Warning! Contains spoilers for One Piece #1085!Imu is One Piece's most mysterious villain, but the manga just finally confirmed something about their identity. This is an exciting moment for fans theorizing about Imu given that before this latest chapter no solid information about their character had been confirmed. But now mangaka Eiichiro Oda has finally given readers a subtle hint about Imu's true identity confirming some major speculation.

In chapter #1085, translated by Stephen Paul, the Reverie flashback continues as Imu answers Cobra's questions about the Will of D. Before Imu is able to do that however, King Cobra interjects saying that the name Imu is the same as one of the first 20 Monarchs who formed the World Government after the mysterious Void Century. Imu neither confirms nor denies whether this is coincidental, but it is still the first concrete piece of evidence fans have gotten about their original identity. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that Imu's true identity is that of the Monarch from long ago, but it does confirm a strong connection between the two.

One Piece's Imu is Connected to the 20 Monarchs

Part of the issue with constructing a concrete theory on Imu's identity is how little page time they have gotten despite how powerful they are. Imu first appeared in the Reverie arc, where it was revealed they were concerned in some way about Luffy and Vivi as well as that they sat on the Empty Throne and commanded the five elders. Later Imu used the power of one of One Piece's ancient weapons to annihilate the island Lulusia, but little else was known about their abilities. One Piece's last couple chapters have revealed much more about them however as they have come out of hiding and revealed major information about themselves and One Piece's history to King Cobra. This finally allows fans to generate a couple of solid theories about who they are.

While chapter #1084 potentially made it seem like Imu's true identity could actually be Nefertari Lily, this chapter disproves that by revealing that Lily opposed Imu and the group or faction they were a part of. This could easily mean that Imu was the Monarch that Cobra mentioned who used the Op-Op Fruit to become immortal. However, Imu doesn't directly confirm this and it seems too obvious for One Piece. Given that using the Op-Op Fruit to grant immortality requires a sacrifice, it could also be that the ancient Imu sacrificed themselves to grant the current Imu eternal life and in their honor they took up their name. The modern-day Imu could also not be immortal at all, instead being a descendant of the Monarch carrying on their name as a kind of twisted parallel to the Will of D.

One Piece's Imu Hint Provides Fans With Plenty of Theory Fodder

Knowing how unpredictable Oda can be, there could be a myriad of other possibilities as well that fans haven't even thought of yet. But now that they now have a concrete piece of information about Imu's name, they can at least have a solid base for whatever theories they come up with. No matter who Imu turns out to be, the fact that Oda is revealing such a concrete piece of information about them shows that they will likely soon have an even bigger role in One Piece's story.

One Piece Chapter #1085 is available to read from Viz Media.