One Piece - I'm Gonna Be the Pirate King!

[whatever I feel like]

time for god usopp to take one for the team.

Luffy can assist. Gomu gomu no sheepskin!

 

[Kari Kamiya]

Now I'm imagining Dr Kureha giving Chopper a hat made out of Reindeer hide and can't stop laughing. That's fucked.

Sawa: Wears earrings made with the blood of her parents.

Chopper: Wears a hat made with the hide of a member of the herd who rejected him.

I can see it.

 

[Susie Legion Simp]

(SPOILERS!!!!)





Okay this will be a bit autistic, but here is my current working theory on a bit of Imu's backstory. I have gone with the idea I've learned from Yuderon, and other Japanese fans, that every country/island, and every story arc are either foreshadowing or show what has happened in the past in the series. Also each country/island is like it's own miniature version of the world at large. I think it's very likely since you see the same patterns over and over and over throughout.

I think it's likely Imu is originally a Lunarian or some other Angel race maybe from the Moon (before their Wings became atrophied.), and got kicked out. I didn't go with this before until seeing they added that scene in one of the recent episodes of the Anime of a winged figure falling into the Ocean, and whoever does the Anime seems to know what will happen in the series, and works certain things like that in (example in the Manga you see Imu's current attendant at the Levely as just a shadow, whereas in the Anime although they are still shadowed you can see they are wearing a Straw Hat.) and since Imu is heavily Devil themed I think it's thematically appropriate that Imu is originally an Angel that became a Devil that thinks it's God.
Now why Imu got kicked out? Going with Chopper/Loki/Pudding/etc... I think it's either some physical deformity or being different colored as there are major themes of discrimination through the series. This is also why I think Imu was maybe a Lunarian with white wings (The winged figure falling into the ocean.) This would also go with Yuderon's theory of Imu being the opposite of Alvida and Boa Hancock where Alvida was hideous, but adamant that she was beautiful, while Boa Hancock is beautiful, and plays it up. So Imu would be someone physically attractive, but maybe thinks they are ugly, and hides themself.
I think Imu has something like "THE TRUE DEVIL FRUIT". When Imu was first introduced I was hoping for them to have a Water fruit. Then I switched to maybe something like a one of a kind "God Fruit". But a true Devil Fruit with all other Devil Fruits being knockoffs is my current theory going off of examples like Vegapunk, and Caesar Clown. Vegapunk can make basically a true Devil Fruit with the Kaido copy Momo ate (Still not the proper thing since it's pink though, which is speculated to mean that it doesn't have the Animal's mind in it.), and sort of copied some other Fruits with the Green Blood in the Seraphim. While Caesar Clown could only make knockoff Smiles. So in the distant past I think there was this true Devil Fruit that Imu ate (whether they made it or not idk.) while somebody else made the other Devil Fruits, but could only make knockoffs of the real deal.
I also think it's likely that Imu idolized Devils/Demons and wanted to be one. Using York as an example who wants to be a Celestial Dragon (probably from Vegapunk himself wanting to be one deep down.), and also DorIMU from the Ocean's Dream arc. Particularly the Ocean's Dream arc in the Anime seems to foreshadow the entire series with an island of people who have had all their memories/dreams eaten by a child named Dorimu who is being possessed by a Seahorse... thing that is absolutely obsessed with becoming a Millenium Dragon (A type of Dragon in early fillers that I had wondered at the similarity in their names to the Celestial Dragons). One big highlight of the arc is Zoro becomes possessed by Dorimu and tries to kill Luffy, cutting a giant X in his Chest long before he actually got one at the timeskip.
Using Orochi, and Rocks/Blackbeard as an example I thought maybe there could be a Devil/Demon race that Imu was originally a part of, and that got exterminated leading to Imu wanting revenge on the World, maybe the Lunarians being the main leaders of taking out the Devils? But I think now it's more likely that Imu is originally some sort of Angel before becoming a Devil.
I also think that Blackbeard will probably take over or possess Imu at some point. Part of it is because of how Imu being Devil themed also has been doing quite a bit of possessing in the story (Gunko, Saturn, and probably Lily.), and Blackbeard saying that his Devil Fruit was the only one with the actual power of the Devil in it. Also because the Movies seem to foreshadow what will happen (Carnation Lily in Baron Omatsuri's movie or Strong World foreshadowing Wano). And in Film Red obviously Gunko seems to represent Imu/Gunko. Tot Musica at first seems to have some elements of Blackbeard with its Hair, and the three Skulls it wears... but then its last form has what looks like something similar Imu's crown on it, and a lot of red gems (In groups of three). And randomly it seems to have large Reptilian heads coming out of it which also fits with the theory of Imu probably turning into a huge Sea Serpent or Leviathan (Remember at the very start of the series Luffy beats a Sea Serpent with red eyes.). So I think Blackbeard will probably hijack Imu at some point in the final battle.

