(Using "they" for Imu Sama to avoid the gender debates. I want to discuss something else right now.)
This chapter is a major L for all those that stubbornly insisted on Blackbeard (or someone else) being the Final Villain.
It never made sense in the first place. The World Government have always been the Big Bad and since long before Blackbeard entered the picture. Whitebeard basically told Blackbeard that he ain't that guy. That after his downfall, there would be an even bigger battle.
And Imu is an entirely different class of
existence than Blackbeard. They sit on a throne Blackbeard could never aspire to reach.
Compare how Oda treats them. Just look at their first actions after the Wano arc ends.
- Blackbeard runs away with his tail between his legs from a 78 year old retiree
- Imu casually obliterates an entire kingdom
Low key I wouldn't be surprised if EOS Blackbeard gets stomped by Imu
(Of course, Luffy will still defeat Blackbeard, but if Blackbeard does ever challenge Imu sama, he probably just gets stomped.)
Imu's display of power is on an entirely different scale from anything we have seen from
any other characters. Even the "man with the power to destroy the world" never demonstrated that level of raw power.
One Piece top tiers do not casually obliterate Lulusia sized Islands:
- Mihawk's big flex (and truly one of the best feats in the series) was slicing a tsunami in two
- It took Kaido an hour to move the (presumably smaller) Onigashima
- Kuzan and Sakazuki only changed the climate/geography of Punk Hazard after a 10 day fight
- Half of Marineford was destroyed when Garp, Sengoku and Shiki fought
- The island Roger and Whitebeard fought on was not destroyed/damaged in any significant way
- Linlin's biggest solo attacks (e.g. Ikoku Sovereignty) were never really at the level of destroying mountains.
- Linlin and Kaido's Hakai was around the size of Onigashima/the skull
- Enel spent a lot more time prepping his ship and lightning abilities and still didn't destroy Skypiea
- God Valley was not destroyed despite the all out battle of multiple Top Tiers there
- It was presumably later erased by Imu sama theirself
- Prime Garp demolished 8 mountains while training to defeat Chinjao's drill
- Rayleigh was surprised at the damage Seraphim Mihawk wreaked on Amazon Lily
- Etc.
Hell, One Piece characters do not obliterate Islands period. Aside from perhaps Enel's attempts, I think this is the first time we're seeing an island be destroyed by any character
(I think it was mentioned that the Ancient Weapons do have the power to destroy islands/continents, and Imu may indeed be using an Ancient Weapon.)
Even the famed "Buster Call" of Navy HQ only deals environmental damage and obliterates the buildings/people, it doesn't actually erase the island from existence.
But this isn't even a fair comparison. I'm comparing the biggest feats of One Piece Top Tiers to the first "flex" of Imu.
We can compare the first flexes of other characters:
- Mihawk: destroying a ship
- Whitebeard and Shanks: sky splitting
- Issho: meteor summoning
- Kaido: stomping a couple post skip Supernova
- Borsalino: stomping all 11 preskip Supernova
- Garp throwing a massive canon ball
- Kuzan freezing the sea between the Long Ring Islands
- This was admittedly very impressive
And beyond the sheer power, Imu's display was chilling in a way that other flexes of power in One Piece just aren't.
See:
More than a raw feat of destructive capacity, this inspires terror/dread on a scale that One Piece just hasn't delivered ever.
Imu has been elevated to a scale far beyond the likes of contemporary One Piece Top Tiers and all other villains, both Pirates and Marines alike.
Imu wasn't included in Doflamingo's Throne Wars speech because they are an existence far beyond the likes of all of them. They are "above the fray" so to speak.
And their importance to the story naturally dwarfs Blackbeard.
- The thing that Roger could not accomplish probably connects to them somehow
- The promise made with Fishman Island also probably connects to them somehow
- They likely know the true history and what happened during the Void Century
- They were likely behind the disappearance of God's Valley
- They seem to have Joy Boy's hat
- Shanks collaboration with the Gorosei ultimately has to do with them
- They had pictures of Luffy, Blackbeard and Vivi and Shirahoshi
- Imu stabbed the picture of Shirahoshi (the Ancient Weapon Poseidon)
- Joy Boy's mission/objective and Luffy's dream may have to do with them
- They may date back to the Ancient Kingdom
- They may be connected to or in possession of the last of the Ancient Weapons
- Per Whitebeard after the One Piece is found — after a new Pirate King has emerged — only then will a final war engulf the world
- This is probably after Blackbeard has been defeated
@Garp the Fist,
@Celestial D. Dragon,
@Tai long,
@Sentinel,
@Playa4321,
@Gol D. Roger,
@Nidai_Kitetsu,
@Fleet Admiral Lee Hung,
@MarineHQ,
@LANJI CUCKSMOKE,
@wordy,
@Blackbeard,
@Topi Jerami,
@comrade,
@Sir Yasheen,
@TheAncientCenturion.
