The world of One Piece is one of a kind because it constantly thrives on how Eiichiro Oda has mastered the art of long-term storytelling. Recently, since Imu’s character design was released in Chapter 1179, the fandom has once again started discussing if the mural we had seen before could actually be a foreshadowing of the upcoming final war in this series. This would not be the first time Oda has pulled off something like this.
If we were to look at the explanation, then this theory actually ends up aligning with the growing belief. The mural could actually be a record of history while also being a blueprint of the near future. At first glance, we see the mural showing a battle on a massive scale where almost all people of every race are present.
But what stands out is not just the fact that they are present; they look united. This is unusual because the way the current world is functioning, everyone is deeply divided. We have already seen how the Fishmen have been facing heavy discrimination. Yet in the mural, all of these races are shown to be fighting against someone like a single unit.
This directly mirrors Luffy’s journey. Every time he and his crew landed somewhere, they had been unintentionally making strong allies all across nations. So it would not be far-fetched to state that when the time is right, all of them would come together and fight against Imu. One thing is for sure: Imu has been ruling the world for many centuries, and now that things are getting out of hand, there is someone who can actually stand up against this tyranny.
While many fans are actually with this theory, there is one major debate about the identity of the enemy. We see a dark and almost demonic silhouette. It could strongly be Imu, but some fans speculate that Blackbeard could be the final vessel of this chaos. This has the potential to make sense because he might end up getting a powerful ability.
In a worst-case scenario, Imu and Blackbeard’s roles in One Piece could overlap, either through alliance or possession. Although knowing what happened in the God Valley Incident, this is the worst-case scenario. This would explain why the mural only shows one overwhelming enemy: the embodiment of ultimate power and control.
Ancient weapons, Noah, and the flood connection in One Piece
The said mural in One Piece has also most likely made references to elements like Noah’s ark. But these inclusions cannot be random because the main thing is that Eiichiro Oda does not add anything to the story if he does not intend to bring it back later in the story. So this could be a suggestion that they suggest that the final war will involve all three ancient weapons:
- Poseidon (Shirahoshi) commanding sea kings
- Pluton is potentially reshaping the land
- Uranus is raining destruction from the sky
This combination could recreate the world itself. They could be destroying the current structure to rebuild a unified one.
The most compelling part of this One Piece theory is the idea of cycles. The mural may depict a war that already happened, but also one that will happen again. Oda has repeatedly shown that history in One Piece tends to repeat itself, especially when its truths are suppressed.
Final thoughts
The Elbaf mural may be one of the most important clues in One Piece so far. It doesn’t just explain the past, it hints at the future. If this theory holds true, then the final saga would not just be about defeating the World Government. It will be about uniting the world, restoring lost history, and finally bringing the Dawn.
Edited by Nisarga Kakade