Of course the figure with the White Wings falling into the Ocean could just be Luffy, I will never get over this cover, and since Sanji and Luffy are considered to be positive mirrors of each other (Nearly all the major villains in the series are similar/opposites of Luffy. While also seeming to foreshadow various aspects of Imu.) he will probably have more to his backstory.

 

[Tetragrammaton]

I think it's likely Imu is originally a Lunarian or some other Angel race maybe from the Moon

i think you are close with this but i dont think imu is a lunarian. if anything i think imu is from an island in the sky similar to skypiea and similar to enel when he found the lunarians on the red line he declared himself god and eventually had them all eliminated and stole the ancient weapon they originally had that could only be powered by the flame on their back. which is why the creation of the mother flame is so important and allows the ancient weapon to be used once again.

i also really dont think current day imu is the same imu as it was back then. i think this is more like and endless cycle where original imu and original nika just fight forever because their will is so strong that it is infused into their devil fruits and whoever eats them gains their will. but imus fruit is more like something that corrupts the eater of the fruit allowing imu to live forever in a way.

where as the nika fruit just goes to the person who shares the same will and desire as nika so its less about controlling someone and more about granting them true freedom to see their dreams come true.

however at some point the current imu did become actually immortal by forcing whoever had laws fruit before him to make him immortal.

 

[Trombonista]

however at some point the current imu did become actually immortal by forcing whoever had laws fruit before him to make him immortal.

Or he's been extending his lifespan with the contracts.

 

[harmy.kook]

Or he's been extending his lifespan with the contracts.

Would add reason to why Imu keeps the CDs around.

Useful cattle for sacrifice if push comes to shove. Like with Makima in CSM

 

[Trollblade69]

I still wish my old headcanon where Shanks lost his arm totally by accident, but still ended up putting the disability to use by cutting off the arms of Devil Fruit users to steal their powers and use a whole bundle of them in his climactic fight to the death with Luffy would've happened..

 

[Tetragrammaton]

Or he's been extending his lifespan with the contracts.

that almost makes me think of the theory i saw which said something along the lines of the gorosei being an extension of imu where they become immortal but in exchange imu gets their entire life span almost like a combination of morias shadow power and big moms devil fruit power.

 

[Susie Legion Simp]

Spoiler: Imu Spoilers!

Oooh oh ohhh something I thought was interesting is that a lot of Moria's Zombies were a part of Rock's crew AND were characters with their own stories by Oda. Specifically the main character from "Wanted" (And who apparently had the Ghost fruit before Perona.), and Ryoma from "Monsters". And also John.
While Imu had Rocks himself briefly, and used with an ability similar to Moria's Zombies (although much more powerful and not needing two different people to make a single Zombie.) I just think it's interesting. And then of course Gekko Moria sat inside of Oars, and directly controlled his body.
Another connection is Perona. At least during Thriller Bark she sent out her Ghosts, and her own Ghost to fight for her. While she herself (her body) was in her room. While Imu is in Mariejois and projecting themself through other characters, first with Gunko, and then Saturn during the flashback. There's also the similarity that the Imu coming off of Saturn was HUGE like Perona making her Ghost huge, and somewhat intangible.

Also I don't know if this has been posted before, but each of the Gorosei seem to represent one of the five levels of Impel Down, and with Imu probably representing the Eternal Hell, and the Newkama Land (I assume because of Imu using both male and female bodies). There was also a Poneglyph in Impel Down that is seen in the colored version of the Manga, but apparently the people doing the Anime missed.

