The World Government of theOne Pieceworld is the biggest ruling power established in the story. Created around 800 years ago, the organization was established by 20 kingdoms who joined forces to fight the Ancient Kingdom. After coming out victorious, the kings joined together tocreate the World Governmentand their descendants became what is currently known as the Celestial Dragons.
Since then, the World Government in theOne Pieceworld has amassed quite a lot of power and influence. Over 170 countries have allied with them andtheir military face, the Marines, are more than enough to match the strongest of pirates on the seas. The World Government has several powerful figures, including the Celestial Dragons, who have the world at their fingertips, and above them, the Gorosei, who have higher authority on world matters. However, no character in the entire world ofOne Pieceholds more power than Imu.
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Who Is Imu?
Imu made hisOne Piecedebut during the Reverie arc, shortly after the events of the Whole Cake Island wrapped up. As the many political leaders of the world prepared to meet for the 4-year council to discuss various issues at hand, Eiichiro Oda gave the fansa good look at the structureof the World Government, their home, called the holy land of Mariejois, and the people living there.
All the countries affiliated with the World Government are shown that they are equal to each other through the Empty Throne, a historical seat that is said to be located right at the center of the world. As the name suggests, the Empty Throne isn’t occupied by anyone; or that is what the World Government would like the world to believe. Despite having the rusted weapons of the founders planted right in front of it to show equality, the Empty Throne is actually sat upon by a mysterious sovereign – Imu.
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Not much is known about Imu as Oda is keeping nearly everything about him a secret, however, fans have seen more than enough of him to figure out what role he plays in the World Government. Being the one who sits upon the Empty Throne, it is quite clear that Imu is actually the ruler of the entire organization and holds the most power in the World Government. His authority is known to supersede even that of the Gorosei, as evident from the fact that they bowed to him and asked him for further orders regarding pressing matters.
Although Imu practically holds the most power in theOne Pieceworld, it is unknown if he’s a combatant. Imu does wield a saber with which he stabbed a picture of Shirahoshi and, at the same time, cut up Luffy and Blackbeard’s wanted posters into pieces, but in combat, his skill remains unknown. Nonetheless, Imu isunderstandably one of the most important characters in theOne Pieceworld, arguably being the biggest villain in the entire story.
Imu’s Role In The Future Of One Piece
Judging by the way Eiichiro Oda established Imu towards the end of the Reverie arc, it is quite clear that he’ll be extremely involved in the final few arcs of the story. Imu is essentially the current King of the World and thus holds the most power. It is also possible that he’s been alive for centuries and is actually a relic from the Void Century himself. Fans do know that someone in the past had the Perennial Youth Surgery performed on them by a former user of the Ope Ope no Mi and Imu could very well be that person.
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Towards the end of the Reverie arc, Imu ordered the Gorosei to erase a particular light from the world, meaning things have already kicked into action regarding his character arc. At the same time, Imu also held a picture of Vivi in his hand, meaning out ofShirahoshi, Vivi, Blackbeard, and Luffy, she appears to be the very first target. As seen in the aftermath of the Reverie, Alabasta appears to be mourning and tragedy has struck the place and this could well be tied down to him.
While theStraw Hat Pirates and the allies fight in Wano, a completely closed country, the world outside is in chaos. Once Wano is opened to the rest of the world and news about the world events starts flowing in, Imu’s threat will become even more grave. It is highly likely that Imu will step into action themselves during the Great War that Whitebeard and Oden spoke of and Eiichiro Oda himself promised would dwarf Marineford in size.
As Luffy establishes himself as the Pirate King and learns the true history of the world, the war with the World Government will finally kick-start. Imu, being the sovereign of the organization, will be the most important villain during this arc and this is where every mystery surrounding his character will finally be answered by Eiichiro Oda. For now, Luffy is still in Wano Country battlingKaido and his forcesand has ways to go before he crosses paths with the mystery that is Imu.
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