The problem with Blackbeard is that right now, he doesn’t have anything like the infrastructure Imu’s been building for basically a millennia. If BB somehow manages to pull off his dad’s plan, maybe then he’ll be a real threat. But for now? Imu’s got the whole package for a better villain material. BB is just a sidequest at the moment, so let’s see what Oda does with him…
Future Events Make your final bet: after this chapter, are you willing to bet on BB or Imu as the final villain?
- Thread starter Etzel Andergast
- Start date
This chapter is the greatest set up ever to discuss who is the final villain of OP. Make your bet
@Mr. Reloaded @Monster Zoro's Tesla Supplier @MarineHQ @OnePiss22 @Kurozumi mugiwara44 @Kurozumi Wiwi @milluki @EmperorKinyagi @MonsterKaido @Roo @park_min young @Pot Goblin @CoC: Color of Clowns @Warback @Devilbat @HA001 @nik87 @Cruxroux @Naomi @Reborn @Blackbeard @K!NG HARA$H!MA @Blazing Lion @Topi Jerami @Salah WG @Peroroncino @SkySanji @Dragon777 @Shiroyru @Albino 👑 @Andy @Nekomamushi @Moewu @gz89 @SakazOuki @kurwa @Sbinotto @RayanOO @Monet @GrandmasterChef Zonji @mly90 @Sir Yasheen @OykotsTreasure @Midnight Delight @Zemlya @Juanpiz @soupongo @moreha9685 @kekaro @Jackteo @Halyup @Paperchampion23 @U c 4 up da idly @MonochromeYoru @NikaInParis @OPKnK @Worst @Johnny B. Decent @Toby D. Dog @Bisoromi Bear @comrade @Sasparan @Thaidakar @Nadel @DarkestKnightofSpoilers @SDfear @Yoho @DarkWitch @Nidai_Kitetsu @Aknolagon @Erkan12
Original Nika or Shanks
I don't understand something like BB been final villain doesn't mean that zoro FV is Shiryu also having in mind buggy is one of loda's favourite character + he is also the son of xebec
Is actually leading to the final fight is a battle royal in laughtale with all the factions involved also the theory is BB taking imu body and final villain is a mix of both
Is actually leading to the final fight is a battle royal in laughtale with all the factions involved also the theory is BB taking imu body and final villain is a mix of both
This chapter is the greatest set up ever to discuss who is the final villain of OP. Make your bet
@Mr. Reloaded @Monster Zoro's Tesla Supplier @MarineHQ @OnePiss22 @Kurozumi mugiwara44 @Kurozumi Wiwi @milluki @EmperorKinyagi @MonsterKaido @Roo @park_min young @Pot Goblin @CoC: Color of Clowns @Warback @Devilbat @HA001 @nik87 @Cruxroux @Naomi @Reborn @Blackbeard @K!NG HARA$H!MA @Blazing Lion @Topi Jerami @Salah WG @Peroroncino @SkySanji @Dragon777 @Shiroyru @Albino 👑 @Andy @Nekomamushi @Moewu @gz89 @SakazOuki @kurwa @Sbinotto @RayanOO @Monet @GrandmasterChef Zonji @mly90 @Sir Yasheen @OykotsTreasure @Midnight Delight @Zemlya @Juanpiz @soupongo @moreha9685 @kekaro @Jackteo @Halyup @Paperchampion23 @U c 4 up da idly @MonochromeYoru @NikaInParis @OPKnK @Worst @Johnny B. Decent @Toby D. Dog @Bisoromi Bear @comrade @Sasparan @Thaidakar @Nadel @DarkestKnightofSpoilers @SDfear @Yoho @DarkWitch @Nidai_Kitetsu @Aknolagon @Erkan12
Imu and Teach feel like they're catalysts to something bigger and more terrifying.
Well, it kind of depends on what you mean by "final villain". Are we talking about "the last person we fight" or "the main threat of the story"?
Because, I honestly think Buggy has a good shot of being the last actual threat the Strawhats have to fight. But, he'd be more of a "epilogue villain". Like say, we fight everyone else, we return the Moon to it's rightful place inside the Hollow Earth, it looks like everyone's getting their happily ever after...and then Buggy shows up out of nowhere to stab Luffy in the back. Then the Strawhats have to deal with him after they're already wiped out from fighting everyone else. Or maybe we wait until the epilogue, where the Strawhats reunite for another journey together after splitting up for a bit. And as everyone shows up one by one to get back together like in Sabaody, everyone gets a chance to kick Buggy in the nuts (literally or metaphorically) one last time for old time's sake. Buggy would be more like Saruman taking over the Shire in Lord of the Rings. Not the "main" threat, but the last loose end we need to tie up.
...If you're curious about that line about the Moon, look over here:
https://worstgen.alwaysdata.net/for...who-is-the-moon-god.68598/page-2#post-6140985
But, the spirit of the question really is "who will be the biggest threat in the story". And as for that, here's my read.
Let's start with some of the less likely candidates.
Akainu? No. I'm sorry Admiral fans, but I just don't see it happening, myself. If Hibari does turn out to be his daughter, that alone softens him a little too much to be the true final threat. Plus, we now know from Rock's monologue this chapter that one of the likely steps in Blackbeard/Rock's master plan is to crush the Marines. So, it's actually pretty possible that Blackbeard could be the one to kill Akainu and steal the Magma Fruit for his third Devil Fruit.
