This article contains spoilers from One Piece's Elbaf Arc.
One Piece’s Final Saga has put a lot of focus on the biggest and most powerful antagonist in the story, Saint Imu Nerona. Fans know Imu to be incredibly powerful, as the recent display of their powers by Oda on God Valley only goes to strengthen the fact that they are the undisputed strongest in the world at the moment. At the moment, Imu truly looks unbeatable. If someone like Rocks D. Xebec couldn't match up to them, then there's absolutely no way any pirate in the current era can.
Say Hello To One Piece's New Nika After Monkey D. Luffy
Monkey D. Luffy isn't the only Nika in One Piece. Oda introduces another character who can turn into Nika.
However, in the world of One Piece, powers can often be countered in the most unexpected of ways. Even the most weak ability can form a counter against a generally strong power, because Devil Fruit interaction plays a significant role in the story, regardless of whether Haki exists or not. Imu certainly does appear invincible at the moment in One Piece, but the fact is that their powers can easily be countered, and Oda revealed the truth of it 18 years ago. A lot of what Oda stated in the story gets lost in translation, sadly, but the key to beating Imu has already been revealed by the author long ago.
Oda Revealed The Counter To Imu's Powers 18 Years Ago
18 years ago, one of the most important battles in all of One Piece took place, and it was crucial to establish one of the greatest villains in the entire story. This battle spanned over One Piece chapters 440 and 441, and it saw Portgas D. Ace, the son of Gol D. Roger, take on Marshall D. Teach, the son of Rocks D. Xebec. In this battle, Oda went on to reveal one of the most terrifying powers of all time, and that is the power of the Yami Yami no Mi. Through this power, Blackbeard was able to nullify Ace's Mera Mera no Mi abilities. However, there is a key difference in the original translation, and the English translation of this chapter.
That's right, the other thing that my ability sucks in is the power of the Devil itself! — Blackbeard, One Piece Chapter 441
After 15 Years, Oda Finally Shows The True Power Of Haki In One Piece
Oda made a major reveal about Haki. The true power of haki has been revealed in One Piece.
In the English translation, Teach tells Ace that his power can absorb all Devil Fruit powers. However, the real statement doesn't mention Devil Fruits at all. Instead, Teach clearly states that the Yami Yami no Mi can absorb the power of the Devil itself. Given that Imu is the Devil of the One Piece world, it is quite clear that Oda was foreshadowing a battle between Blackbeard and Imu, where the former would nullify all their power with the Yami Yami no Mi.
Blackbeard Can Nullify Imu's Devil Powers
Imu's powers are demonic in nature and Oda has already established this in One Piece. Imu offers the power of evil to others, and on top of that, fans also know very well that they possess abilities such as Demonic Contract. Imu being the Devil of the One Piece world shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. But, even more interestingly, Oda revealed 18 years ago how Imu can be beaten, and it all comes down to one Devil Fruit.
I will be back to this place, right here! — Rocks D. Xebec to Imu
Interestingly enough, Rocks was looking for two Devil Fruits in particular, and he believed one legendary Devil Fruit was in Elbaf. Harald was to eat one, while Rocks wanted to eat the other. Putting two and two together, the two Devil Fruits were the Yami Yami no Mi, which he wanted to eat, and the Nika fruit, which he wanted Harald to eat.
Blackbeard Vs Imu Is Coming In One Piece
Over the course of 18 years, Oda has slowly been setting up one of the most important fights in One Piece, and that's the battle between Blackbeard and Imu. Now, Marijoa is under attack by someone and covered in flames. Quite clearly, the battle is almost upon the fans, and Oda will finally show the fans how terrifying Blackbeard’s powers truly are.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece will be on break next week. One Piece Chapter 1166 will be out in two weeks. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1166 is November 23, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
