One Piece Chapter 1179: NERONA IMU DESCENDS

From the title alone I knew I’d be eating my words from last week. While I didn’t say it so explicitly last time, I really didn’t think Imu would be coming to Elbaph, and especially not in the following chapter. This just goes to show how we really are in the endgame of the story, and the pace will not let up. But as always, let’s try and take things chronologically.

It seems, through dialogue, that Shamrock has managed to turn the tide against the Revolutionary Army, which isn’t good. But the tactic of starving out the World Nobles continues to be successful, as even the Elders seem to be struggling without rations. York still seems to be under the illusion that the Elders will keep their end of the bargain, as, for all intents and purposes, she appears to be held hostage until she completes work on the Mother Flame for the Holy Land. I do find it interesting how the Elders are able to negotiate with Imu. They clearly do have some say over his actions, to be able to advise and keep him in check. My interpretation of this would be that they have more experience in the ‘real world’ than he does, as Imu doesn’t often concern himself with the world of human beings.

However now it seems like his paranoia, his belief that the enemies of his past will return to do him harm, have gotten the better of him, and he wishes to go down to Elbaph to put a stop to it once and for all. Blackbeard and Davy Jones, Luffy and Joyboy, Vivi and Lily. These are the people who have passed on and inherited dangerous wills, powerful wills, enough to change and shake the world, The will of D. Two things I find interesting from this section: 1. That Vivi is the character Imu ends his introspection on, and 2. That he thinks of himself as the victim in all this. I suppose it’s to be expected of someone so disconnected from any real suffering. I am so glad Vivi is crucial to this central plotline, and I cannot wait for her to return to the core cast, we have been waiting so long for it. The history between Imu and Lily may be revealed sooner than we expect.

Something else really interesting is that the Holy Knights’ hearts are metallic, which is what gives them their healing factor. I’m not sure if this is an intentional visual metaphor, but it certainly does convey their lack of empathy. While Franky is offering to turn Usopp and Brook into cyborgs (very funny), Jinbe seems concerned with the fact Chopper has gone missing. I wonder what he could be doing, perhaps discussing his newfound ability with Gaban? Sanji’s banter with Killingham also got a chuckle from me. Ragnir’s freezing ability (actually just ‘cold’ ability) needs to be deactivated manually, I wonder if being knocked out would also deactivate it, much like other Devil Fruit abilities.

I see major Skypiea parallels from this final section, the evil god descending as Nami looks on, a dark pillar crashing down through the sky. Imu is here. He couldn’t have arrived at a worse time, as Luffy has yet to recover from using Gear 5th. I worry for everyone without Luffy at full strength. Imu’s arrival is signaled by drums, as the landscape is twisted into cartoonishly evil singing demons, setting Imu as a clear dark reflection of the Gear 5th powers. Imu is also confirmed to be a Supreme King Haki user, by Zoro. As Imu lands, he seems to be spitting up blood, his form looks weak as he begins to transform into his true self. I wonder if the teleportation took a toll on him, or simply breathing the “unclean” air of the world did. Even the Holy Knights look on in horror as their King makes himself known, the info box telling us plainly; this is Saint Nerona Imu, King of the World, Creator of the World Government, and the man who has the power of The Devil’s Fruit.