Shanks? Again, nah. I know it's been a bit of a meme that Shanks has been this 4D chessmaster manipulating everyone this whole time, but I don't see him actually turning out to be "evil". Maybe he's trying to make sure the World Government stays in control, just to maintain the status quo and keep chaos from breaking out all over the world, but he's not secretly a supervillain. I do expect Shanks and Luffy to eventually fight. Because this is a shonen battle manga, and you almost HAVE to have your protagonist fight their "mentor" at least once, it's manga law. It shows your main character's growth over the course of the series. But, that might be something we do at Lodestar or at the entrance to Laugh Tale, not at the very end.
Koby? Once again, not happening. I mean, like with Shanks, I do think Luffy and Koby eventually have to have some sort of a fight. Just because Koby's been here since the very beginning of the story. Or they need to team up, back to back, to fight a bigger threat together. But, Koby is not going to pull a Aizen on us. At least, I hope not.
Shamrock and/or Garling? Well...I could see one or both of them making a play. I could see there being a twist with this family. But, I don't think they'll end up overshadowing either of the two main candidates. I could see maybe Garling commandeering Uranos and going rogue during the big final battle. But, it would probably be rather short lived. And it might just happen to "help" the true final villain, accidentally. Garling accidentally ruining Luffy's attempt to deliver a final blow at the last minute by interrupting the batlte, that kind of thing.
Okay, that takes care of some of the major dark horse candidates. Let's finally talk about the Big Two.
We'll start with Imu. I honestly doubt that the final villain will turn out to be Imu. Because, ultimately I think Imu's going to turn out to be sympathetic. Imu is being portrayed as a literal devil right now. But, I think that's to contrast what we're going to learn about them later. Like the current theme song for the anime says, "What do you see? Am I a angel or a devil?" Oda is making Imu LOOK really elementally evil, so that when we learn their backstory, it hits us even harder. I honestly think Imu's going to turn out to be someone who's been trying to make the best out of a bad situation. A person who's had to make some tough calls, but has tried to do the right thing for the most part. A person who's made the wrong choices, but mostly understandably so. I like to imagine that Imu will turn out more nuanced than some people expect. Maybe I'll be wrong, but that's still my belief at the moment.
Because here's the thing. I think the Celestial Dragons eventually will have to get "redeemed" in some way. I know that feels distasteful at the moment. But, I really doubt that Oda wants his hero to kill off an entire group of people. That's just not going to happen. A core theme of this manga is that everyone, even the worst kind of people, deserve a second chance to try to correct the mistakes they've made in their lives. That's likely why Luffy rarely if ever kills his opponents. He doesn't want to kill them, he's knocking some sense into them. I think Luffy wants EVERYONE to be able to attend his big celebration party at the end of the story. Friends AND enemies alike. And yes, that's probably going to include the Celestial Dragons. So, either the Celestial Dragons have to get "redeemed"....or Imu and/or Blackbeard have to sacrifice them to use their lifeforce to power a giant superweapon, leaving Luffy out of the choice completely. A villain could kill the Celestial Dragons, but Luffy can't, just for the sake of the narrative. But, if the Celestial Dragons get "redeemed", then it makes sense for Imu to be front and center to show off that redemption. If we're "redeeming" the Celestial Dragons, it only makes sense to me if Imu also gets "redeemed", just as a prominent example of what that looks like.
And another thing that makes me think Imu will turn out to be not that bad of a person is that the Marines exist. The Marines are antagonists in this manga. And we've seen quite a few bad ones. But, for most of the world, they really are seen as heroes. Because, the Marines DO help "the common man". They help stop crime. They save people's lives. They're a part of their community. The Marines don't exist solely to help ensure the Celestial Dragon's rule. That's part of it, but it's not all that they are. And...Imu didn't have to do that. The Marines don't HAVE to exist in the way they do to ensure Imu stays in control. Imu created a force for good in this world. Even the Revolutionaries don't really want to get RID of the Marines, they just want to overthrow the Celestial Dragons. And I just don't see a force of "pure evil" building a organization like this or allowing it to continue to exist for hundreds of years. The existence of the Marines feels like proof that Imu has good intentions, at least.
There's also some other random reasons. Imu...is smol. Imu's seem really short, which seems like it could lend itself to a eventual sympathetic or even "cute" design once their face is revealed. Imu is hiding themselves from the world, which just doesn't strike me as something a "supervillain" would do, it just takes too much restraint, and most villains just love attention too much. Personally, I'm betting on Imu being the "Tree Dragon" from the Chapter 1138 Mural, and they likely have the Forest God Fruit. Imu lives above the Sunlight Tree Eve, they spend a bunch of time in the Flower Garden, they can "send forth Devils", everything points to Imu likely having Forest God powers. And if that's the case, it doesn't seem like "final villain" level powers. Thematically, it just doesn't make a lot of sense for a sea-faring story to have a Forest God as the main villain. Imu also seems like a bit of a scaredy-cat. If Imu trembling with fear after sensing Joyboy's Haki Knot and only leaving Pangaea Castle by "remote controlling" others is any indication. That just seems like it's setting up Imu to be sympathized with, when we learn WHY they're so afraid of leaving the castle. Imu's greatest failing is probably that they're a little too afraid to try and do something that needs to be done. And I'm personally expecting Mosa to turn out to be Imu, which would be Oda planting the seeds for Imu's redemption fairly early in the story.
So yeah, Imu's probably going to remain a threat for a while. But, ultimately I think we'll learn why things are the way they are, and Imu will turn out to not be that bad of a person, in the long run.
