Imu’s powers in One Piece may come from the Nika Fruit’s antithesis

One of the most enigmatic characters in mangaka Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is none other than Imu, the World Government’s leader who sits on Mariejois' Empty Throne. So much about Imu is still unknown, such as their appearance, their true identity, and if Imu happens to be a pseudonym, despite the series being in its final saga at the moment.

What’s especially mysterious about Imu is their powers and abilities, which only concern them and those that affect the Gorosei. While what fans have seen would suggest they have some sort of Devil Fruit power, there are also hints that the source of their abilities transcends the current power system.

However, there is one answer to Imu’s powers in One Piece which could fulfill both of these apparent prerequisites to explain the abilities seen so far. The key to this explanation lies in the Egghead Arc, specifically Dr. Vegapunk’s explanation of Devil Fruit's origins, and the true nature of Monkey D. Luffy’s Devil Fruit.

Imu’s Devil Fruit may be the foil to One Piece protagonist Monkey D. Luffy’s abilities

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Firstly, One Piece’s Egghead Arc saw Dr. Vegapunk suggest that Devil Fruits may originate as the fruition of human dreams. Specifically, they represent the branches of humanity’s possible futures and evolutions that were brought into potential existence by these dreams. He elaborates them to thoughts of wanting to do something or be like something or someone.

Luffy’s Mythical Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika serves as a great example of this. The Fruit is representative of Sun God Nika, a mythical (as far as fans know) warrior whom slaves worshiped in ancient times. Also known as the Warrior of Liberation, slaves believed he would free them from their masters and bring smiles to their faces. Essentially, he was a figure heavily associated with freedom.

Likewise, his Devil Fruit and the abilities it grants were born out of the desire to be like Nika, to be truly free. This is represented by the total freedom in fighting. The Devil Fruit born out of these dreams allows for this as highlighted by Luffy’s use of his Gear 5 form.

It can thus be said that One Piece’s Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika is representative of the dream of freedom. This is also very fitting for Luffy’s character, to the point where it seems to be done purposefully by Oda.

Imu's Devil Fruit powers are likely the exact opposite of Luffy's (Image via Toei Animation)

Coincidentally, Imu seems to be the total opposite of Luffy based on what fans have seen so far. Rather than wanting freedom to spread and prosper as Luffy does, Imu wants to control and choke the world under their grip. This is evidenced by their decision to wipe entire islands off the face of the planet, order the kidnapping of those they long for, and more.

With this in mind, it’s possible that Imu’s Devil Fruit powers may be the opposite of Luffy’s, which would also parallel their antithetical characterizations. Likewise, there surely must be the free who dream of oppression if there are the oppressed who dream of freedom. Imu’s behavior alone heavily suggests this to be accurate, as does the widespread existence of slaves and the mindset of the Celestial Dragons.

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If this is the case, then Imu’s Devil Fruit is likely born out of this dream to oppress others, serving as a conceptual antithesis to Luffy’s Devil Fruit. This would also explain what little powers fans have seen from Imu. Firstly, his apparent control over the Gorosei’s lifespans via the immortality he seemingly grants them is a tool of oppression. He holds their lives hostage, the same way a master would their slave.

His transformed state’s apparent ability is to instantly and immediately nullify Devil Fruit-based attacks, or at least Logia-type attacks as seen in chapter 1085. The transformed state in and of itself can also be viewed as a tool of oppression given its overwhelming size and power. While there unfortunately aren’t any other uses of their power in the series so far, it’s telling that the only two examples can be related to oppression conceptually.

Final thoughts

Whatever Imu's Devil Fruit is, it is undoubtedly one of the most powerful in One Piece (Image via Toei Animation)

While this is still speculative, the above evidence does strongly suggest that Imu’s Devil Fruit in One Piece is meant to be antithetical to Luffy’s. The fact that their characterization is already antithetical further supports this when combined with the knowledge of Oda’s penchant for parallels and inversions. Overall, it seems likely that the pair’s eventual confrontation will be one of completely opposite ideals and dreams.