The Five Elders in the One Piece series were introduced as the pinnacle of the World Government. They held absolute authority over the World Government and could command even the Admirals and Fleet Admirals. After Imu was revealed, it became clear that even these superior beings had a superior from whom they took orders. However, with the latest One Piece chapter, the situation seems much more dire.
The Five Elders who are deemed to be untouchable may be much less than subordinates of Imu; they may actually only be mere pawns—expendable at Imu’s whim, and chapter 1125 shows just that as it uses Saint Jaygarcia Saturn as an example. But just how expendable are they?
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This article contains heavy manga spoilers.
The Role Of The Five Elders In One Piece
Their Grip On Authority
As many do not know of Imu’s existence, the Five Elders serve as the pinnacle of the World Government. They rule the world from Mary Geoise and instruct the Navy on what to do. Unlike the Admirals and other lesser members of the World Government, the Five Elders are much more involved in cover-ups and destruction than in upholding justice.
Throughout the series, the Five Elders have been involved in the destruction of Ohara, the eradication of many unique species, and the silent cover-ups of the void century. By their actions, fans initially thought the Five Elders were the true behind-the-scenes rulers of the One Piece world, but like always, Oda changed the narrative.
The Five Elders, Power Players, Or Mere Pawns?
Supreme Powers Serving A Greater Authority
From the first time the Five Elders were portrayed bowing to Imu, who sat upon the empty throne, the fan base speculated on many theories. The Five Elders were still seen as individuals who held utmost power, only that they served someone else. However, these Five Elders may have no authority of their own whatsoever. Unlike characters like Aokiji and Garp, who could defy the World Government and “run away” or get away with it. The Five Elders seem the exact opposite. They function as a body of individuals who cannot defy Imu. This makes the existence of betrayal impossible, and by extension, free will, highly questionable.
The abilities of the Five Elders also point towards being originated from Imu. Their abilities seem more demonic than from a devil fruit. Although many suggest their abilities are of a zoan type, it begs the question as to how Imu could easily kill them in a manner resembling stripping them of their powers. Does Imu have the ability to strip individuals of their zoan and devil fruit abilities? Or can Imu simply take back what was given?
The Five Elders have many abilities that point towards their power being from a single source. If truly from Imu, it means the average pirate has more free will than any of the Five Elders. Which in turn makes them akin to mere pawns who cannot even rebel.
Imu’s Wrath
How Easily Can The Five Elders Be Replaced?
The battle between the Five Elders and the Straw Hat pirates resulted in a total victory for the pirates. Many had thought that at best, the pirates would manage to tie. The Straw Hats won not as a measure of strength but by the involvement of the giants and Emet, the giant robot. Moreover, by a twist of fate and luck, they rescued Jewelry Bonney and prevented Vegapunk’s death. This apparent defeat of the entire World Government resulted in the Elders incurring Imu’s wrath. But her wrath was focused on a single person, the Warrior God of Science and Defense (former) Saint Jaygarcia Saturn.
Saturn undeniably bore the brunt of Imu’s wrath, as he had defied her orders and let scientists study the ancient robot rather than outrightly discard it. This allowed the robot the opportunity to foil her plans in the future, and it certainly did.
Discarding Saturn in anger, Imu replaced him with Saint Figarland Garling. Looking at how easily Imu replaced him provokes the thought of how easily the elders can be replaced. The answer is most likely—not as easily as she made it look. At the very least, Saturn had served Imu 200 years prior to the current timeline, as he was around when Emet attacked and had considerable power and say even then. Whether or not the Five Elders’ abilities stem from Imu or mythical zoans, replacing Saturn with Garling shows that, at the very least, only a capable individual can be promoted to an elder. And if he/she is to be promoted, they would need the necessary base power to do so.
Moreover, if Imu could always promote Figarland Garling to the status of an elder, why didn’t the Five Elders become the Six Elders all this while? If Imu’s power is shared with the elders, then perhaps she can only control/grant power to five individuals at a time.
The Future Of The Five Elders
Survival Or Sacrificial
With recent events, it can be concluded that the Five Elders are indeed dispensable. However, finding suitable replacements won’t be all that easy. A suitable member of the Five Elders would have to be a lot of things, and those qualities can’t be found in every average Joe.
The future of the Five Elders heavily depends on how Imu plans to take over the world, and for the most part, they’ll be needed for Imu’s plans. Their strength may be insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but to indoctrinate the people and control the World Government, Imu would need figureheads as representatives while she remains in the shadows. During an all-out war, the Five Elders may be sacrificed for Imu’s cause, and if Imu wins the war, a new batch may be created to once again stand as representatives. After all, individuals perish, but ideologies remain.
One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
One Piece
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
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
- Number of Episodes
- 1122
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