Now, Blackbeard. I think Blackbeard is going to be at least CLOSER to being the final villain than Imu is. While Imu might end up being portrayed in a sympathetic light, I could honestly see Blackbeard just ending up looking like a psychopath. Imu seems to have some sense of duty and decorum. Blackbeard is only out for himself. He's a hedonist. He's all about greed and self-indulgence. He's also a interesting mirror reflection of Luffy, which would make sense if Oda's been setting him up as the main villain for the finale. Blackbeard, to me, does feel like a more interesting final villain than Imu does.
Honestly, it's kind of interesting comparing him to Rocks. Because (after only one chapter to be fair), Rocks seems to have a deeper reason for following his plan than Blackbeard does. Rocks seemed to have a sense of purpose that Blackbeard just doesn't portray. Blackbeard just seems to be following Rock's plan...because it's Rock's plan. Blackbeard is honestly coming across as more "shallow" to me than Blackbeard. And I wonder if that's on purpose? Blackbeard LOOKS like a fatter, uglier version of Rocks. And I have to wonder if that's Oda using a visual metaphor to show us that Blackbeard is a "flawed copy" of Rocks. Like a ghost who's only a pale imitation of who they were in their past life, or a clone who's slowly breaking down and dying. I wonder if Oda is showing us that Blackbeard trying to follow this same plan, maybe even being "reincarnated", is actually making him WORSE as he tries to do the same thing, over and over again. A shallow reflection of someone else. A photocopy that gets a little dimmer everytime you make another copy of a copy. A "ghost of the past" who can't move on.
And it does seem like Blackbeard has some form of Rocks still inside him. The "It's probably THEM" line from Chapter 225 hinted at something like this a LONG time ago. But, I don't think it's ONLY Rocks in there. I don't think Rocks has completely taken over Blackbeard's body, or moved his mind into his son's body. For one, Blackbeard doesn't seem to like using swords as much as Rocks did. Now, maybe Rocks is just hiding his Sword Skills as a trump card for later, but I don't think so. Blackbeard used his claws, but most of the time he's just grappling with people, using his Devil Fruit powers. So, I think all hints indicate that Blackbeard is SHARING his body with Rocks, but Rocks isn't completely in control.
Which raises a question of who Blackbeard's potential third "soul" could be? Could Blackbeard also have Davy Jones's soul inside of him? Or the Sea God? Or someone else? Also, if we're counting the "spirits" of the Devil Fruits, I guess Blackbeard could have a total of 7 souls inside of him, all at once, by the end of the story. If he has 3 "ancestors" and 3 "Devil Fruit spirits" in him at the same time, along with his own. If Rocks is in there, I doubt he's tied to one of his existing Devil Fruit. It doesn't seem like Rocks had the Darkness Fruit, so the "ancestors" and "Devil Fruit spirits" are probably separate things. So, we could see Blackbeard jumping from 3 to 7 personalities in a relatively quick time-frame.
As for his crew being weak...that could be on purpose. Blackbeard's crew might not exist to counter the Strawhats. I think it's possible that Blackbeard ends up "eating" his entire crew, just to steal all their Devil Fruit powers for himself. Blackbeard isn't thinking about using his crew as his teammates, they're basically "leftovers" to be saved for alter. That way, Luffy has to fight a guy using more than 10 Devil Fruits all at the same time. Which would make for a cool final fight.
The idea that Blackbeard could end "eating" Imu in order to steal their Devil Fruit is a interesting one. But, personally, I doubt it. Again, I'm halfway expecting Imu to get redeemed. And it would be a little sad if Imu got redeemed only to get "eaten" later. Oda DOES give us some "bad endings" from time to time, like with Ace and Whitebeard. But, most of the time, Oda doesn't like to kill characters off. And if Imu got redeemed, only to die shortly after, it would feel like a failure for Luffy. And at that point? THAT close to the ending? There just might not be enough time for Luffy to get over it and overcome that kind of failure. Also, if Imu does have the Forest God Fruit...I'm not sure if Blackbeard would even want it? I mean...it's a God Fruit, so it'll be tempting. But, I'm not sure if the "Boardgame" powers really fits Blackbeard? I feel like Blackbeard would save his "third slot" for something else. I'm not sure what, but something other than those.
And I do feel like it's possible that Blackbeard's Darkness Fruit is actually secretly the Sea God Fruit, in the same way that Luffy's Gum-Gum Fruit turned out to be the Sun God Fruit. It'd make for another parallel between the two. And his ability to nullify Devil Fruit abilities is pretty similar to the effect water has on Devil Fruit Users. And having the Sea God Fruit would make Blackbeard a pretty suitable villain for a pirate story. It fits pretty well. The Darkness Fruit would just be the darkness of the deep ocean, or of a whirlpool, rather than a black hole. So, if that turns out to be the case, it would make Blackbeard a pretty fitting final villain.
Blackbeard is likely also the person who's the MOST connected to the Will of D, other than maybe Luffy. Or maybe the OTHER Will of D, if there turns out to be more than one type of Will of D, which I wouldn't put past Oda. Two different "D"s, meaning two different things, possibly from two different sources. That would make for a fun reveal and final fight for the "soul" of the world.
