For years, One Piece fans argued in forums and comment threads about how to defeat the shadowy ruler who sits above the world government. This week, those arguments found a sudden stop.
In recent chapters, Eiichiro Oda dropped a clear trail: Imu’s only known vulnerability could be Conqueror’s Haki. And not just ordinary Conqueror’s Haki, but its most intense, focused form. The reveal has turned excitement into a lump-in-the-throat kind of awe across the fandom.
One Piece has always been about belief, and now the narrative has whispered that belief itself can be a weapon. Whether that weapon will be enough, whether others will learn to wield it, and how Oda will stage the emotional beats remain to be seen.
TitleOne PieceCreatorEiichiro OdaProduction StudioToei AnimationRelease DateOctober 20, 1999IMDb Rating9.0/10
Why Conqueror’s Haki May Be the Key to Defeating Imu in One Piece
Oda has been building Imu’s terror slowly with godlike presence, his true powers, and scenes that read like mythic proclamations of invincibility. But in the latest beats, panels and reactions from other characters make it plain that Imu can be shaken, or at least disrupted by the raw will that Conqueror’s Haki channels. Readers who followed the clues felt the shift immediately because what had been a mystery now had a blunt key.
If you’re new to the idea, Conqueror’s Haki (also called the Color of the Supreme King) is the rarest Haki in the One Piece world. It allows a user to press their will outward, to intimidate or render unconscious those with a weaker spirit. Oda has used it before as a dramatic tool to mark kings, to shake battlefields, and to show the difference between leaders and the led. The recent chapters connect that ability to Imu’s undoing.
Oda’s framing means that it’s not brute force alone, but “will” that could break the Depths Covenant and send hurt back to the source. If Imu truly bows to Conqueror’s Haki, then the drama becomes not just about beefed-up punches, but about willpower, leadership, and legacy. It places emotional weight on characters who embody those things, and it gives a logical stage for the world’s older myths and kings to re-enter the fight in meaningful ways.
Did Oda Hint at Imu’s Weakness and the Final War Stakes
A manga panel of Loki attacking King Harald in One Piece Chapter 1170. [Credit: Shueisha]
In a flashback centered on Elbaph, Loki uses a legendary weapon and a mysterious Devil Fruit to strike down King Harald. That strike did more than kill a king as it ruptured a supernatural contract, a kind of covenant that bound holy knights to Imu. The important part: when a contracted holy knight dies by outside force, some of that damage reflects back toward Imu through the covenant link. And Harald’s death was Imu’s version of the calm before the storm.
That narrative device reframes the final war. So far, Conqueror’s Haki undermines Imu’s control in specific circumstances, for example, when used in perfect unity, or when backed by particular emotional truth rather than an absolute “push the button, win the war” switch.
If Imu’s fall hinges on Conqueror’s Haki, Oda is linking the final showdown back to that core theme. It turns the last battle into more than a spectacle of strength; it makes it a test of conviction. Luffy’s growth from a mischievous kid to a leader whose will can move mountains becomes central again. And because the Covenant appears to be a two-way tether, each victory against Imu’s servants will be a small, bright wound in Imu’s armor.
We do not yet know who will deliver the decisive Conqueror’s Haki blow, whether it will be Luffy after another growth spurt, a surprise ally, or a choir of wills rising together. Meanwhile, the reveal that “will,” of all things, may be the undoing of that order is quintessentially One Piece.
And for fans who fear favorite characters will be sidelined, there’s comfort in knowing that Oda likes an ensemble payoff. Conqueror’s Haki may be the key, but how the key is used can still honor everyone’s journey.
Do you think Conqueror’s Haki is really the key? Share your theory in the comments!
One Piece is streaming globally on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
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