One Piece Is Expanding The Lore Behind Devil Fruit Creation In Elbaph

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As a long-time follower of One Piece, it’s been fascinating to watch how Devil Fruits have always shaped the story. Now that we’re deep into the climax with the Elbaph arc, Eiichiro Oda is finally giving us a deeper understanding of where these fruits actually come from. The Egghead arc revealed some big secrets, but the current arc is going even further, especially with the recent reveal of Imu’s Devil Fruit power. It feels like we’re finally getting the full picture.

Now that Eiichiro Oda has revealed Saint Imu Nerona’s abilities as the World Ruler, the story behind Devil Fruits has become even more interesting, and we’ve learned some hidden truths about the Void Century along the way.

The Narrative Importance of Nerona Imu’s Akuma no Mi Reveal

Chapter 1179 of One Piece finally revealed the story’s ultimate villain, Saint Nerona Imu. Not only did the author, Oda, show us what Imu truly looks like, but also revealed the power of his Devil Fruit. This isn’t just any Devil Fruit, though – Imu possesses ‘The Devil’s Fruit,’ or Akuma no Mi. While all Devil Fruits in the One Piece world fall under that name, Imu’s fruit is the very first one, predating them all. Essentially, Imu’s fruit is the original, created long ago to embody the power of darkness and bring about death, destruction, and widespread oppression.

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Breaking Down The Void Century Lore Behind Imu’s Ability

Imu is widely believed to be one of the original twenty kings who established the World Government and battled the Ancient Kingdom nine centuries ago. He played a key role in the conflicts of that era, the Void Century, and already possessed the power of a Devil Fruit. Evidence from the Elbaph murals suggests Imu underwent a transformation and wielded the Mother Flame, becoming incredibly powerful. Even with Joy Boy and most of his allies uniting against him, they were defeated by Imu’s strength.

Everything’s been falling apart, one problem after another, ever since Nika showed up. Is it just bad luck, or was this all meant to happen? — Five Elders, One Piece Chapter 1179

The story reveals the world of One Piece has been completely rebuilt twice before. Because of this cycle of destruction and rebirth, Devil Fruits originated during the Void Century. Interestingly, the very first Devil Fruit created was designed to bring about death and control. This fruit belonged to Imu, and after consuming it, he likely became corrupted and turned against Joy Boy and his friends.

Explaining The Major Difference That Makes The World Sovereign’s Fruit Unique

Imu’s power is called an ‘Akuma no Mi,’ but it doesn’t follow the usual naming rules for Devil Fruits, suggesting it originated in a very different way, long ago. Most Devil Fruits in One Piece have names that repeat a word – like Luffy’s Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, or Smoker’s Moku Moku no Mi. Since these abilities likely came from the imaginations of people from the distant past – possibly during the Void Century – it seems they were created with the same kind of free, imaginative thinking seen in the murals of Elbaph.

Imu’s powers are fundamentally different from all other Devil Fruit abilities in One Piece. You could even say other fruits are a simplified version of Imu’s, though they both stem from imagination. Imu’s fruit was born from a dark imagination focused on death, destruction, and control, while other Devil Fruits came from the playful, innocent imaginations of people who lived during the mysterious Void Century. This backstory is still developing, and the author, Oda, will likely expand on it as the story progresses towards its conclusion.

One Piece chapter 1180 will be available to read on Manga Plus on April 19, 2026, at 11 a.m. EST.

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2026-04-07 22:38