Also, as a aside, I doubt Rocks had the Op-Op Fruit. Blackbeard had his chance to steal that Fruit from Law on Weiner Island, and he sounded like he was debating on selling it. (Chapter 1081) If Rocks had the Op-Op Fruit, Blackbeard would almost DEFINITELY want to keep it for himself. That would be a key part of his master plan. So, Rock's Fruit likely is NOT the Op-Op Fruit. It's something else. Maybe the "Sword God" Fruit, which Mihawk or Yoru could currently have? Blackbeard lacking the "Sword God Fruit", might explain why he doesn't seem to have Rock's skill with the sword, even if Rocks is living inside his body. More on that here:
https://worstgen.alwaysdata.net/for...od-forest-god-and-sea-god.69849/#post-6195658
Really, Blackbeard would be a interesting final villain. And it'd feel right, since he's the one who's been set up the longest. The only thing that really gives me pause on that is that I think the True Final Villain will be...someone we haven't even met yet. And the reason for that actually ties in with what Blackbeard's Master Plan actually is.
Because I think Blackbeard's master plan is actually to eventually travel to the "Underworld" and steal something from the very core of the planet. The Chapter 1138 Mural does seem to indicate that there was once something powerful at the core of this world, that the First World tapped into and it backfired on them. I think Blackbeard wants "The World" rather literally, and that he'll end up repeating history trying to do the same thing the First World did, trying to steal something valuable form the World's core. And it's probably going to end up blowing up in his face.
I think the True Final Villain of the story could possibly be something or someone that Blackbeard accidentally awakens and releases back into the World from the "Underworld". Something that's been sealed away since the First World.
And that "something" is probably the "lost race" of Dragons. If you know me, you saw this coming.
https://worstgen.alwaysdata.net/for...message-will-be-the-dragons-are-coming.55673/
The highlights? There's a bunch of dragon statues all over the world, in Alabasta's hot springs, in Fishman Island's palace, in Wano's entrance gates, the holographic "space monster" on Egghead. I think this is hinting that Dragons originally ruled this World until humans invaded the planet and took over, displacing the indigenous people. Humans are the "alien invaders". The Dragons were all imprisoned at the center of the planet and frozen alive. The Dragon's "souls" have been twisted by hatred and revenge, and could be the cause of all the strange diseases popping up around the world from underground sources, as well as the source of the Devil Fruits' "spirits" or "wishes". All of Imu and the World Government's crimes have been the result of trying to keep the Dragons asleep or killing them before they wake up. Imu was trying to stop the Dragons from taking revenge on humanity.
So, I think the True Final Villain of the story could be a army of Kaido-level people that Luffy has to apologize to and find a way to make peace with. Luffy's going to invite the Dragons to his party and try to make up for their unjust imprisonment by sharing a fun party with them, welcoming them back home. That's my bet on how this story is going.
Now, Blackbeard COULD be a common threat that could unite the Humans and the Dragons together. Or not. But, I'll just say, Blackbeard might NOT end up not being the biggest problem during the endgame of the story. Whatever is hiding at the core of the planet most likely is. In whatever form that ends up taking.
So...TLDR? I think it's pretty like that something at the core of the planet will end up being the True Final Villain of the story. Someone or something we haven't even met yet. Blackbeard's my second most likely choice. And Imu's a pretty distant third option. I probably should have just led with that. That might have saved us all a lot of time.
Because, I honestly think Buggy has a good shot of being the last actual threat the Strawhats have to fight. But, he'd be more of a "epilogue villain". Like say, we fight everyone else, we return the Moon to it's rightful place inside the Hollow Earth, it looks like everyone's getting their happily ever after...and then Buggy shows up out of nowhere to stab Luffy in the back. Then the Strawhats have to deal with him after they're already wiped out from fighting everyone else. Or maybe we wait until the epilogue, where the Strawhats reunite for another journey together after splitting up for a bit. And as everyone shows up one by one to get back together like in Sabaody, everyone gets a chance to kick Buggy in the nuts (literally or metaphorically) one last time for old time's sake. Buggy would be more like Saruman taking over the Shire in Lord of the Rings. Not the "main" threat, but the last loose end we need to tie up.
...If you're curious about that line about the Moon, look over here:
https://worstgen.alwaysdata.net/for...who-is-the-moon-god.68598/page-2#post-6140985
But, the spirit of the question really is "who will be the biggest threat in the story". And as for that, here's my read.
Let's start with some of the less likely candidates.
Akainu? No. I'm sorry Admiral fans, but I just don't see it happening, myself. If Hibari does turn out to be his daughter, that alone softens him a little too much to be the true final threat. Plus, we now know from Rock's monologue this chapter that one of the likely steps in Blackbeard/Rock's master plan is to crush the Marines. So, it's actually pretty possible that Blackbeard could be the one to kill Akainu and steal the Magma Fruit for his third Devil Fruit.
Shanks? Again, nah. I know it's been a bit of a meme that Shanks has been this 4D chessmaster manipulating everyone this whole time, but I don't see him actually turning out to be "evil". Maybe he's trying to make sure the World Government stays in control, just to maintain the status quo and keep chaos from breaking out all over the world, but he's not secretly a supervillain. I do expect Shanks and Luffy to eventually fight. Because this is a shonen battle manga, and you almost HAVE to have your protagonist fight their "mentor" at least once, it's manga law. It shows your main character's growth over the course of the series. But, that might be something we do at Lodestar or at the entrance to Laugh Tale, not at the very end.
Koby? Once again, not happening. I mean, like with Shanks, I do think Luffy and Koby eventually have to have some sort of a fight. Just because Koby's been here since the very beginning of the story. Or they need to team up, back to back, to fight a bigger threat together. But, Koby is not going to pull a Aizen on us. At least, I hope not.