AAAaaanyways sorry to barge in and start posting about Imu, but I found this thread last night after it became New Years, and got excited.
Here is the attendant I mentioned where you can see they are wearing a Straw Hat in the Anime.

 

[Random Internet Person]

Newkama Land (I assume because of Imu using both male and female bodies).

We don't know Imu's sex yet. It's just the shadow body. And even then, we don't know if that's just because Oda is holding of on revealing Imu's true appearance.

Here is the attendant I mentioned where you can see they are wearing a Straw Hat in the Anime.

And they're wearing a pink shawl, some kind of dress, and may well be the same shadow blob as Imu, but purple/pink. Another thing is open to speculation. Didn't Gunko kill Cobra with her arrow powers in the throne room while Imu was taking about Lili?

 

[Susie Legion Simp]

We don't know Imu's sex yet. It's just the shadow body. And even then, we don't know if that's just because Oda is holding of on revealing Imu's true appearance.

What I mean is that Imu has used both Gunko's and Saturn's bodies. I had learned awhile ago that many fans particularly in the Japanese community had seen the same themes over and over throughout the story, and so speculated that there would be a sort of "World Princess" because of all the Princess characters (And characters like Kaya or Nami and Robin). So there is a sort of "Imu" in every country. Of course once Imu was actually introduced it became very obvious that they are also referenced through all the villain characters throughout the series. But for Kamabaka and the Newkama land in Impel Down obviously Ivankov is the Imu, whose main thing is switching between male and female forms (and transforming people's bodies like Imu does.) and then there's also Ivankov's connection with Crocodile who is speculated to originally be a woman. So there's another possible gender switching aspect with Imu there. Not only that, but Crocodile's code name was "Mr. 0" which goes with the "Mu" which essentially means nothing/oblivion/void. That's why I lump both the Level 5.5 and Level 6 of Impel Down as representing Imu.
I think it's also possible at this point that Imu is just a genderless monster, I don't think Oda has done anything like that so far.

And they're wearing a pink shawl, some kind of dress, and may well be the same shadow blob as Imu, but purple/pink. Another thing is open to speculation. Didn't Gunko kill Cobra with her arrow powers in the throne room while Imu was taking about Lili?

I think this is a different attendant as Gunko has been fully made into one of the Knights, and wasn't wearing a Hat in the flashback. And I paid very careful attention to the Cobra scene both in the Manga, and Anime, and it seems like the "Arrow" came from Imu and is the "Devil Tail" or whatever it is. I do think Gunko's arrows are meant to evoke the Tail as she's another "Princess character" with many of the traits who I thought heavily referenced Imu until she was possessed. But I'm also open to it being just Gunko killing Cobra from the shadows.

I'll attach some pictures that reference what I'm talking about. The one with Doflamingo was something added into the Anime where he cuts apart a Butterfly that flies up to him, and shows him remembering his father while killing it.

 

[cool4thcat]

Or he's been extending his lifespan with the contracts.

somebody got the surgery if its not Imu, Davy Jones?

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

somebody got the surgery if its not Imu, Davy Jones?

It is possible, the Davey Back introduction fight did mention that Davy Jones was thrown underwater and is somewhere under the sea to this day.

Laughtale might be an underwater Island and Davey Jones might be stuck there.

 

[cool4thcat]

It is possible, the Davey Back introduction fight did mention that Davy Jones was thrown underwater and is somewhere under the sea to this day.

Laughtale might be an underwater Island and Davey Jones might be stuck there.

Thats mostly where I was going with that don't know about laughtale being underwater right now that would be kinda weird unless its like fishman island. Davy having his own area underwater would be cool but really important question do we get nikka flashback/explanation before or after joy boy/davy jones/imu flash back? I say before cause it would be the general beats of the end without the answers.

 

[whatever I feel like]

I think Hachi also found Davy's locker in his cover story and there was a devil fruit in it.

 

[Susie Legion Simp]

So I'm not sure if we need to use Spoiler tags or not here? On the first post in the thread it says to use them, but nobody else seems to... I'm going to share some interesting Laughtale insight I'll use the spoilers just in case...

