imu is one of the few people in the world able to use Supreme King Haki. When possessing Gunko's body, powerful waves of Haki began to radiate out from her body, resembling black lightning.^[7] Imu is capable of unleashing Supreme King Haki over a vast area to incapacitate multiple giants across Elbaph, including warriors of the Giant Warrior Pirates.^[19] This burst of Haki was so powerful and potent that numerous powerful fighters among the Straw Hat Pirates, a crew whose captain is an Emperor, reacted with shock, with Loki commenting that it was "preposterous".^[30] When Imu appeared in person on Elbaph, Gaban noted that the Haki he felt from him was greater than anything he had ever experienced, even during the God Valley Incident.^[20]

Observation Haki

Imu is capable of using Observation Haki. During the God Valley Incident, he used it to sense Eris and an infant Teach, Rocks' wife and son, fleeing through the forest on God Valley.^[9] Imu was also able to identify Joy Boy's Supreme King Haki when it was unleashed on Egghead, even though he was physically in Mary Geoise at the time.^[21]

Weapons

Glaive

Imu's main weapon appears to be a long glaive-like polearm with a curved, zigzagging blade. The other end of the shaft, the pommel, is covered in Omen and can be shapeshifted into various weapons, such as a cannon,^[31] a mace, a swordstaff, and a flail.^[8]

Others

Imu wielding a large trident while possessing Gunko.

Imu summoning cannons from an Abyss circle.

Imu's book summoning weapons from his grimoire-like book.

While possessing Gunko's body, Imu manifested a large black trident with arrow-shaped prongs. He appeared to use this weapon in the creation of an Abyss portal to summon a pair of cannons.^[19] Using his mystical book, Imu manifested a dagger that he used to stab Brogy's hand and free himself from the giant's grip, and then a huge double-barrelled flintlock pistol that was powerful enough to blast straight through Brogy's arm and sever the giant's hand from his body.^[19]

Imu also possesses a saber, which he used to cut apart and stab wanted posters and photographs.^[3]

History

Past

As one of the First Twenty, Nerona Imu lived during the Void Century and reigned over an unknown kingdom. He allied himself with 19 other kingdoms to battle the Great Kingdom in the Great War. Around this time, Imu developed an enmity with Joy Boy, an enemy of the Alliance who was also the first pirate, and Davy D. Jones, who has been stated to have once been the King of the World. The Alliance was ultimately victorious and formed the World Government, with Imu abdicating his original kingdom to live in Mary Geoise with the rest of the Creators.^[2] The World Government moved to eliminate all records of the Great War in the prior century, but Poneglyphs bearing these records ended up scattered around the world due to involvement from Imu's fellow Creator Nefertari D. Lili. As far as Imu knew, this incident was considered a "mistake", but he has since suspected it to be intentional on Lili's part.^[4]

Through unknown means, Imu was granted eternal youth and immortality; it has been speculated by Emporio Ivankov that the Ope Ope no Mi's "Perennial Youth Operation" may have been responsible, and its usage on Imu caused its concept to spread through history.^[28] Because he was immortal, Imu outlived his fellow Creators. Although the Creators constructed the Empty Throne as a monument to signify that the world would never be ruled over by one person, at some point Imu claimed the throne and took the title of King of the World.^[2] Due to his status as a Creator, Imu was able to exert authority over the following generations of World Nobles; eventually, the majority of them ceased to know about Imu's continued existence, with only the Five Elders and Knights of God being aware.