Shamrock and/or Garling? Well...I could see one or both of them making a play. I could see there being a twist with this family. But, I don't think they'll end up overshadowing either of the two main candidates. I could see maybe Garling commandeering Uranos and going rogue during the big final battle. But, it would probably be rather short lived. And it might just happen to "help" the true final villain, accidentally. Garling accidentally ruining Luffy's attempt to deliver a final blow at the last minute by interrupting the batlte, that kind of thing.
Okay, that takes care of some of the major dark horse candidates. Let's finally talk about the Big Two.
We'll start with Imu. I honestly doubt that the final villain will turn out to be Imu. Because, ultimately I think Imu's going to turn out to be sympathetic. Imu is being portrayed as a literal devil right now. But, I think that's to contrast what we're going to learn about them later. Like the current theme song for the anime says, "What do you see? Am I a angel or a devil?" Oda is making Imu LOOK really elementally evil, so that when we learn their backstory, it hits us even harder. I honestly think Imu's going to turn out to be someone who's been trying to make the best out of a bad situation. A person who's had to make some tough calls, but has tried to do the right thing for the most part. A person who's made the wrong choices, but mostly understandably so. I like to imagine that Imu will turn out more nuanced than some people expect. Maybe I'll be wrong, but that's still my belief at the moment.
Because here's the thing. I think the Celestial Dragons eventually will have to get "redeemed" in some way. I know that feels distasteful at the moment. But, I really doubt that Oda wants his hero to kill off an entire group of people. That's just not going to happen. A core theme of this manga is that everyone, even the worst kind of people, deserve a second chance to try to correct the mistakes they've made in their lives. That's likely why Luffy rarely if ever kills his opponents. He doesn't want to kill them, he's knocking some sense into them. I think Luffy wants EVERYONE to be able to attend his big celebration party at the end of the story. Friends AND enemies alike. And yes, that's probably going to include the Celestial Dragons. So, either the Celestial Dragons have to get "redeemed"....or Imu and/or Blackbeard have to sacrifice them to use their lifeforce to power a giant superweapon, leaving Luffy out of the choice completely. A villain could kill the Celestial Dragons, but Luffy can't, just for the sake of the narrative. But, if the Celestial Dragons get "redeemed", then it makes sense for Imu to be front and center to show off that redemption. If we're "redeeming" the Celestial Dragons, it only makes sense to me if Imu also gets "redeemed", just as a prominent example of what that looks like.
And another thing that makes me think Imu will turn out to be not that bad of a person is that the Marines exist. The Marines are antagonists in this manga. And we've seen quite a few bad ones. But, for most of the world, they really are seen as heroes. Because, the Marines DO help "the common man". They help stop crime. They save people's lives. They're a part of their community. The Marines don't exist solely to help ensure the Celestial Dragon's rule. That's part of it, but it's not all that they are. And...Imu didn't have to do that. The Marines don't HAVE to exist in the way they do to ensure Imu stays in control. Imu created a force for good in this world. Even the Revolutionaries don't really want to get RID of the Marines, they just want to overthrow the Celestial Dragons. And I just don't see a force of "pure evil" building a organization like this or allowing it to continue to exist for hundreds of years. The existence of the Marines feels like proof that Imu has good intentions, at least.
There's also some other random reasons. Imu...is smol. Imu's seem really short, which seems like it could lend itself to a eventual sympathetic or even "cute" design once their face is revealed. Imu is hiding themselves from the world, which just doesn't strike me as something a "supervillain" would do, it just takes too much restraint, and most villains just love attention too much. Personally, I'm betting on Imu being the "Tree Dragon" from the Chapter 1138 Mural, and they likely have the Forest God Fruit. Imu lives above the Sunlight Tree Eve, they spend a bunch of time in the Flower Garden, they can "send forth Devils", everything points to Imu likely having Forest God powers. And if that's the case, it doesn't seem like "final villain" level powers. Thematically, it just doesn't make a lot of sense for a sea-faring story to have a Forest God as the main villain. Imu also seems like a bit of a scaredy-cat. If Imu trembling with fear after sensing Joyboy's Haki Knot and only leaving Pangaea Castle by "remote controlling" others is any indication. That just seems like it's setting up Imu to be sympathized with, when we learn WHY they're so afraid of leaving the castle. Imu's greatest failing is probably that they're a little too afraid to try and do something that needs to be done. And I'm personally expecting Mosa to turn out to be Imu, which would be Oda planting the seeds for Imu's redemption fairly early in the story.
So yeah, Imu's probably going to remain a threat for a while. But, ultimately I think we'll learn why things are the way they are, and Imu will turn out to not be that bad of a person, in the long run.
Now, Blackbeard. I think Blackbeard is going to be at least CLOSER to being the final villain than Imu is. While Imu might end up being portrayed in a sympathetic light, I could honestly see Blackbeard just ending up looking like a psychopath. Imu seems to have some sense of duty and decorum. Blackbeard is only out for himself. He's a hedonist. He's all about greed and self-indulgence. He's also a interesting mirror reflection of Luffy, which would make sense if Oda's been setting him up as the main villain for the finale. Blackbeard, to me, does feel like a more interesting final villain than Imu does.
