The Elbaph arc is currently delivering some of the biggest reveals in One Piece‘s history. Every single week, creator Eiichiro Oda is dropping huge revelations that took decades to build up. Ever since this storyline started, readers have been getting the answers to their biggest questions. It all kicked off with the shocking reveal of Shanks’ long-lost twin brother, and now, a new flashback is uncovering the truth about Imu and Joy Boy’s past relationship.
Since Imu first appeared in the story, the mysterious ruler has displayed a deep hatred for Joy Boy. While the reason behind this anger remains a mystery, it clearly ties back to the missing history from 900 years ago. This deep grudge perfectly explains why the King of the World desperately wants to eliminate Luffy. By wielding the power of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, the Straw Hats’ captain shares a direct link to the first pirate to sail the seas.
Now that Imu has finally stepped onto the battlefield, seeing Luffy’s awakened Gear 5 form up close brings back sudden memories of Joy Boy. However, these new flashbacks reveal a massive surprise. It turns out, things were not always hostile between these two legendary figures. Long before the devastating war of the Void Century tore them apart, their past relationship was vastly different than what Oda has been showing all those years.
One Piece Flashback Proves Imu & Joy Boy Had Friendly Interactions
One Piece chapter #1181 quietly changes everything fans thought they knew about Imu and Joy Boy with a small panel. During the intense fight between Imu and Loki, creator Eiichiro Oda drops a short flashback showing the King of the World and Joy Boy actually sharing a laugh. This small moment carries massive weight.
For years, it has been believed that Imu’s hatred towards Joy Boy was purely because he fought against the founders of the World Government, much like the Revolutionary Army fights today. But this short scene tells a completely different story.
At some point in the distant past, these two legends were not just enemies. They were close enough to enjoy each other’s company, although to what extent it’s currently unknown. It forces readers to wonder if they were once friends before a huge tragedy tore them apart. This detail makes their history feel deeply personal, rather than just a usual battle between good and evil. While the full truth remains a mystery, their shared past is undoubtedly the key to the final storyline.
Joy Boy And Imu’s Bond Was Broken By Their Opposite Views On The World
The rivalry between these two legends feels a lot like the story of Hashirama and Madara from Naruto. Before their clans and opposing ideals forced them onto opposite sides of a battlefield, those two shinobi actually shared a deep bond. It appears that Oda is building a similar tragic backstory for Joy Boy and Imu.
One Piece’s Creator Will Reveal Joy Boy’s Official Design, But It Needs Your Help First
One Piece’s second global popularity poll is here, giving fans a massive chance to force Oda to draw the series’ most legendary mystery.
Destiny and opposing worldviews most likely drove Imu and Joy Boy apart, if they were indeed friends. The mysterious ruler believes that absolute domination is the only way to maintain order. On the other hand, everything known about the first pirate proves that he valued freedom above anything else. This opposing ideal may have turned Joy Boy into an enemy of 20 kingdoms known as The Alliance, which later became the World Government.
Even though Joy Boy failed to defeat the World Government 900 years ago, his will continues to live on. Through the Will of D, Luffy and other key figures are stepping up to finish what the legendary pirate started. Now that One Piece is currently in its final saga, Eiichiro Oda is finally ready to uncover the long-hidden secrets of the Void Century. Considering how quickly the plot is moving in Elbaph, readers may witness this giant mystery being solved before the arc wraps up.
- Release Date
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October 20, 1999
- Network
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Fuji TV
- Directors
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Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
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Mayumi Tanaka
Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
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Kazuya Nakai
Roronoa Zoro (voice)