56 years ago, during the Levely of that year, five kings were kidnapped. Imu expressed little concern about their lives when the perpetrator, Rocks D. Xebec, infiltrated the Room of Flowers. Rocks menacingly declared his intention to return in the future and left before Imu could say anything.^[10]

38 years ago, during the God Valley Incident, Imu contacted Saturn about the status of Rocks' life. Imu was furious to learn that Rocks was still alive and that something else risked being unleashed if things continued to go awry from his original plans. Wishing to prevent such things from taking place, Imu descended on God Valley and possessed Saturn.^[29] Imu used Saturn's claws to attack pirates and Marines alike just for being in his vicinity before being confronted by Rocks. Imu referred to the pirate as Davy Jones, and Rocks affirmed his intention of keeping a promise his ancestor made. During the two's battle, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaidou came in and, alongside Rocks, struck Imu with powerful attacks, though Imu quickly recovered. Imu then elevated his face and spotted Rocks' wife and son running through another part of God Valley. Expressing the desire to eliminate them, Imu was cut apart by Rocks, but then pierced the pirate with tendrils and invoked Domi Reversi.^[9]

Rocks managed to resist the transformation, instead using the last of his consciousness to taunt Imu about his fear of Davy Jones and Joy Boy. Imu was able to turn the argument around by mentioning his plans to subjugate Elbaph in the future, drawing Rocks' anger and completing the transformation. As Imu released Rocks, he issued a single order: end Davy Jones' dream by slaying his remaining family and eliminate anyone who gets in the way. Imu stood by as Rocks did as ordered, quickly defeating his subordinates before making his way over to kill his wife and son. Due to interference by a young Bartholomew Kuma, however, the pair were safely "pushed" away to an unknown location. As Imu was unable to see this occur, he assumed the job was done and redirected Rocks to kill everyone remaining on God Valley.^[23] As Rocks became locked in an intense battle with Garp and Roger, Imu saw no further need for his presence and exited the island on a government ship. Issuing orders through Saturn, he declared that God Valley never existed.^[32]

Not long after this incident, Imu overheard King Harald of Elbaph pleading at Marineford for the World Government to allow him to serve them and atone for Elbaph's past sins.^[33] Fourteen years later, Imu decided to grant Harald membership in the Knights of God as a Devoted Blade.^[34] After another ten years, Harald gained the opportunity to receive full knighthood, and Imu revealed himself to the giant on the Empty Throne. Harald had just declared that he intended to abdicate the throne of Elbaph, but Imu told him he would decide that before invoking the Depths Covenant on the giant. Imu ordered Harald to summon an Abyss on Elbaph, promising that the giant nation would officially join the World Government as Harald had long wished for.

Once Harald installed the Abyss, Imu ordered him to round up Elbaph's population to form an army in the World Government's service. Harald objected, as he had intended for his nation to become a peaceful society, but Imu disregarded his protests and said he would use the Depths Covenant to ensure the king's obedience.^[15] However, Harald would be killed by his son Loki soon afterwards, and the death of a Covenant bearer inflicted a cost on Imu, leaving him breathing heavily as he spoke with the Five Elders. Imu rejected the proposal to send Knights of God to investigate the incident, fearing that they would meet the same fate as Harald. Noting how unusual Harald was in the context of Elbaph's history but that aligning with him failed regardless, Imu was certain that Elbaph, calling them "D.", was completely incompatible with the World Government and could not be carelessly incorporated into its forces.^[16]

Whole Cake Island Saga

Levely Arc

As royals gathered at Mary Geoise for the Levely, Imu went to an underground frozen chamber deep within Pangaea Castle, and approached a large straw hat while carrying several wanted posters and photographs including Monkey D. Luffy's.^[1] Imu later went to the Room of Flowers and cut apart Luffy and Blackbeard's wanted posters, recognizing them as the current incarnations of Joy Boy and Davy D. Jones,^[14] and stabbed the photo of Princess Shirahoshi. Afterwards, he was alerted by a servant that the Five Elders had arrived. While carrying a photo of Nefertari Vivi in hand, Imu met with them and sat on the Empty Throne. The Elders requested that their king reveal the name of the "light" that needed to be extinguished from history.^[3]

