As a huge fan of both One Piece and Naruto, I’ve always loved seeing these two incredible series push each other to be even better. It’s well known that Oda-sensei and Kishimoto-sensei had a friendly rivalry, which just made both manga even more exciting! But honestly, while both are amazing, One Piece has really shown how a final villain should be done. With the latest reveals in the Elbaph arc, it’s become clear that One Piece‘s approach to its ultimate antagonist is miles ahead – it’s honestly how Kaguya in Naruto should have been handled during the Fourth Great Ninja War. It just feels so much more impactful and well-developed!
Breaking Down Eiichiro Oda’s Masterful Nerona Imu Introduction
One Piece features many impressive villains, but Saint Nerona Imu stands out as the most powerful and heavily foreshadowed. First appearing eight years ago during the Reverie Arc, Imu was initially presented as a mysterious, shadowy figure controlling events from behind the scenes. However, the recent Elbaph Arc revealed Imu’s full appearance and abilities, exceeding all expectations.
The author has been carefully developing the main villain over the past eight years, and there’s still a lot of backstory to reveal, particularly through future story arcs like the Elbaph Arc and the exploration of the Void Century.
Analyzing Oda’s Careful Buildup Approach With Imu
Eiichiro Oda is known for carefully developing his storylines, and the character Nerona Imu is no exception. The World Government has been established as a major antagonist in One Piece for a long time, with its oppressive side revealed as early as the Arabasta arc. Hints that a powerful figure ruled from the top – essentially as a god – were present even in the first introduction of the Celestial Dragons. Oda revealed this figure eight years ago during the Reverie Arc.
Over the past two decades, the story’s author has skillfully built a complex narrative connecting Imu Nerona and Joy Boy to the mysteries of the Void Century. This demonstrates a deliberate plan to create a powerful, timeless villain with complete control over the world of One Piece. Ultimately, Elbaph serves as the point where all these storylines converge, finally revealing Imu Nerona to the audience.
How One Piece’s Final Villain Compares To Kishimoto’s Kaguya Otsutsuki
Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto is a fantastic series with memorable villains like Pain and Madara Uchiha. However, the final villain, Kaguya Otsutsuki, isn’t as strong as most of the others, especially when compared to someone like Saint Nerona Imu from One Piece. While Kaguya had some development near the end, she felt sudden and out of place, and unfortunately replaced Madara Uchiha, who had been a carefully crafted threat since long before the timeskip.
The Holy Land…I leave to thee! — Saint Nerona Imu, One Piece 1180
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Kaguya’s character lacked depth, and the way her story and background were presented ultimately didn’t work well. The plotline involving Kaguya and the Otsutsuki clan is considered one of the weakest in the entire Naruto series, and this is especially noticeable towards the end. While the author had some good initial ideas for Kaguya, the final result fell short. She needed to be developed more gradually, and her story needed to be more complex and engaging.
The Otsutsuki clan remained a mystery for most of the Naruto series, with details only being added in Boruto. Even with those additions, they don’t make for a particularly compelling villain group and haven’t had a significant impact on the story. It’s a shame that Naruto’s ending was weakened by Kaguya Otsutsuki as a final villain. However, the series still boasts some of anime’s most memorable villains, like Pain and Madara, which is why Naruto remains a legendary series – one that has even inspired Eiichiro Oda on numerous occasions.
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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2026-04-08 01:37