Mariejois' Giant Straw Hat could be instrumental in One Piece's final battles

The gigantic Straw Hat in possession of Imu at the Mariejois in One Piece could have piqued every fan's interest. Moreover, it could have forced some fans to return to the scene and see what Imu could gain from keeping a hat frozen in their possession.

While some fans speculate it to be the hat of the mythical pirate JoyBoy, some consider it more than just a mere hat. It could be a living creature or entity, as speculated by some fans, and this is how today's article would approach it.

In this article, we will discover what the giant frozen Straw Hat present in Mariejois was by linking it to an old Chinese novel series that portrayed the journey of Sun Wukong.

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 real identity of the frozen Straw Hat in Mariejois

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

In episode 885, Imu is seen inside a secret chamber in the Holy Lands of Mariejois. After reaching inside this chamber, a giant Straw Hat was showcased, which appeared to be frozen. To this day, this Straw Hat has only been showcased once, but fans speculate that it could hold grave importance in the plot development of the series.

The most intriguing part about this Straw Hat was that it was kept frozen because Straw Hats, as the name indicates, are made up of straw bales. So, what could be the reason behind this? Before answering this, let's look at an old Chinese novel series that could give us some insight into this case.

Journey to the West was a legendary Chinese novel series that featured Sun Wukong's journey, more commonly known as the Monkey King. He traveled the world for Buddha's manuscripts alongside some of his companions.

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

Sun had to venture underwater to the Kingdom of the Dragon King during his journey. He was searching for a weapon that could suit his power, as every weapon or weapon-like object he had tried before wasn't suitable for him. After visiting the kingdom, Sun got his hands on a magical staff named Ruyi Jingu Bang.

The dragon queen reserved this stuff for him, and the weapon started to grow days before the Sun's arrival to the kingdom. This indicated that Sun was destined for this weapon. Moreover, later in the series, it became evident that Ruyi Jingu Bang was more than just a weapon to the Sun.

The weapon could change shapes as Sun commanded, which made Ruyi Jingu Bang more of a familiar rather than a weapon. Additionally, Ruyi Jingu Bang could also control the oceans, multiply in quantity (making copies), and astral entanglement (connecting with astral bodies).

So, first, let's consider the frozen giant Straw Hat the same as Sun Wukong's Ruyi Jingu Bang. Just like Sun's weapon/familiar, the giant Straw Hat could also have the ability to modify itself according to the body of its wielder. This could make JoyBoy's body irrelevant, as most people consider him a Buccaneer due to the colossal nature of the Straw Hat.

Secondly, just like Ruyi Jingu Bang, the Straw Hat could also allow its wielder to control the oceans because the whole premise of One Piece is centered around the Grand Line (ocean).

Thirdly, just like Sun's Ruyi Jingu Bang, the frozen Straw Hat could also have the ability to multiply. This could mean that the Straw Hat passed down from Roger to Shanks and then to Luffy was a duplicate of the original giant frozen Straw Hat. And lastly, just like Ruyi Jingu Bang, the frozen giant Straw Hat could have the ability to connect with astral bodies (planets).

In the manga series, five planets are in a showdown against Luffy and the Giants. These planets are the Five Elders and Luffy having the Straw Hat could make him capable of connecting with the Gorosei and defeating them.

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Why does Imu have the frozen Straw Hat?

Imu as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

As established earlier, the Straw Hat could be the possession of JoyBoy, which was duplicated and passed down to Luffy. But why does Imu have it frozen inside their vault in Mariejois? It could be speculated that, firstly, Imu wants to obtain the powers of the Straw Hats, as mentioned above.

Secondly, Imu has kept it frozen because, just like Ruyi Jingu Bang, the Straw Hat could also be destined to travel towards its owner (the person with the Nika fruit Luffy). So, Imu could have frozen it inside their vault to stop it from traveling to Luffy.

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