On the fourth day of the Levely, Nefertari Cobra went to the Empty Throne room to talk with the Five Elders about why Nefertari Lili, the Queen of Arabasta 800 years ago, was not officially documented after the Void Century, and questioned what the "D" meant. As the two parties conversed, Imu listened in on their conversation from the Room of Flowers. Without notice, Imu then entered the Empty Throne room and proceeded to sit on the throne in front of the Five Elders and a surprised Cobra.^[13]

Imu refused to answer any questions about his own identity, but went on to reveal that the D. was the moniker of the government's ancient enemy. Imu then explained Lili's involvement that caused the Poneglyphs to be scattered all over the world, considering it the worst possible outcome for the World Government. In exchange, Imu, who had shown interest in a letter written by Lili that Cobra mentioned having beforehand, ordered the Arabasta king to reveal the full name of its author. Realizing he had no chance to escape and was set to die anyway, Cobra admitted that Lili carried the moniker D. on her name and was impaled by Imu using his devil tail. Sabo, who was eavesdropping nearby, quickly jumped in to attack the Five Elders and Imu, but the latter was able to cancel Sabo's flames with his own ability. Having let Sabo witness some of their biggest secrets, the top brass of the government gave chase to the revolutionary and Cobra, only managing to stop and kill the latter. Wapol also happened to witness the whole thing through a peephole and ran away as far he could.^[4] Sabo managed to escape with knowledge of Imu, and the World Government went on high alert to locate him.^[11]

After the Levely ended, Imu called the Elders. He wished to test out Vegapunk's latest creation, the Mother Flame, and upon being asked where to use it on, Imu named Lulusia Kingdom as its target simply due to the kingdom's proximity, regardless of the many people living there. Imu also ordered the Five Elders to capture Vivi and bring her to him.^[5]

Final Saga

Egghead Arc

Coincidentally, the World Government eventually was able to trace Sabo's location to Lulusia after intercepting a call where he attempted to reveal Imu's existence to the rest of the Revolutionary Army. In the Room of Flowers, Imu listened in on the Five Elders discussing the discovery of Sabo's location and the country of Lulusia being destroyed by an explosive energy barrage from the sky, with the Five Elders proclaiming that it never existed at all.^[11] Imu later witnessed the rise of the sea in the world.^[35]

The next day, Imu looked at a painting of Nefertari Lili and listened to Vegapunk's broadcast about the rise of the sea and the discoveries he had made about the Void Century.^[18][36][24] With the broadcast nearing its end, Imu listened to Vegapunk state that the fate of the world would be decided by whoever was able to claim the One Piece.^[37] After Emet used Joy Boy's stored Supreme King Haki to force the Five Elders back to Mary Geoise, Imu fell to his knees screaming, and cursed Joy Boy's name.^[21]

Following the conclusion of the Egghead Incident, Imu furiously blamed Saturn for his role in allowing Luffy (whom Imu referred to as Joy Boy) and his allies to escape. As a result, Imu stripped Saturn of his immortality, killing him. At the same time, Imu promoted Figarland Garling to Saturn's previously held position as Warrior God of Science and Defense.^[17]

Elbaph Arc

During the Knights of God's mission on Elbaph, the group ran into a number of adversaries that caused them trouble in completing their mission of subjugating Elbaph and bringing it under the World Government, including the Straw Hats and Scopper Gaban, Gol D. Roger's left hand man. As a result of this, alongside an unknown catastrophe in Mary Geoise involving the city being set ablaze, Imu decided to act. Having noticed Knights of God member Manmayer Gunko suddenly regaining lost memories between herself and Straw Hat member Brook, Imu began possessing Gunko's body, declaring his intention to "assist" the Knights of God.^[7]

A moment later, the Giant Warrior Pirates, as well as a few parents, finally made their arrival to rescue the children. Imu, annoyed by their interference, sprouted a pair of devil wings and took to the sky before unleashing a burst of Supreme King Haki, knocking a few of his adversaries unconscious. As said giants were meant to have been distracted by Killingham's MMAs, Imu took a moment to berate Killingham for his failure to do so. He then addressed Sommers, demanding that the Knight take charge of the children. Meanwhile, Dorry and Brogy, the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, finally arrived to confront whom they believed to be Gunko.

