One Piece Chapter 1187 Theory: Why Imu and Joy Boy’s Friendship Could Decide the Final War
Chapter 1186 just dropped one of the biggest moments in One Piece history. Luffy punched Imu square in the face, Brook’s tragic past with Gunko was finally revealed, and the King of the World spoke about events from 800 years ago. Now, with Chapter 1187 arriving on July 5, 2026, fans are scrambling to piece together what comes next — and the answer might lie in a relationship nobody saw coming.
What if the entire final war hinges not on power levels or Devil Fruit awakenings, but on a friendship that shattered 800 years ago?
The Panel That Changed Everything
Back in Chapter 1181, titled “God and Devil,” Eiichiro Oda quietly dropped the most lore-heavy panel in recent One Piece memory. During the escalating battle between Imu and Loki, the King of the World paused — just for a moment — and was shown sharing a laugh with Joy Boy in a brief flashback.
That single panel flipped the script on everything fans assumed about their relationship. For years, the community operated under the assumption that Imu and Joy Boy were always enemies — a god versus a devil, freedom against oppression. But Oda just told us, in the subtlest way possible, that they were once close. Possibly friends. Possibly even brothers in spirit.
The contrast is devastating. Two people who once laughed together ended up on opposite sides of a war that reshaped the entire world. The question isn’t just “what happened?” — it’s “what broke them apart?”
The Nefertari D. Lily Theory: Love, Jealousy, and the Void Century
One of the most compelling theories circulating right now connects Imu’s obsession with Nefertari D. Lily to the origins of the Void Century conflict. Imu has kept Lily’s photograph for centuries. The King of the World’s fixation on capturing Vivi — Lily’s descendant — suggests something deeply personal at the root of this ancient war.
The theory goes like this: Joy Boy and Lily shared a romantic connection. Imu, who also harbored feelings for Lily, couldn’t accept this. What started as a philosophical disagreement between Joy Boy’s freedom and Imu’s dominance became something far more personal when Lily chose Joy Boy’s side.
Sound familiar? One Piece has done this before. The God Valley incident was also driven by deeply human emotions buried beneath layers of world-shaking conflict. Oda has consistently shown that the biggest wars in One Piece don’t start over abstract ideals — they start over people.
If this theory holds, then Imu’s 800-year grudge against Joy Boy isn’t about ideology at all. It’s about heartbreak. And that makes the confrontation with Luffy — Joy Boy’s inheritor through the Nika fruit — infinitely more personal.
Luffy’s Base Form: The Key to Beating Imu?
Here’s where things get really interesting for Chapter 1187. After Luffy’s Haki-infused punch connected with Imu’s face at the end of Chapter 1186, the community exploded with a wild theory: base form Luffy might be more effective against Imu than Gear 5.
The evidence is stacking up. In Chapter 1181, Luffy himself admitted he’d “never felt anything like” Imu’s Haki — calling it “heavy and rough.” Even in his Nika form, Luffy struggled against Kizaru at Egghead and needed everything he had to defeat Kaido in Wano. Gear 5 is incredible, but it’s not invincible.
Meanwhile, Scopper Gaban’s warning from Chapter 1152 echoes louder every week: “Remember how to use the Color of the Supreme King. They aren’t immortal!” Gaban wasn’t talking about Devil Fruit powers — he was talking about Haki. Pure, unadulterated Conqueror’s Haki.
And then there’s the Joy Boy Haki moment from Chapter 1122, where the ancient king’s Haki was so powerful it actually caused Imu visible pain. No Devil Fruit. No transformation. Just Haki.
The implication is clear: Imu’s weakness isn’t the Sun God Nika — it’s the will of the D. Clan channeled through supreme Haki. If Chapter 1187 shows Luffy tapping into a new level of Conqueror’s Haki in his base form, it would mirror Joy Boy’s original power and prove that Luffy doesn’t need to be a god to defeat one.
The Loki Factor: An Unlikely Alliance
Chapter 1186 ended with Luffy ordering Imu to leave Elbaf. But Loki — who has been fighting Imu throughout the arc — is still standing. The preview for Chapter 1187 confirms that “Luffy and Imu finally meet face-to-face,” but what about the King of Elbaf?
The most exciting possibility is a temporary Luffy-Loki alliance. They’ve been adversaries throughout the Elbaf arc, but they now share a common enemy of unimaginable power. Oda has a long history of forcing rivals to work together against greater threats — think Luffy and Law in Dressrosa, or Luffy and Kid in Wano.
A Luffy-Loki team-up against Imu would be electric. Loki brings raw giant power and knowledge of Elbaf’s terrain. Luffy brings the will of D. and the power of Nika. Together, they might actually push Imu to reveal the true extent of his abilities — which, according to leaks, include terrifyingly powerful Conqueror’s Haki and dark magic that the Gorosei themselves fear.
The “Awakening Ring” Mystery
There’s one more detail that theory-crafters are obsessing over. In recent chapters, both Imu and the Rain Goddess Zaza have been depicted with a distinctive ring or aura behind their bodies — Imu with black flames, Zaza with a ring of water. Luffy, despite being the Sun God Nika, hasn’t displayed anything similar.
Some fans believe this “Awakening Ring” represents a level of power beyond Devil Fruit awakening — a state that comes from fully embodying a deity’s essence. If true, Luffy achieving his own version of this ring (perhaps a ring of fire or sunlight) could be the final power-up he needs to stand toe-to-toe with Imu.
What Chapter 1187 Needs to Deliver
With the official preview teasing the Luffy-Imu face-to-face, Chapter 1187 needs to accomplish several things:
- Show Imu’s combat abilities — We’ve seen the King of the World dominate from the shadows, but a direct fight against Luffy is uncharted territory
- Deepen the Joy Boy connection — The flashback panel from 1181 was a teaser. Chapter 1187 should give us more context about what drove them apart
- Advance Brook and Gunko’s storyline — Brook asked the Straw Hats to help free Gunko from Ragnir’s ice. This emotional subplot can’t be abandoned
- Set up the Loki-Luffy dynamic — Whether they team up or clash, this relationship needs forward momentum
The Bigger Picture
What makes the current One Piece chapters so special is that Oda is finally connecting the dots he’s been drawing for 27 years. The Joy Boy-Imu relationship isn’t just backstory — it’s the emotional foundation of the entire series. Every conflict, every war, every “D.” in a character’s name traces back to two people who couldn’t reconcile their vision of the world.
Luffy inheriting Joy Boy’s will isn’t just about power. It’s about finishing what was started 800 years ago — not through domination, but through the freedom and connection that Imu rejected. If Oda plays this right, the Luffy vs Imu confrontation won’t just be the biggest fight in One Piece. It’ll be the most emotionally devastating.
And it all starts with Chapter 1187 on July 5.
What do you think? Is Imu’s grudge against Joy Boy rooted in friendship, love, or something else entirely? Can base form Luffy actually compete with the King of the World? Drop your theories in the comments below — we want to hear every wild prediction before the next chapter drops.