Honestly, it's kind of interesting comparing him to Rocks. Because (after only one chapter to be fair), Rocks seems to have a deeper reason for following his plan than Blackbeard does. Rocks seemed to have a sense of purpose that Blackbeard just doesn't portray. Blackbeard just seems to be following Rock's plan...because it's Rock's plan. Blackbeard is honestly coming across as more "shallow" to me than Blackbeard. And I wonder if that's on purpose? Blackbeard LOOKS like a fatter, uglier version of Rocks. And I have to wonder if that's Oda using a visual metaphor to show us that Blackbeard is a "flawed copy" of Rocks. Like a ghost who's only a pale imitation of who they were in their past life, or a clone who's slowly breaking down and dying. I wonder if Oda is showing us that Blackbeard trying to follow this same plan, maybe even being "reincarnated", is actually making him WORSE as he tries to do the same thing, over and over again. A shallow reflection of someone else. A photocopy that gets a little dimmer everytime you make another copy of a copy. A "ghost of the past" who can't move on.
And it does seem like Blackbeard has some form of Rocks still inside him. The "It's probably THEM" line from Chapter 225 hinted at something like this a LONG time ago. But, I don't think it's ONLY Rocks in there. I don't think Rocks has completely taken over Blackbeard's body, or moved his mind into his son's body. For one, Blackbeard doesn't seem to like using swords as much as Rocks did. Now, maybe Rocks is just hiding his Sword Skills as a trump card for later, but I don't think so. Blackbeard used his claws, but most of the time he's just grappling with people, using his Devil Fruit powers. So, I think all hints indicate that Blackbeard is SHARING his body with Rocks, but Rocks isn't completely in control.
Which raises a question of who Blackbeard's potential third "soul" could be? Could Blackbeard also have Davy Jones's soul inside of him? Or the Sea God? Or someone else? Also, if we're counting the "spirits" of the Devil Fruits, I guess Blackbeard could have a total of 7 souls inside of him, all at once, by the end of the story. If he has 3 "ancestors" and 3 "Devil Fruit spirits" in him at the same time, along with his own. If Rocks is in there, I doubt he's tied to one of his existing Devil Fruit. It doesn't seem like Rocks had the Darkness Fruit, so the "ancestors" and "Devil Fruit spirits" are probably separate things. So, we could see Blackbeard jumping from 3 to 7 personalities in a relatively quick time-frame.
As for his crew being weak...that could be on purpose. Blackbeard's crew might not exist to counter the Strawhats. I think it's possible that Blackbeard ends up "eating" his entire crew, just to steal all their Devil Fruit powers for himself. Blackbeard isn't thinking about using his crew as his teammates, they're basically "leftovers" to be saved for alter. That way, Luffy has to fight a guy using more than 10 Devil Fruits all at the same time. Which would make for a cool final fight.
The idea that Blackbeard could end "eating" Imu in order to steal their Devil Fruit is a interesting one. But, personally, I doubt it. Again, I'm halfway expecting Imu to get redeemed. And it would be a little sad if Imu got redeemed only to get "eaten" later. Oda DOES give us some "bad endings" from time to time, like with Ace and Whitebeard. But, most of the time, Oda doesn't like to kill characters off. And if Imu got redeemed, only to die shortly after, it would feel like a failure for Luffy. And at that point? THAT close to the ending? There just might not be enough time for Luffy to get over it and overcome that kind of failure. Also, if Imu does have the Forest God Fruit...I'm not sure if Blackbeard would even want it? I mean...it's a God Fruit, so it'll be tempting. But, I'm not sure if the "Boardgame" powers really fits Blackbeard? I feel like Blackbeard would save his "third slot" for something else. I'm not sure what, but something other than those.
And I do feel like it's possible that Blackbeard's Darkness Fruit is actually secretly the Sea God Fruit, in the same way that Luffy's Gum-Gum Fruit turned out to be the Sun God Fruit. It'd make for another parallel between the two. And his ability to nullify Devil Fruit abilities is pretty similar to the effect water has on Devil Fruit Users. And having the Sea God Fruit would make Blackbeard a pretty suitable villain for a pirate story. It fits pretty well. The Darkness Fruit would just be the darkness of the deep ocean, or of a whirlpool, rather than a black hole. So, if that turns out to be the case, it would make Blackbeard a pretty fitting final villain.
Blackbeard is likely also the person who's the MOST connected to the Will of D, other than maybe Luffy. Or maybe the OTHER Will of D, if there turns out to be more than one type of Will of D, which I wouldn't put past Oda. Two different "D"s, meaning two different things, possibly from two different sources. That would make for a fun reveal and final fight for the "soul" of the world.
Also, as a aside, I doubt Rocks had the Op-Op Fruit. Blackbeard had his chance to steal that Fruit from Law on Weiner Island, and he sounded like he was debating on selling it. (Chapter 1081) If Rocks had the Op-Op Fruit, Blackbeard would almost DEFINITELY want to keep it for himself. That would be a key part of his master plan. So, Rock's Fruit likely is NOT the Op-Op Fruit. It's something else. Maybe the "Sword God" Fruit, which Mihawk or Yoru could currently have? Blackbeard lacking the "Sword God Fruit", might explain why he doesn't seem to have Rock's skill with the sword, even if Rocks is living inside his body. More on that here:
https://worstgen.alwaysdata.net/for...od-forest-god-and-sea-god.69849/#post-6195658
Really, Blackbeard would be a interesting final villain. And it'd feel right, since he's the one who's been set up the longest. The only thing that really gives me pause on that is that I think the True Final Villain will be...someone we haven't even met yet. And the reason for that actually ties in with what Blackbeard's Master Plan actually is.
Because I think Blackbeard's master plan is actually to eventually travel to the "Underworld" and steal something from the very core of the planet. The Chapter 1138 Mural does seem to indicate that there was once something powerful at the core of this world, that the First World tapped into and it backfired on them. I think Blackbeard wants "The World" rather literally, and that he'll end up repeating history trying to do the same thing the First World did, trying to steal something valuable form the World's core. And it's probably going to end up blowing up in his face.