With suitable candidates before him, Imu attempted to inform the pair of their new status as the kings of Elbaph, but was interrupted by Brogy grabbing him. While Brogy began to rant about stopping the Knights of God, Imu casually summoned a magical book, which he used to create a pair of weapons. At the same time, he issued a simple order for Dorry and Brogy, which was to kill Jarul and declare themselves kings. Brogy was outraged by the very idea, but was cut off by Imu suddenly stabbing him with a dagger he summoned, before blowing his left hand off using a large shotgun. With Brogy effectively immobilized, Imu summoned an Abyss below his feet before preparing a demonic contract. Using Domi Reversi, Imu converted Brogy into a demonic version of himself. The shock of the moment allowed Dorry to be converted as well, alongside a few of their crewmates. Imu was impressed with the sheer ability their new pawns showed, and watched intently as they set off to kill Jarul.^[19]

With the majority of his work complete, Imu stood aside and watched as the demons proceeded forward, alongside Killingham's newly revitalized MMAs. Upon being proposed a question by Sommers as to how long he planned to go with their takeover, Killingham chimed in that things were safely in their favor. Before he could finish his explanation, Imu cut him off, and declared his intention to shatter Elbaph's spirit. Imu added that Harald's apparent mistake 14 years prior had been the sole reason for their previous failure, and that Elbaph should long have been under the World Government's control.^[30] However, Elbaph had other intentions as Jarul picked up a Dango Mushi and proceeded to issue a response. Imu listened silently as Jarul directly challenged the invasion, and even issued a declaration of war against the government, all while rallying all giants to fight back.^[38]

Imu's quiet observance of the invasion was broken by the arrival of the Straw Hat, Brook. Imu remained silent as Brook addressed Gunko as "Princess Shuri", and revealed a series of similarities between her and the girl he remembered from his past. When Brook brought up Gunko's apparent killing of her father, Imu found his control being momentarily undone, allowing Gunko to use the opportunity to free Brook and the other Straw Hats. Outraged by her daring to resist him, Imu reasserted his control over Gunko. Turning to Brook, Imu furiously attacked him while demanding to know of his relevance to Gunko.^[22] Their battle came to an end rather quickly, as Imu was able to freely watch Loki in his transformed state, without any interference. As he witnessed the unmatched power of Loki's fruit, Imu realized that the Nidhöggr was hidden on Elbaph all along.^[39]

Once again, Imu's observance was halted by the arrival of another Straw Hat, Usopp. Despite the ease with which he was defeated, Usopp refused to flee from Imu. Imu found himself annoyed as Usopp called out his actions as cowardly, causing him to attack Usopp once more. Usopp got up again, equipped his weapon, and dared Imu to fight the might of Elbaph on his own, without resorting to cheap tricks. Imu considered such actions beneath him, and forced Usopp to use his attack at point-blank range, catching him in the blast radius as well. Although both Straw Hats lay defeated, their captain and Loki arrived, having finally discovered the source of the strange haki. Addressing the pair as "Nika" and "Nidhöggr", Imu issued the ultimatum of either submitting to his will or dying, as the resulting battle would likely divide the world.^[40]

Neither one obliged. Loki attacked Imu with his lightning breath, while Luffy got his wounded crewmates to safety. While dodging Loki's lightning, Imu recalled reports from a few years prior of a particularly large giant attacking World Government ships, as well as rumors of an even larger beast popping up around the same time. Having realized whom he was facing, Imu projected himself from Gunko's body and flew higher into the air, at the same time lamenting that he would have to handle matters himself. Using Domi Reversi, Imu stabbed Luffy and Loki with his tendrils, before attempting to force the pair to fight each other. However, both simply shrugged off the attempt at transformation, to Imu's annoyance. With no other direct options for combat, Imu found himself battered by Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Dawn Gatling, followed by a strike from Ragnir by Loki using Niflheim, freezing him in a block of ice. A few minutes later, Imu returned to Mary Geoise, which was still in flames. Contacting the Five Elders, Imu revealed that he would be briefly leaving the Holy Land.^[41]

