One pieceElbaf's arc turned out to be one of the most interesting in the entire series. Eiichiro Oda, the creator of this world-renowned manga, managed to fill each chapter with thrilling adventures, endearing new characters, and significant lore revelations that forever changed the way fans see the story. Most exciting of all is the ongoing battle between the Straw Hats and their allies against the most powerful Saint Knights and Im, the supreme leader of the world government.
While there's no denying that fans have been waiting decades for the Shadow Monarch to take a more active role in the series, his involvement in the Elbaf arc doesn't seem like the most appropriate solution. Looking at it from a purely narrative perspective, bringing Ima into the fold out of the blue may not have been as effective for the character, as the stakes are clearly not as high as such a formidable character deserves.
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Imu could be better used later in the series
Since their introduction back during the Reverie Arc of the One piece manga, Imu as a character was one of the main driving forces of the story. Every tragedy, atrocity, and heinous act committed by the world government was directly overseen by a shadowy figure sitting atop the Void Throne. Readers waited several years to learn more about this enigmatic figure, and it wasn't until the Elbaf Arc that their questions began to be answered.
Chapter 1149 of the manga shocked fans with Imu taking over Gunko's body to join the fight against the citizens of the Giant Kingdom. After years of knowing next to nothing about the villain, Oda decided to use this battle to reveal several aspects of their character. From their powerful demonic Devil Fruit to historical events such as the God Valley incident. However, as exciting as this launch has been for viewers, it comes with a few issues that may detract from the impact it will have for the future.
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Imu's interventions during the previous arcs were never directly related to the Straw Hats. Seeing the Supreme Leader attacking characters like King Cobra or destroying islands like Lulusia Kingdom was effective because fans knew Oda didn't have to hold back. That's not a luxury he can take with the Straw Hat crew members, as they are almost guaranteed to survive the battle. It's clear that the heroes will likely find a way to overcome Imu's threat, making the upcoming battle seem less exciting.
Imu's reputation could suffer with this decision
Despite the sheer number of powerful villains that have been introduced throughout One piece story, there is no one as menacing as Imu. Every time the ruler of the world steps down from his throne to punish those who dare defy them, chaos reigns. Oda made sure the readers know that Imu is cruel, selfish and doesn't care about anyone but himself. They went so far as to threaten the entire planet by firing one of the ancient weapons, causing sea levels to rise dramatically.
The author spent the better part of a decade making sure no one could doubt how powerful and dangerous Imu was to the heroes. By involving them in the Elbaf Arc and revealing their powers in a way that could be considered premature, the reputation of this invincible enemy is threatened. Not only have the Straw Hats and their allies already found a way to counter Imu's demonic control over the Giant Pirates, but they've come close to doing some real damage in what is supposed to be the story's final challenge.
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Since it is essential to the plot that the heroes survive this battle and continue their search for the titular One Piece treasure, it is clear that Imu is destined to lose this fight. In the past, even the combined forces of Roger, Garp, and Rocks, the three most powerful beings in the series, were unable to inflict significant damage on the Supreme Leader. If Imu were involved right at the beginning of the Final Saga, fans might see the villain as over the top, compromising the excitement of the final battle against them.
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Oda may want to give Imo a different fate
While it's possible that the introduction of Imu earlier than most fans expected could have been an oversight, it is based on the belief that they are the final villain of the series. Most readers concluded that since the Shadow Lord was the supreme authority of the world, they would surely become Luffy's final adversary. While the chances of that being the case are high, there is always the possibility that Oda has other plans for the character.
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The story of Elbaf is deeply connected with the traditions of the whole world One pieceas evidenced by their vast knowledge of all that has happened in the past. Imu has also been shown to be obsessed with the Kingdom of Giants, wishing to enslave them and use them as living weapons against other kingdoms. It is possible that Imu will not be the final adversary of the Straw Hat crew, but rather the final challenge that the people of Elbaf will have to face in order to be truly free.
By letting Ima know about themselves during the current arc, the author is letting fans know that Luffy is not destined to defeat the King of the World as the other fighters will be tasked with taking them down. If that's the case, then the introduction of Im during the Elbaf arc was done with the intention of letting the world know that even the most powerful being in the series can be defeated, sparking a revolution against the oppressive world government and its lackeys.
- 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 Imayomura, Yashiôhiro Mayuū Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
- Writers
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Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda
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Mayumi Tanaka
Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
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Kazuya Nakai
Roronoa Zoro (voice)
