One Piece Unveils The Holy Knights’ Immortality Secret In Elbaf Arc

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The Holy Knights have played a central role as the primary villains throughout much of the Elbaf Arc in One Piece. From the moment they appeared, the author, Oda, established that they are immortal. This immortality and their incredible strength stem from a connection to Imu, making them some of the most powerful characters in the series. The latest chapter of One Piece revealed that the Holy Knights have unique, mechanical hearts, which likely explain how they achieve their undying state.

Assessing The Power Of Imu’s Deep Sea Covenant

In the final arc of One Piece, it’s become clear that Imu gains power through agreements, or contracts, with others. The Holy Knights and the Five Elders achieve immortality by making such a pact with Imu. These agreements, specifically called Covenants when it comes to Imu’s personal guards, grant special abilities. Currently, three Covenants are known, and two of them are believed to bestow immense strength.

The Holy Knights possess a power called the Deep Sea Covenant, which gives them incredible abilities like endless healing, immortality, and immense strength. However, this power comes at a cost: Imu can control them from anywhere, as demonstrated with Gunko. An even more potent and mysterious power, the Abyssal Covenant, also exists. While the Deep Sea Covenant makes the Holy Knights formidable opponents – even matching the strongest members of the Straw Hat Pirates – recent battles have revealed a vulnerability in their seemingly endless immortality.

How The Mecha Heart Grants Immortality To The Knights Of Imu

Chapter 1178 of One Piece revealed that Saint Sommers has an artificial heart. It seems all Holy Knights who have a special connection with Imu—called the Deep Sea Pact—also have these mechanized hearts. This artificial heart allows their bodies and souls to maintain their form. Essentially, as long as the heart remains intact, the user’s immortality and ability to regenerate will continue to work.

This is comparable to Wapometal from One Piece, a material that always returns to its original shape. Franky’s Shogun is made of this alloy, and as we’ve seen, it can withstand incredible damage without being permanently deformed – it’s a “memory alloy.” The Holy Knights likely function on the same principle. Their hearts, being made of this memory alloy, allow them to constantly reform and maintain their shape, enabling their immortality and regeneration during combat.

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Why The Power Of The God’s Knights Comes From The Void Century

Wapometal is a newly discovered metal in the world of One Piece, and it seems to be linked to a lost, highly advanced civilization from the distant past – the Void Century. This ancient civilization clearly had technology far beyond what exists today, and Wapometal likely played a key role. It appears this metal somehow ended up with Imu, who used it to create his powerful soldiers.

Etch in your mind how you use your Haki. They’re not truly immortal. — Scopper Gaban

If Imu forms a Deep Sea Pact or Abyssal Pact with someone, that person’s heart likely transforms into a mechanical one made of Wapometal. This allows them to maintain their original form indefinitely, effectively making them immortal by preserving their body, even if they aren’t truly immortal.

Gauging The Overall Power Level Of The Holy Knights

Now that Oda has revealed the secret to the Holy Knights’ immortality, it seems there’s more than one way to defeat them. However, they aren’t all equally powerful.

I’ve been thinking about the toughest fights in the series, and it’s really interesting how much the opponents vary! Sommers wasn’t too bad, honestly, but King Harald? Wow, he was a complete disaster for even Shanks and Gaban to handle – seriously, the strongest Holy Knight we’ve seen yet! I get the feeling Shamrock Figarland is going to be just as brutal, and anyone with those Abyssal powers, like the Five Elders, will be practically unstoppable – total Calamities, for sure.

The Holy Knights aren’t all equally powerful – their abilities differ significantly. The upcoming Final Saga promises to showcase each Knight and their unique skills, which is what makes this next part of the story so thrilling.

One Piece Chapter 1179 will be available to read on Manga Plus on April 5, 2026.

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2026-03-30 19:14