One Piece 1086 left readers intrigued by the characters of Im Sama or Imu and Gorosei. The shadowy figures revealed in that chapter made readers curious about their true power. Imu is a vital character in the entire plot of One Piece. Though introduced in the Reverie arc, Imu quickly rose to popularity.
Oda Sensei gave a big surprise to One Piece fans when he revealed Imu’s secretive existence at the top of the World Government in the Reverie arc. Oda Sensei has slowly revealed information about this mysterious character over time. The recent chapters hinted that Imu has been immortal since the Void Century.
In the Reverie flashback, Sabo hints that Imu is one of the rulers of the Founding 20. Later, Ivankov confirms that Imu is indeed a member of the Founding 20. However, detailed information about Imu’s past has not been revealed yet. Several fans have gathered clues and information about it.
Imu is a ruler of one of the 20 kingdoms and belongs to the Nerona family. The Nerona family was one of the 20 founding families who joined forces to destroy the Ancient Kingdom 800 years ago. It is unclear whether the Nerona family was as important as the other founding families during that time.
After the destruction of the Ancient Kingdom, Imu and the other 19 founding leaders swore to be equals in front of the Empty Throne. But Ratu Nefertari Lily, the ruler of Arabasta at that time, did not want to be the Celestial Dragon and returned to her kingdom. She did not swear with the others, but Cobra mentioned that there were 19 weapons in front of the Empty Throne, which implies that Imu did swear and placed their weapon in front of the throne.
Imu has some kind of emotional grudge against Lily, and this possibly extends to her descendants, including Vivi. Imu’s feelings might be driven by Lily’s decision to hide her true identity and the fear that she triggered by spreading the knowledge of the Poneglyphs.
One Piece chapter 1086 explores the possibility that Imu is immortal, which was confirmed by Emporio Ivankov. Imu from the Nerona family is one of the Founding 20. The fact that they are still alive and ruling over the world means they have reached the pinnacle of the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi devil fruit. It is through this devil fruit that Imu became immortal. This also indicates that someone in the past used the Ope Ope no Mi to grant Imu immortality.
Saint Im from the Nerona family was the recipient of the Ope Ope no Mi surgery, thus gaining immortality. It is suggested that a close associate of Imu performed this surgery, possibly another member of the Nerona family or a founding member. This person then died because the user of the Ope Ope no Mi eventually dies.
The Five Elders who sit at the top of the 20 founding family hierarchy have served Imu forever since the surgery. The true identities of the Five Elders are also a mystery, but they may also have been granted immortality through the Ope Ope no Mi. There may be other ways to grant immortality in the world of One Piece.
One Piece fans are eagerly waiting for further revelations about Imu and the Founding 20. These characters have the potential to change the course of the entire series.