Spoiler: Laughtale and the bottom of the Ocean maybe spoilers

So I found out this stuff out awhile ago that Laughtale is very likely to be either inside of a Whale or at least heavily Whale themed. The reasons? Usually when Laughtale is discussed there is Whale imagery. First of all with Laboon. Crocus has been to Laughtale, and made an island inside of a Whale. He made it look like daylight inside also, so the characters were very confused when they got swallowed by Laboon. Also Laboon's species of Whale are also called Island Whales.
The Road Poneglyph for Laughtale on Zou was inside of a Tree that was shaped like a Whale. There are probably other examples. So for example in the Buggy arc they are trying to get the Map to the Grand Line, and Oda keeps showing a Whale Fountain.
It also fits sort of thematically as there is Laboon at the very beginning of the Grand Line. Halfway through once they enter the New World there are also a bunch of island Whales (Adults) that accompany them and recognize the Binks Sake/Ale song when Brook sings it. So it fits that there would be a Whale that tops them all at the end of the Grand Line.
Now I don't think it will JUST be a Whale. Since they've already been inside of a Whale, and gone to the bottom of the Ocean. I think it will be much more fantastical, and probably not even obvious that they are in a Whale at first. My theory is that since things that happen in the series happen at a much larger scale later in the series. That Laughtale will be a sort of phantasmal afterlifelike place, maybe with a big Graveyard? I'm going off of Impel Down which was made to be like Hell, so I'm imagining Laughtale as being a sort of actual after Death place. There are also examples in the series of Graveyards inside of Mouths, and big skeletons. So for example the islands in Thriller Bark and the Ship itself has a huge mouth as the entrance. Or when Big Mom is uh... "high" while eating Sanji's Cake there is a Graveyard in her Mouth. There's the huge Skull on Onigashima, and the big Ribcage where Uta's concert was in Film Red. And in the Anime in one of the more current OPs/Eds it showed Kuma inside of a big skeleton at the bottom of the Ocean which left me flabbergasted.

Also I don't know if these have been mentioned yet, but Oda posted a series of pictures on his X/Twitter with his Imu plush (I also bought the plush.) that might show some important plot details or probably some of Imu's backstory that sort of fit with what I mentioned. I don't think Oda has done anything like this before with the series merchandise so its quite interesting. The last several are Imu at Oda's desk with captions like "don't be nosy". With the Shark one there was also a Cover where they are being attacked by Sharks with Brook inside of one.

.

 

[Random Internet Person]

Also I don't know if these have been mentioned yet, but Oda posted a series of pictures on his X/Twitter with his Imu plush (I also bought the plush.) that might show some important plot details or probably some of Imu's backstory that sort of fit with what I mentioned. I don't think Oda has done anything like this before with the series merchandise so its quite interesting

Don’t think too much about it. One of the things about Oda is that he doesn’t take himself that seriously when it comes to being a pro mangaka.

 

[Tetragrammaton]

It is possible, the Davey Back introduction fight did mention that Davy Jones was thrown underwater and is somewhere under the sea to this day.

Laughtale might be an underwater Island and Davey Jones might be stuck there.

i dont think laughtale is hidden underwater but i do think its being hidden with haki or something similar. its like thriller bark in the florian triangle but less fog and more haki.

also as far as davy jones if he is still alive or was alive ever i wonder if fishman island has any of his decedents. i mean theres obviously hody jones but we dont know if thats just a coincidence or not. though it would be funny if he was related to davy jones.

 

[Another Random]

i dont think laughtale is hidden underwater but i do think its being hidden with haki or something similar. its like thriller bark in the florian triangle but less fog and more haki.

also as far as davy jones if he is still alive or was alive ever i wonder if fishman island has any of his decedents. i mean theres obviously hody jones but we dont know if thats just a coincidence or not. though it would be funny if he was related to davy jones.

Remember that last names come first in the series, so those two would be Jones Hody and Jones Davy. [It's why the twist was that Rocks's real name was Davy D. Xebec, not Davy D. Rocks or Rocks D. Davy.]

Hi, I love the great state of Israel, would I enjoy this show?

Either you'll like the show because you like rubber man being silly or not. Caring about its politics is stupid.

 

[Disastrously Dumb]