Warning: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga! The Final Saga in One Piece has taken an unexpected turn in Elbaph after the arrival of Imu, the mysterious ruler of the world. Imu’s introduction changed the story forever as the final villain was confirmed to be someone far more dangerous than fans anticipated. However, despite being a crucial part of the narrative, he was not properly introduced in the Elbaph Arc. Following the arrival of the Straw Hat Pirates, the Holy Knights attacked the island so they could force the Giants to work for them as soldiers. However, seeing that the situation turned against the favor of the Holy Knights, Imu descended to the island and personally handled the situation.
Much about Imu remained unknown all this time, even his name. However, the story is finally delving deeper into the final villain and his overwhelming powers. The island’s fate was sealed as soon as Imu arrived. Even powerful characters such as Luffy and Loki are no match against him. Aside from Imu’s powers, the Elbaph Arc also revealed that Imu and Joyboy shared a connection during the Void Century. Not only that, a detail from Chapter 1188 shares a crucial hint about their relationship. Since previews aren’t available for international fans, they aren’t officially translated into English either. A famous fan translator on X, @sandman_AP, shared a hidden meaning behind the relationship between Imu and Joyboy.
While the true nature of their relationship hasn’t been revealed, the preview implies that they’ve known each other since childhood. The fan translator explained how the speech patterns are similar to that of a child using grown-up words. The preview highlights a brief conversation between the two characters, and it appears to be their first encounter. It also seems that they were talking via the Transponder Snail. The conversation is simply Imu recollecting past memories as he comes face to face with Luffy.
However, fans who don’t read Japanese would miss this detail since the tone can be recognized by those familiar with the language. So far, the story has only revealed that Imu knew Joyboy, but we have yet to know what happened in the past. It also appears that Imu held Joyboy in high regard, considering he acknowledged the mysterious character’s strength. Imu wasn’t fazed at all while facing Luffy, who is not only a Yonko, but also wields the legendary power of the Sun God. However, he recognized that Luffy is nowhere near Joyboy’s level and refuses to let the young pirate be associated with that name.
The return of Joyboy through Luffy’s Devil Fruit awakening is a ray of hope among those who have been waiting to be liberated from the tyranny of the World Government. Luffy has become overwhelmingly powerful since he awakened his Devil Fruit, leading everyone to believe he can crush any opponent he encounters. However, the reality is far worse than anyone imagined, since Imu didn’t have to waste any effort to knock the Yonko down.
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