Imu’s secret is revealed by Vegapunk in One Piece.

HIGHLIGHTS

 The Egghead Island Arc in One Piece focuses on the main villains, the Five Elders and Saint Imu, revealing their mysterious controlling power.
 Saint Imu’s gender, implied to be male, is crucial for the story’s development, linking to Vivi and past events in the world.
 Imu’s past and possible body-swap abilities may hold the key to the final war in One Piece, with fan speculation on his connection to Lily.

One Piece is currently in the Egghead Island Arc, and given that this is the very beginning of the Final Saga, fans know that all the focus is now going to be put on the main villains of the story, that is, the Five Elders and those of the World Government, especially the ones sitting at the top, Saint Nerona Imu. In the Egghead Island arc, fans already got to see the Five Elders in battle.

This was a rather unpredictable turn of events that nobody expected. Instead, the Five Elders brought themselves over to Egghead simply to prevent Vegapunk’s message, which was addressed to the entire world, from coming out. Even though they tried their very best, they eventually failed and, in this message, Vegapunk confirmed a very big thing related to Saint Imu.

Who Is Saint Imu?

The World’s Mysterious Ruler Controls Things From The Shadows

St Imu was revealed first during the Four Emperors Saga of One Piece. There, it was confirmed that the world had an Empty Throne which all the major kings and queens of the world swore fealty in front of. This was to ensure that all rulers were equal in the eyes of each other, that no one was above the other, and that the power distribution in the world was even. However, immediately after the fans were introduced to this Empty Throne, Oda revealed that one individual actually sat atop it, and that person was none other than Saint Imu. It was also revealed that Saint Imu had all the Five Elders under them, and these Elders catered to all of their needs. St Imu was also seen carrying Luffy’s bounty poster, and with that, visiting what would appear to be a cryogenic chamber at some place inside of Pangea Castle, where there lay a giant Straw Hat.

When the world as we know it was created 800 years ago, one of the first founders was Saint Imu of House Nerona.

Clearly, Saint Imu was a relic from the past. According to Ivankov, there existed a Saint Imu Nerona long ago. This Saint Imu was one of the Founding 20 of the World Government. However, now, the same person seems to have found themselves atop the Empty Throne. It is also believed that Saint Imu is actually Immortal and that this power was acquired through the usage of the Ope Ope no Mi. There are a lot of things that are still mysterious about Saint Imu Nerona, however, what the fans know for sure is that this person is in control of the entire world and might just be one of the most powerful individuals to have ever lived in the One Piece world.

Imu’s Gender Seemingly Confirmed

Imu Is Heavily Implied To Be Male In Vegapunk’s Message

Ever since Imu was introduced in One Piece, fans have been wondering about whether this person is a man or a woman. In fact, there have been clues that fit either side. For one, Imu certainly does look like a woman in terms of appearance. Based on how Oda draws his male and female characters, fans were able to deduce that Imu’s appearance looks more like a woman. However, then, there is the fact that Imu is called the Saint instead of Saintess, which implies that Imu is truly male.

In One Piece chapter 1114, Vegapunk implies that he knows about Imu’s existence, his identity, and what he has done to the world previously. However, Vegapunk does not know much about why Imu did what he did and what exactly he wants. Vegapunk clearly mentioned that he doesn’t intend to chastise those who strike him down, given that he does not know enough about him, specifically referring to Imu, to begin with.

I will not apply labels of good and evil at all, in fact, because I understand too little about him , to begin with.

This might be something that the fans gloss over while reading the chapter, however, it holds great significance. Imu’s gender is very important, both for this particular character, as well as the story developing from here onwards. Given that Oda has seemingly gone for a male final villain, it will be interesting to see how his relationship with Saint Nefertari Lily went sour, and why he is obsessed with Vivi to the point where he wants her at all costs.

Imu’s Past And What Comes Next

Imu’s Past Will Hold The Key To The Final War In One Piece

While Imu is seemingly confirmed to be male now, it still leaves a door open for him actually being a woman in the One Piece world. It isn’t a surprise to see individuals moving from one body to another in the world of One Piece. This can especially be made possible using the Ope Ope no Mi. Fans already know that the Ope Ope no Mi is deeply linked to Imu. Someone in Imu’s personal guard had this power and Imu likely was made the King of the World using this ability. This person would likely then end up dying.

However, if need be, Imu would then be able to swap bodies as well. If Imu wanted the body of, for instance, Saint Nefertari Lily, then he would be able to get the body. This also lines up with the fact that Nefertari Lily never actually reached Arabasta from Marijoa. Fans do not know what exactly happened to Lily and how she died. At the same time, all records of Saint Nerona Imu do not state him becoming the King of the World. It is likely that Imu’s actual fate is unknown. Given that both of these characters have unknown fates and a deeply linked connection, it could be possible for Imu to actually be in Lily’s body, or, in the body of someone else. This is simply because Imu’s appearance certainly does look like that of a woman.

This could have great significance in regards to Imu’s relationship with Lily and how the Vivi plot will go from here on. Thankfully, Vegapunk is likely going to reveal some more details about Imu as the story continues, and from there onwards, fans will likely get to explore a few more secrets of Imu and the World Government in the final Saga.

Of course, there is still a long way to go before Oda reveals Imu’s past, the secrets of the Void Century, and just about everything else that the world has to offer. Fans will have to wait to see those secrets being unearthed. That said, given the pace that the Final Saga is moving at, it shouldn’t be long before this actually ends up happening. For now, fans simply need to be content with the fact that Imu is actually male and that Vegapunk knows about some of his exploits of the past, and the fact that Imu intends to sink the world once again, just like he did long ago during the Void Century.