I think the True Final Villain of the story could possibly be something or someone that Blackbeard accidentally awakens and releases back into the World from the "Underworld". Something that's been sealed away since the First World.
And that "something" is probably the "lost race" of Dragons. If you know me, you saw this coming.
https://worstgen.alwaysdata.net/for...message-will-be-the-dragons-are-coming.55673/
The highlights? There's a bunch of dragon statues all over the world, in Alabasta's hot springs, in Fishman Island's palace, in Wano's entrance gates, the holographic "space monster" on Egghead. I think this is hinting that Dragons originally ruled this World until humans invaded the planet and took over, displacing the indigenous people. Humans are the "alien invaders". The Dragons were all imprisoned at the center of the planet and frozen alive. The Dragon's "souls" have been twisted by hatred and revenge, and could be the cause of all the strange diseases popping up around the world from underground sources, as well as the source of the Devil Fruits' "spirits" or "wishes". All of Imu and the World Government's crimes have been the result of trying to keep the Dragons asleep or killing them before they wake up. Imu was trying to stop the Dragons from taking revenge on humanity.
So, I think the True Final Villain of the story could be a army of Kaido-level people that Luffy has to apologize to and find a way to make peace with. Luffy's going to invite the Dragons to his party and try to make up for their unjust imprisonment by sharing a fun party with them, welcoming them back home. That's my bet on how this story is going.
Now, Blackbeard COULD be a common threat that could unite the Humans and the Dragons together. Or not. But, I'll just say, Blackbeard might NOT end up not being the biggest problem during the endgame of the story. Whatever is hiding at the core of the planet most likely is. In whatever form that ends up taking.
So...TLDR? I think it's pretty like that something at the core of the planet will end up being the True Final Villain of the story. Someone or something we haven't even met yet. Blackbeard's my second most likely choice. And Imu's a pretty distant third option. I probably should have just led with that. That might have saved us all a lot of time.
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But, the thing is...Imu really hasn't been ACTING like a "tyrant" this whole time. No one even knows they exist, outside their inner circle. Imu hasn't been ruling over everyone for wealth, or fame, or power. Imu has two out of those three things, but they really haven't been actively seeking them out or trying to keep those for only themselves. Imu's just been doing a job, silently, for hundreds of years. Or just living life in the Flower Garden, content to lead a pretty peaceful life. Imu doesn't NEED to be toppled, because no one even realizes Imu exists! If Imu wanted to, Imu could just...walk away from all this and no one would even be the wiser. The World Government could still keep running even without them.
In my opinion, Imu works better as a tragic figure, instead of as the final villain. Someone who tried their best, who sacrificed everything, even their own existence, to help keep the world spinning (maybe literally), but came up short.
Because, honestly? The World Government isn't doing THAT bad of a job. The Celestial Dragons, and their Tribute, are a problem, and need to be addressed. Piracy is still a problem in a lot of areas. Slavery needs to be abolished, that's a big one. But, otherwise? There's problems, but they can be corrected by adjusting things, not completely burning down the old system.
Imu doesn't really NEED to be toppled because the World Government itself doesn't really need to be toppled. The Celestial Dragons just need to get some sense knocked into them. Even the Revolutionaries agree with that. Imu actually did a pretty decent job building up something that works for most people. Not all people, like I said, things could be improved. But, Imu really didn't seem to do that bad of a job building a government from the ground up after the Ancient Kingdom fell. Did better than I could do, I'll say that.
Even stuff like destroying Lulusia? That was probably Imu trying to kill two birds with one stone. Imu wasn't aiming AT Lulusia, so much as aiming THROUGH Lulusia, in order to shoot at whatever it is that's at the center of the world. Like Piccolo shooting Goku in order to hit Raditz.
I think Imu likely needs someone to force them to get out of their "house" and connect with their people again. Imu likely needs to give up being the ruler of the world. (So that Buggy can take over). But, honestly, I could see Imu joining the Strawhats at the end, as they help reintroduce Imu into the World they haven't really seen since the Void Century. It'd make for a good excuse for the Strawhats to keep sailing together. Showing a immortal how the world has changed over the years.
In my opinion, Imu works better as a tragic figure, instead of as the final villain. Someone who tried their best, who sacrificed everything, even their own existence, to help keep the world spinning (maybe literally), but came up short.
Because, honestly? The World Government isn't doing THAT bad of a job. The Celestial Dragons, and their Tribute, are a problem, and need to be addressed. Piracy is still a problem in a lot of areas. Slavery needs to be abolished, that's a big one. But, otherwise? There's problems, but they can be corrected by adjusting things, not completely burning down the old system.
Imu doesn't really NEED to be toppled because the World Government itself doesn't really need to be toppled. The Celestial Dragons just need to get some sense knocked into them. Even the Revolutionaries agree with that. Imu actually did a pretty decent job building up something that works for most people. Not all people, like I said, things could be improved. But, Imu really didn't seem to do that bad of a job building a government from the ground up after the Ancient Kingdom fell. Did better than I could do, I'll say that.
Even stuff like destroying Lulusia? That was probably Imu trying to kill two birds with one stone. Imu wasn't aiming AT Lulusia, so much as aiming THROUGH Lulusia, in order to shoot at whatever it is that's at the center of the world. Like Piccolo shooting Goku in order to hit Raditz.