The Elders were horrified by this news, save for Garling, who believed Imu was in the right for taking the fight against their enemies. The other Elders suggested sending the Marine Admirals, with Warcury even offering to once again be deployed in their place. However, Imu was adamant to take care of matters himself, and believed the entire situation they were facing had started all the way back when he failed to stop Rocks when he was confronted by him 56 years ago. Declaring that the Elders were to rule in his stead, Imu teleported himself to Elbaph using an Abyss. His arrival was accompanied by a titanic magic circle appearing above Aurust Castle, alongside buildings and trees coming to life and singing a haunting song. With one final bolt of lightning, Imu materialized within the castle, immediately collapsing and coughing up blood, and then beginning to transform. Moments later, Imu flew up to the castle's spire, perching atop it as he looked down upon his enemies.^[14]

After teleporting down to the Western Village, Imu demanded the name of Elbaph's king. Upon being told it had none, he turned his attention to the still-captured Sommers. Imu cut Gerd's fingertips off, freeing Sommers, and forcing his surrounding enemies to finally make their moves. Zoro and Hajrudin tried to attack him, only for Imu to block and easily blow away both using his abilities. Bestowing an Omen unto Sommers, Imu informed him that there was no time to waste, prompting both to take to the skies. While on the way to free Killingham, Imu used his abiltiy to shoot a demonic projectile at the block of ice that still held Gunko. Once he touched down near the Walrus School, Imu released Killingham and bestowed him an Omen as well. This earned him the ire of Sanji, who attempted to attack, only to be easily thwarted like his crewmate Zoro. Moments later, Loki stepped out from the school and demanded to know what business Imu had on Elbaph. Imu revealed he had come to simply find who had killed Harald 14 years prior, leading Loki to reveal himself as the killer, followed by directly challenging Imu to come and get him.^[20]

Loki blamed Imu for his father's premature death, although Imu considered Harald's loss to mostly be inconvenient to himself. Outraged by Imu's lack of sympathy, Loki furiously attacked using Ragnir, only for Imu to counter using an Omen. Upon being questioned by a baffled Loki on his power, Imu gigantified himself to Loki's size, revealing that Omen was a military might that existed in all beings. Using his superior agility, Imu flipped around Loki and stabbed him from above using Nemesis, momentarily downing the giant. While Imu prepared to finish Loki off, he spoke of strength as a craving all aspired to gain, and could do so by being corrupted and submitting to a Covenant, which would grant them power. Imu declared that all three together formed a trinity known as "Domination", and used an Omen in an attempt to blow Loki up. However, Loki remained standing, rejected Imu's offer and proceeded to strike with Ragnir, seemingly crushing Imu. Loki remarked that Imu's system seemed more akin to a deal with the devil, rather than a gift from God. Imu appeared behind him, having dodged Loki's strike, and he stated his belief of there being no difference between the two. Taking flight, Imu boldly declared that the world itself existed in a state of constant Domination, and angrily called out to Joy Boy to confirm his beliefs. However, recalling the past left Imu open, allowing Loki to strike and send him flying into Elbaph's Adam Tree. Although Loki used Thorheim to fire a blast of lightning, Imu simply blocked it using the Omen and internally confirmed that the Nidhöggr truly had returned.^[8]

