One Piece reveals the final villain’s weakness after 265 chapters

Image: Toei Animation

After an expansive narrative detour spanning nearly twenty chapters, One Piece’s most exhaustive flashback has finally concluded. This deep dive into the histories of King Harald and the legendary Rocks D. Xebec has paved the way for a pivotal revelation. In chapter 1171, as the dust settles on Elbaph’s complicated past, One Piece has finally unveiled a potential vulnerability in the seemingly invincible ultimate antagonist, Imu.

In the preceding chapters, Loki successfully claimed the kingdom’s most hallowed relic—the hammer Ragnir, which manifests as a squirrel—alongside a mythical Devil Fruit destined only for those deemed worthy by the weapon itself. Harnessing this overwhelming power, Loki slew his father, Harald, who had fallen under the absolute dominion of Imu via the Depths Covenant seal. The aftermath in chapter 1171 reveals a startling consequence: Harald’s demise physically affected Imu by proxy. Until this moment, the enigmatic sovereign of the world appeared untouchable, having effortlessly neutralized Sabo’s assault and required the world’s most elite combatants just to be repelled during the God Valley incident.

As Imu acknowledges in this latest installment, maintaining the Covenant carries a personal toll. This dark “pact” is Imu’s primary mechanism for empowering and enslaving his most formidable lieutenants. While it grants them rapid regeneration, near-immortality, and the void-like teleportation of the Abyss, it establishes a two-way connection. Following Harald’s death, Imu is depicted in the Empty Throne room, visibly winded and shaken—a rare moment of frailty.

Image: Eiichiro Oda/Viz Media

This development provides a fascinating contrast to the Egghead Arc. When Saint Saturn—a Gorosei member whose life was sustained by Imu—perished, the ruler was unaffected. However, Saturn died because Imu actively revoked his powers, causing his ancient body to instantly wither. In contrast, Harald was killed by Loki using a massive surge of Conqueror’s Haki, a force already established as a critical counter-measure during the God Valley incident. This suggests that when a contract-bound servant is forcibly eliminated by an outside party, Imu shares in the trauma, losing a portion of their own essence.

This insight redefines the endgame strategy for the Straw Hat alliance. Rather than a direct assault on the Empty Throne, the key to victory may lie in systematically dismantling the God’s Knights and other “Devoted Blades.” Imu’s influence appears to operate as a reverse hivemind; instead of the drones dying when the queen is struck, the queen is weakened as the drones are picked off.

It is a compelling narrative choice to see Imu’s god-like status balanced by such a tangible repercussion. For the first time since the character’s introduction in chapter 906, we have a concrete lead on how they might be defeated. While the full extent of Imu’s ability to bestow power and strip autonomy remains shrouded in mystery, this glimpse of vulnerability provides the Straw Hats with a vital target to exploit as the final conflict looms on the horizon.

Source: Polygon