I think Imu likely needs someone to force them to get out of their "house" and connect with their people again. Imu likely needs to give up being the ruler of the world. (So that Buggy can take over). But, honestly, I could see Imu joining the Strawhats at the end, as they help reintroduce Imu into the World they haven't really seen since the Void Century. It'd make for a good excuse for the Strawhats to keep sailing together. Showing a immortal how the world has changed over the years.
Imu the FV
Gorosei, Holy Knights, WG/Navy, Vegapunk tech etc. Not only will he be super strong but he will have so many top tiers and fodders that need to be taken care of.
Once BB is stopped like his father against the future PK, it will be time for Luffy to gather allies around the world to end the 800 year of Imu reign.
But who knows, maybe BB bypasses all security and sneaks in undetected, and we have a 1v1 fight between him and Imu which no one can interrupt (imagine if one Yami DF awakened moves work like large barrier/veil that no one can enter or leave).
Gorosei, Holy Knights, WG/Navy, Vegapunk tech etc. Not only will he be super strong but he will have so many top tiers and fodders that need to be taken care of.
Once BB is stopped like his father against the future PK, it will be time for Luffy to gather allies around the world to end the 800 year of Imu reign.
But who knows, maybe BB bypasses all security and sneaks in undetected, and we have a 1v1 fight between him and Imu which no one can interrupt (imagine if one Yami DF awakened moves work like large barrier/veil that no one can enter or leave).
I believe whoever cursed the devil fruits this "Mother Sea" could be the final villain. The enemy of anything unnatural.
Just because Imu = Umi sounds too easy to guess.
Look how it stares at you with its glowing eyes.
I am going with this for the final enemy, just for fun.
This might be a Boo like Situation from Dragonball Z. Needs to absorb Energy in order to be free. Maybe it felt the impact of Kumas Ursus Shock during thriller Barc, and thats why it appeared briefly.
Could be the reason why Shirahoshi's Bounty Poster was also highlighted being destroyed. Imu might think Shiraoshi could control this thing or set it free ? Maybe Imu managed to banish this thing into the veil mist with a trick.
There were also very interesting text passages during Film Z, when Kuzan sang that Marine song.
As if the "Ocean" is alive.
Yeah, I know, alot of maybes here. I am just locking this in and going with it. If it turns out wrong, so be it.
Just because Imu = Umi sounds too easy to guess.
Look how it stares at you with its glowing eyes.
I am going with this for the final enemy, just for fun.
This might be a Boo like Situation from Dragonball Z. Needs to absorb Energy in order to be free. Maybe it felt the impact of Kumas Ursus Shock during thriller Barc, and thats why it appeared briefly.
Could be the reason why Shirahoshi's Bounty Poster was also highlighted being destroyed. Imu might think Shiraoshi could control this thing or set it free ? Maybe Imu managed to banish this thing into the veil mist with a trick.
There were also very interesting text passages during Film Z, when Kuzan sang that Marine song.
As if the "Ocean" is alive.
Yeah, I know, alot of maybes here. I am just locking this in and going with it. If it turns out wrong, so be it.
I believe whoever cursed the devil fruits this "Mother Sea" could be the final villain. The enemy of anything unnatural.
Just because Imu = Umi sounds too easy to guess.
Look how it stares at you with its glowing eyes.
I am going with this for the final enemy, just for fun.
This might be a Boo like Situation from Dragonball Z. Needs to absorb Energy in order to be free. Maybe it felt the impact of Kumas Ursus Shock during thriller Barc, and thats why it appeared briefly.
Could be the reason why Shirahoshi's Bounty Poster was also highlighted being destroyed. Imu might think Shiraoshi could control this thing or set it free ? Maybe Imu managed to banish this thing into the veil mist with a trick.
There were also very interesting text passages during Film Z, when Kuzan sang that Marine song.
As if the "Ocean" is alive.
Yeah, I know, alot of maybes here. I am just locking this in and going with it. If it turns out wrong, so be it.
Just because Imu = Umi sounds too easy to guess.
Look how it stares at you with its glowing eyes.
I am going with this for the final enemy, just for fun.
This might be a Boo like Situation from Dragonball Z. Needs to absorb Energy in order to be free. Maybe it felt the impact of Kumas Ursus Shock during thriller Barc, and thats why it appeared briefly.
Could be the reason why Shirahoshi's Bounty Poster was also highlighted being destroyed. Imu might think Shiraoshi could control this thing or set it free ? Maybe Imu managed to banish this thing into the veil mist with a trick.
There were also very interesting text passages during Film Z, when Kuzan sang that Marine song.
As if the "Ocean" is alive.
Yeah, I know, alot of maybes here. I am just locking this in and going with it. If it turns out wrong, so be it.
Wait a minute, you might be onto something. I saw this Panel from Ch. 163 was going around in a Theory regarding Nami for a while.
A storm god might be real. Now many people will think of Monkey D. Dragon, he could still have a weather-based devil fruit. It doesn't contradict the existence of a real god that controls the weather. There has to be more entities besides SunGod Nika. I wonder if Oda will ever give us the Lore about the World way before the Void century. It could stretch his story by a lot though. But, who knows. Maybe he already has something planned.
I mean, its flatly Imu, even if Blackbeard's importance has elevated, but Im at this point where I feel like every current faction is about to have a very complicated war with one another. So many characters make allusions to fighting someone else, and no one has directly lost/died except Saturn since Wano.
And its starting to make sense too, given what the end of Egghead is suggesting.
And its starting to make sense too, given what the end of Egghead is suggesting.