Smiling at the prospect of meeting such an enemy again, Imu dislodged himself from the Adam Tree and declared that the Nidhöggr itself was a traitor. Realizing that snow was now falling from the sky, Imu also took notice of Ragnir perched atop Loki's head. Imu considered the meeting to be nostalgic, recalling how long it took for Ragnir to find a new master. This only provoked a fighting response from Ragnir, who set up a cloud of ice for Loki to shoot lightning through. Imu countered with his own projectiles born from the Omen, resulting in a clash of explosions.^[42] The extended battle began taking a toll on Imu, who called out Ragnir once more for apparently seeking revenge against him. Angered further by Loki's noncompliance, Imu declared that he and Luffy would never be fit to serve as his soldiers, and that both must be erased, likening the pair to an individual named Douzan, who he had killed in the past. Using the Omen, Imu summoned a large blade as Loki called down lightning, resulting in yet another clash.^[43]

Major Battles

• Imu (through Jaygarcia Saturn) vs. Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaidou
• Imu and Five Elders vs. Sabo
• Imu (through Manmayer Gunko) vs. Brogy
• Imu (through Gunko) vs. Brook
• Imu (through Gunko) vs. Brook and Usopp
• Imu (through Gunko) vs. Monkey D. Luffy and Loki
• Imu vs. Roronoa Zoro and New Giant Warrior Pirates
• Imu vs. Sanji
• Imu vs. Loki

Translation and Dub Issues

In the VIZ Media translation, Imu talks in first person with the standard subject pronoun "I", but instances of the objective form "me" are replaced by "mu".

Imu's unique second-person pronoun nushia (ヌシア^?) in Japanese is seemingly derived from the dated "you" pronouns onushi (御主^?) and nushi (主^?). In the VIZ Media translation, Imu uses the archaic English pronouns "thou" and "thee".

The dub does not use this convention, but it does have Imu speak in a very formal dialect.

Other Appearances

Video Games

Playable Appearances

• One Piece Treasure Cruise

Trivia

• Regarding Imu's name:
  • The Japanese verb imu (spellings: 忌む・諱む・斎む^?) means "to shun", "to avoid" or "to detest" (with imubeki (忌むべき^?) meaning "abominable/detestable").
  • The katakana for "Nerona" (ネロナ), when being used as hanzi stroke order, can be written as the hanzi/kanji 神, which means "god". The katakana of Imu (イム) are the radicals that form the kanji 仏 ("buddha"). By Literomancy, they can be consider as "Broken God" and "Broken Buddha".
  • Ím (transliterated as イーム in Japanese) is a jötunn in Norse mythology.
  • The name "Nerona" seems to derive from Nero, a Roman emperor suspected of burning Rome to build his planned "Golden House" ("Domus Aurea") while blaming Christians for the flagration. "Nerona" can especially be seen as a reference to the Christian history painting Nero's Torches (Polish: Pochodnie Nerona).
• The number 16 is relevant to Imu and, by extension, to World Nobles. Per goroawase, the two syllables in Imu's name can also be read as "1" (i per on'yomi) and "6" (mu per kun'yomi), which makes 16.
  • The weapon utilizing the Mother Flame is depicted as firing sixteen beams downward.
  • When a young Donquixote Doflamingo was lynched by the mob, a man states that a Celestial Dragon shot his sons sixteen times. As an adult, his ultimate attack is called "Sixteen Holy Assassin's Bullets".
  • When fully transformed, a ring of black flames looms behind his head and bears 16 eyes on it which are identical in appearance to Imu's.
• Imu is the second-oldest known living creature in the world. Only Zunesha, the elephant that carries the nation of Zou on its back, is confirmed to be older.
• The existence of an authority even higher than the Five Elders within the World Government was first hinted at in Chapter 793 when Fleet Admiral Sakazuki learns from the Five Elders that the orders approving Doflamingo's charade of falsely quitting the Seven Warlords came from an authority that supersedes their own.^[44]
• In One Piece in Love, an extremely shy girl called Hagiwara Hana (萩原 花^?) wears an Imu costume to approach the pirate club.^[45][46]

Imu costume in One Piece in Love.

Person inside the Imu costume.

Notes

References

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