Imu may be responsible for One Piece's Void Century mural, and it makes perfect sense

Modified Feb 22, 2025 08:30 GMT

One Piece could have another twist regarding Imu's role (Image via Toei Animation).

One Piece has had a lot of different secrets throughout the years, with some of them being quite prevalent to understand the series, with the recent Void Century mural currently being at the center of that discussion. In that regard, a person on X named @3SkullJoe came up with the theory that Imu was the one who painted that mural.

This theory connects what could have happened to Joy Boy during the Void Century War, his apology as shown in the Poneglyphs, and the wrath of Poseidon with the idea that Imu painted the mural as an accident in his youth. Naturally, all of this speculation since the One Piece manga has not explained what this means, but it could be an interesting path for the story to take.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.

The Void Century mural could have been painted by Imu centuries ago in One Piece

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This theory starts by stating that, according to what was written in the Void Century mural in Elbaph, the two factions, led by Joy Boy and Imu, respectively, faced each other twice, and the leader of the future World Government was the winner. That is why Lili's message on the Poneglyphs is that they must be preserved and protected, while the one in Fishman Island showed Joy Boy's apology to Poseidon, given the fact he lost against the enemy.

This is coupled with the fact that Shandora was destroyed while protecting the Poneglyph, highlighting that this is the one that specifies where Poseidon is. It is very likely that the Shandora battle was the last one in the war and the moment where Joy Boy was killed, prompting Poseidon's wrath, which could provide greater context to the legendary pirate's apology.

There is also a very good chance that Imu was the kid who Ripley mentioned and painted it perhaps as a promise he received or as a vision that he had. This mural was spread across certain people, perhaps those of the D. Clan, which results in the events of the Void Century being so vital for Imu's secret rule; hence, he wants to destroy those who may know the truth and those who can reach it.

More details of this theory

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

It is very likely that Imu's actions regarding the erasure of the events in the Void Century and the persecution of the people of the D. Clan are connected to the line in the mural that says, "The voice of the Half Moon echoes through the ages." That fits quite well with the description of the D. Clan in One Piece, especially considering how said letter looks like a half-moon.

There is also the fact that Imu has been seen in Mary Geoise with a brush and doing a bit of painting, which could suggest that he is an artist of sorts. It would be fitting that he could have visions of future events through painting, which could explain his rise to power and also how he knows that certain characters, such as Luffy, Vivi, and Blackbeard, are so dangerous to his ambition.

Final thoughts

Imu is bound to have a big role to play not only in the current One Piece story but also in many of the events of the past, with his clash with Joy Boy being of major importance. The idea of him being the painter of the mural could also lead to some significant ramifications, especially regarding the motivation behind it.

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Edited by Somava