There's also the vaguely defined "Mother's Illness" that seems to strike a lot of mothers in the One Piece World at one time or another. We all like to joke about that from time to time, but it could potentially be a actual plot point. Given all the other weird diseases that pop up around the One Piece World. Usopp's Mom, Sanji's Mom, even Ida and Estrid. There could be some sort of sci-fi illness that are attracted to and target the hormones that a woman releases once they become a mother. It's not impossible in a world like this one. Even if it's not really consistent enough to call it a definite thing. There are plenty of mothers who are still alive and healthy. Like Ripley, Makino, and Chiffon.
Could there be a literal mother in the middle of the Mother Flame or Forbidden Sun? Well...yeah....it's not impossible. I'm not leaning towards that, personally, myself. But, I can't say it's impossible. Personally, I'm leaning towards Dragons being the source of all the "Dream Energy" underground that creates the Devil Fruits and other factors around the World. But...there could very well be a "Matriatch Dragon" at the very, VERY center of the planet. But...I don't know if Oda would make a woman the True Final Boss of this manga, or not? I find that unlikely. But, who knows? It's possible that there is a mother at the literal center of all this, one way or another. Maybe a Demon King forms from a mother's fear for her children, or for future generations?
More on that "Dragon" stuff over here:
https://worstgen.alwaysdata.net/for...message-will-be-the-dragons-are-coming.55673/
As far as the World Government trying to create a artificial mother for Imu or the World at large? Well...maybe metaphorically. But, probably not literally. They might be trying to create a invention to take care of everyone for them. But, it probably won't literally come in a mother-shaped form.
But, yeah, calling a pretty key part of the story the "Mother Flame" is probably on purpose one way or another. That's a weird thing to call something, even in Japanese. The "Mother" part probably is thematically linked to something larger, somehow.
Oda has said before that "'Mother' is the antonym of 'adventure'"!
https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/SBS_Volume_78#Chapter_777,_Page_46
So, the "Mother Flame" is likely called that, thematically, because it's a invention that stifles people's desires for adventure. It's TOO good of a invention. It makes life TOO easy, so it's just TOO tempting to stay home and not venture outside. It kills people's desire for adventure because it gives you everything you could ever want, right at home.
So, in some ways, this story is kind of about a tug of war between two different desires that mankind has. Seeking comfort, leading to progress, but also war. Versus actually HAVING that comfort, and defending it, potentially leading to inequality and selfishness and jealousy. It's literally a yin and yang situation. And it's not just limited to mothers versus everyone else. This larger theme is also part of the class struggle between the rich and the poor. And the power struggle between the strong and the weak. The Haves and the Have-Nots, at different levels.
The "Mother" situation is probably part of a larger theme that Oda is playing with. And yeah...that does kind of mean that women are largely treated like "trophies" in this scenario. Or "treasures", if you prefer, since that does sound a little nicer. Which isn't ideal. But...I think something along these lines is probably what Oda is doing with his themes.
And, with Amazon Lily, having a entire race of women who are going to be allied with Luffy ready to help "heal" the World....yeah, there could be some literal "mothering" going on, once Amazon Lily rejoins the larger world around them. That could fit, by Luffy creating a "world that's safe for mothers", or something along those lines.
But, there is another side to this, that I can't help thinking about. If "Mothers" are the opposite of "Adventure", would that mean that "Dead Mothers" are actually the CAUSE of "Adventures"? Is the opposite also the case?
We have seen that, in most cases, a mother dying DOES lead to the child having a pretty adventurous life, for good or for ill. See...most of our protagonists, and probably most of our antagonists, too. Even Big Mom only got as bad as she did, because she "lost" Mother Caramel.
And, to some level, that's to be expected. Losing your parents at a young age means you either get tough or die. Which can lead to you getting stronger later in life. But....I just have to wonder....could there actually be a more direct link than just that?
Vegapunk has told us before that Devil Fruits are born from the desires and wishes of people. Their dreams.
...But, Vegapunk never told us in detail exactly WHO'S dreams those were.
And nobody dreams harder....than a mother dreams for the future of their children.
So, I just can't help but wonder. Could at least SOME of the Devil Fruits we know, have been created out of dying mother's wishes for their children? Imagining futures for their children that they would never live to see. Better futures than the ones they had? The dreams that parents had for their children. No one ever said that the dreams that give birth to Devil Fruits had to be entirely selfish, or for themselves alone, after all.
The "Dream Energy" that creates Devil Fruits could actually be...."Mother Energy"!?
It would maybe explain why some people get certain, oddly-suitable Devil Fruits. The Devil Fruits are literally drawn to them, because they were wished into existence explicitly FOR them. Or for people LIKE them. A way for the mothers of the world to protect their children, even from beyond the grave.
I don't think Oda's ever going to go quite that far with it, but it's something I think about, from time to time. It would be kind of a touching way to work these mothers back into the story, in a way. To make their sacrifices mean a little bit more in the story. To give them slightly more agency and to leave a little bigger impact on the story directly than they do right now. But, maybe this idea goes too far.
...And it would raise some...questions...about certain Devil Fruits. I'm looking at you, Jacket Fruit! I know moms are worried about their kids getting chilly, but there's a limit!
So, yeah, probably mostly the first thing? "Mothers" are important to the story because they represent protection and safety and comfort. And either the world in general, or individuals specifically, are trying to steal them away. Which causes conflict. It's another type of "treasure" to either be fought for, or to steal, depending on who you ask. It might not be the most "enlightened" thing in the world but....Oda's from a older generation. Cut him some slack.
