The recent chapters of the Egghead Island arc in One Piece have established a connection between Saint Nerona Imu, the main protagonist of the series, and Nefertari D. Lily, Vivi’s ancestor and the former queen of Alabasta. However, nothing is known about the connection except for what has been revealed by Imu himself.
The latest chapter put a special focus on this connection, as Eiichiro Oda included a separate panel where Imu is looking at a large portrait of Lily in the Chamber of Flowers. Imu has been seen holding Lily and Vivi’s (who looks exactly like Lily) portrait multiple times, and fans have yet to find out what kind of relationship Imu and Lily had.
However, if taking a deep look at the past instances and the information revealed about Imu and Lily, the relationship between the two might be linked to Trafalgar D. Law’s Devil Fruit, which was allegedly used by Imu to gain immortality. Their connection also uncovers some secrets about Joy Boy, which is also one of the biggest mysteries.
Imu and Lily’s Relationship in One Piece
While Imu and Lily were among the 20 founding families who fought against the Ancient Kingdom and formed the World Government, they were on two different sides. Imu belonged to one of the families that defeated Joy Boy and the Ancient Kingdom, while Lily allied with Joy Boy and helped him in scattering the poneglyphs and saving the history of One Piece.
Many believed that, for this reason, Imu hated Lily and despised her entire family. However, there are certain aspects that prove that Imu might actually be obsessed with Lily rather than hating her. The first is his need to capture Vivi, who looks just like Lily. Imu has been trying to grab hold of Vivi since Levely, but she managed to escape his clutches.
The second one is the number of portraits and pictures Imu has of Lily in his Chamber of Flowers. Chambers of Flowers is his most secret place, and no one is allowed in there. However, Imu has a giant portrait clearly pointing out his obsession with the former queen of Alabasta.
Imu and Lily Are Linked Through Trafalgar Law’s Devil Fruit
Law’s Devil Fruit has been established as the Ultimate Devil Fruit, and it not only has the power to grant immortality but can also swap personalities between two individuals. Therefore, there is a good chance that Imu not only used the Op Op Devil Fruit to gain immortality but also swapped his personality with Lily.
There are multiple reasons that support this assumption. The first is Imu’s obsession with Lily, which has already been proven. The second one might be the will of D, which was also carried by Lily. Also, Lily was the only character from the first twenty who allied with Joy Boy. This establishes a connection between Joy Boy, Lily, and Imu. The third is Imu’s need to capture Vivi.
If Imu indeed swapped bodies with Lily, the physical capabilities of the body might have become useless as it is over 900 years old. This is why Imu is searching for Vivi so that he can once again swap bodies with Vivi and once again continue his evil schemes of trying to rule the entire One Piece world.
You can read the One Piece manga on Viz Media.
