Imu and the Gorosei's deaths in One Piece may be revealed via inspiration from Hindu mythology's Ahiravan

One Piece chapter 1122 came out on August 5, 2024, and the chapter showcased the World Government leader, Imu, in distress for the first time in the series. The reason behind Imu's condition was the sudden outburst of JoyBoy's Haki that was released when Emeth untied a knot. However, the real reason behind Imu's distress could be a much darker one.

The reason could come from the true identity of Imu, which would be a shadow from Hindu mythology. This shadow was defeated by destroying the 5 lamps which held its life inside them. Imu could be similar, having their life inside all the 5 Gorosei and the fact that JoyBoy's Haki canceled Saint Saturn's black magic could be the reason the World Government leader felt threatened.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the One Piece manga series and has the author's opinion.

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One Piece: Exploring the true inspiration behind Imu from the Hindu mythology

Imu after JoyBoy's Haki blast (Image via Shueisha)

One Piece chapter 1122 showcased Emeth undoing a mysterious knot which released the Conqueror's Haki of JoyBoy, which the first pirate gave to Iron Giant to protect someone from grave danger. The Conqueror's Haki blast canceled Saint Saturn's summoning and returned the 4 Gorosei to the Mariejois, leaving Saitn Saturn on Egghead.

The spotlight of this chapter was Imu, who fell to the ground after JoyBoy's Haki reached them. This was the first time the fandom witnessed the World Government leader in such a pitiful state. However, the real reason behind Imu's distress could be from their inspiration.

Ahiravan is an antagonistic demon from Hindu mythology who has mastery over black magic. He was famous for his deed where he kidnapped Lord Rama and Lakshmana to sacrifice them and secure the win of his side. Fortunately, Hanuman learned about Lord Rama, his master, and rushed to help him.

Hanuman learns about the weakness of Ahiravan, which was the five magical lamps, placed in different directions, that needed to be extinguished together to defeat the demon. To accomplish such a hard challenge, Hanuman became Panchamukhi Hanuman. In this form, the deity had 5 heads, and each head could go in five different directions.

The Five Elders as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

So, with the help of this form, Hanuman extinguished all five lamps, defeating Ahiravan and saving his master. Ahiravan could be the inspiration for Imu, as the Five Elders could be the source of life and power for the World Government leader. After JoyBoy's Haki release, the black magic cast by Saint Saturn was canceled.

This could be the real reason Imu was distressed, as they sensed someone strong enough nearby. As all the Gorosei were potentially about to be killed if they weren't summoned back to the Land of Mariejois, Imu also felt their existence in danger, just like how Ahiravan died after all five lamps were extinguished.

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Final thoughts

Imu as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

This mythological reference seems legitimate when looked at from the perspective of chapter 1122. However, take this reference with a huge grain of salt because there are so many mythological references for the true inspiration behind Imu and all of them seem legit from one perspective of the story. The World Government leader could be inspired by all of them, but nothing can be said other than speculation.

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