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With the release of One Piece's latest chapter, fans were given arguably one of the most significant lore dumps in recent series history, which included information about Lili Nefertari. Thanks to Cobra Nefertari's discussions with the Gorosei, readers learned that Lili never made it back home to Alabasta after leaving Mariejois and refusing to become a Celestial Dragon.
Even more excitingly, just as it seemed when fans were reaching an instant dead-end on Nefertari Lili, Imu (otherwise known as Im-sama) appeared and spoke to Cobra. In the issue's final panel, One Piece readers saw Imu begin to say Lili's name, with the issue, unfortunately, ending on this utterance.
Now, fans are scrambling to do a deep dive into the past and present of One Piece to see if there are any clues about who Lili was and what Imu's relationship with her was. However, one popular fan theory which is gaining traction on Reddit may just have identified both, who Lili was and Imu's shocking identity in one fell swoop.
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One Piece theory suggests Imu is Nefertari Lili herself via research of Ancient Egyptian mythology
The theory
Posted to the unofficial One Piece subreddit by u/Pringles__, this latest fan theory dives into real-world ancient Egyptian lore and history to identify Imu as Lili. The Reddit user starts by asserting this, emphasizing that Alabasta is based on Egypt. However, even beyond the surface level, there are startling similarities.
The individual starts by establishing that alabasters are Egyptian rocks, used by craftsmen for canopic jars and other religious objects. They then establish that the first Poneglyph was found in Alabasta, with the Poneglyphs' writings being equivalent to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. u/Pringles__ questions if the Poneglyphs are written on alabasters and if the Alabasta Kingdom provided the stones for the Ponegylphs.
They then establish that Nefertari is not just the family that reigns over One Piece's rendition of Egypt but also was the name of a Queen that existed in real-life ancient Egypt. They then dive into the fact that Imu has the same name as Imn (Amun) or Imnt (Amunet). These words share the same root Amu, which they establish as being synonymous with Imu and Im.
The Reddit user also emphasizes that the spelling can either be Amunet for a female or Amun for a male. They then establish that Imn(t) is a primordial God/Goddess in ancient Egypt. They also claim that Imn(t) means "the hidden one" in hieroglyphics. They assert that by keeping only the root "Im" for the character and not specifying Imn or Imnt, author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda brilliantly hides both Imu's real name and gender.
Likewise, Imu is hidden from everyone in One Piece except the Gorosei. Likewise, the Celestial Dragons (descendants of the ancient kings who founded the World Government) believe that the Empty Throne has indeed remained empty, with no one sitting on it. As a result, the Gorosei are the known leaders, while Imu is "the hidden one," a direct reference to the hieroglyphic meaning of Imn(t).
u/Pringles__ then emphasizes once more that Imu sits on the Empty Throne as "the hidden king of the world." They then share classical depictions of Imnt and Imn, pointing out how their crows have a striking resemblance to Imu's head shape. They then go back to the mythology of Imn(t), claiming them to be one of the principal Gods in ancient Egypt associated with kingship, fertility, and the creation of the universe.
Likewise, Imu holds a position of immense power and authority in the One Piece series, perfectly mirroring the attributes Imn(t) represents in ancient Egyptian mythology. The Reddit user then brings up a similar reference to the Assassin's Creed Origins video game, which is set in ancient Egypt. Within, a character named Aya changes her name to Amunet as a way of renouncing her former identity.
u/Pringles__ further states that Imu may have done the same to hide their true identity as Lili, becoming the "Hidden One known as Imu." They then discuss how the blue lotus is a water lily (likening this to Nefertari Lili), which was present in ancient Egypt as a sign of immortality. They then question if Lili, who they assert is Imu here, is immortal because of the Op-Op Fruit's Perpetual Youth Surgery.
Beginning their conclusive comment on this One Piece theory, the Reddit user explains that in the Room of Flowers, Imu can be seen standing in front of a lone sword. He asserts that this is Lili's sword, which was not placed around the Empty Throne with the 19 others.
They assert that Lili didn't place their sword not to return to Alabasta, but to assume position on the Empty Throne. Likewise, lily flowers can be seen in the shots where Imu is first introduced, both in the anime and the manga series.
While this is still just a theory, it's one of the most airtight ones on both Lili and Imu's identity which have been put forth thus far. The evidence is almost damning and would signal that sooner or later, fans will see u/Pringles__' assertion proved true.
However, until Imu is actually confirmed as Lili, the theory is still a theory, regardless of how well-researched and argued it is.
Be sure to keep up with all One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
