One Piece is currently on hiatus as of October 4, 2026, with Chapter 1195 set to return on October 11. But while Eiichiro Oda takes a well-deserved break, the fandom is absolutely losing its mind over what might be the most consequential theory to emerge from the Elbaf arc yet: Imu used the Ope Ope no Mi’s Perennial Youth Operation on themselves during the Void Century, and Nefertari D. Lili was the one who made it possible.
Buckle up, because this theory connects dots that span nearly a thousand chapters — from Doflamingo’s obsession with the Ope Ope no Mi all the way to Vivi’s bloodline and the giant straw hat hidden beneath Mary Geoise.
The Ope Ope no Mi’s Ultimate Power: Immortality at a Price
We first learned about the Ope Ope no Mi’s ultimate technique — the Perennial Youth Operation — during the Dressrosa arc. Trafalgar D. Water Law inherited this Devil Fruit from his mentor Corazon, and Donquixote Doflamingo was desperate to obtain it for one reason: it can grant eternal youth to a target, at the cost of the user’s life.
Here is the critical detail most fans overlook. Doflamingo did not want the operation for himself. He wanted it because he knew the Celestial Dragons once used it. His exact words during the Dressrosa arc implied that the “National Treasure of Mary Geoise” was something so powerful that, combined with the Ope Ope no Mi, would give the user authority to control the entire world.
Now fast forward to the Elbaf arc. Imu has been revealed as an entity of terrifying power, capable of erasing islands with the Mother Flame weapon and possessing a form of Haki that rivals even Monkey D. Luffy’s Gear 5 Sun God Nika transformation. But Imu has been alive since the Void Century — over 800 years ago. How?
Nefertari D. Lili: The Queen Who Vanished
Queen Nefertari D. Lili was one of the twenty founding monarchs of the World Government 800 years ago. Unlike the other nineteen who became Celestial Dragons and moved to Mary Geoise, Lili was the only one who refused the title of World Noble and attempted to return to Arabasta.
But she never made it home. She vanished completely from history.
The manga has confirmed several crucial details about Lili through chapters involving Cobra Nefertari and the Five Elders. Lili carried the initial “D.” in her name, making her a sworn enemy of the Celestial Dragons by blood. She also had access to the Poneglyphs and chose to scatter them across the world rather than allow the World Government to destroy them.
Here is where the theory gets explosive: What if Nefertari D. Lili was the user of the Ope Ope no Mi who performed the Perennial Youth Operation on Imu?
The Evidence: Why Lili Was the Immortality Surgeon
Consider the following manga evidence that supports this theory:
1. Imu’s Obsession with the Nefertari Family. During the Reverie arc, Imu was shown holding a photograph of Nefertari Vivi and cutting it with scissors while sitting on the Empty Throne. This is not random hostility. Imu’s fixation on Vivi makes perfect sense if Vivi’s ancestor, Lili, was the person who granted Imu immortality — and then betrayed them by scattering the Poneglyphs.
2. Lili’s Mysterious Disappearance. The Perennial Youth Operation kills the user. If Lili performed the surgery on Imu, her death would explain why she never returned to Arabasta. The official story that she “disappeared” could be the World Government’s cover-up for her sacrifice.
3. Doflamingo’s Knowledge. Doflamingo, as a former Celestial Dragon, knew about the National Treasure and the Ope Ope no Mi’s connection to it. He explicitly stated that the combination of these two elements could shake the world. This suggests the Celestial Dragons preserved knowledge of how Imu achieved immortality — through the Ope Ope no Mi.
4. The Giant Straw Hat. Beneath Mary Geoise lies a massive frozen straw hat. Imu visited it with clear emotional weight. If Imu knew Joy Boy during the Void Century and received immortality from one of Joy Boy’s allies (Lili carried the “D.” after all), then the straw hat represents a relic of that era — a reminder of the war Imu fought and the deal that was struck.
5. Cobra’s Assassination. When Cobra Nefertari asked the Five Elders about Lili during the Reverie, Imu personally appeared and had Cobra killed. This extreme reaction suggests Cobra was getting too close to the truth about Lili’s role in Imu’s immortality.
The Betrayal: Lili’s True Plan
Here is the most shocking part of this theory. Lili did not grant Imu immortality out of loyalty. She did it as part of a long-term strategy orchestrated by the “D.” clan.
Think about it. Lili agreed to join the twenty kings in founding the World Government. She had access to the inner sanctum. But instead of destroying the Poneglyphs as the other monarchs intended, she scattered them across the world — ensuring that future generations could eventually piece together the True History and discover what the World Government erased.
By performing the Perennial Youth Operation on Imu, Lili may have been buying time. She knew that Imu’s immortality would create a false sense of security for the World Government. But she also ensured that the Poneglyphs survived, creating the conditions for someone like Monkey D. Luffy and Nico Robin to eventually uncover the truth.
Lili sacrificed her life to make Imu immortal — but she also planted the seeds of Imu’s eventual downfall.
What This Means for Chapter 1195 and Beyond
With the One Piece manga returning on October 11, the Elbaf arc battle between Luffy’s Gear 5 Nika form and Imu is reaching its climax. If this theory is correct, several massive revelations are on the horizon:
Vivi’s Role: Nefertari Vivi, as a descendant of Lili who also carries the “D.” initial, may hold a genetic key to countering Imu’s immortality. The Perennial Youth Operation makes the target ageless, but it does not make them invincible.
Law’s Significance: Trafalgar D. Water Law’s Ope Ope no Mi may still play a crucial role. If the original Perennial Youth Operation has a weakness or can be reversed, Law might be the only person alive who can exploit it.
Scopper Gaban’s Knowledge: The recently revealed Scopper Gaban, a former member of the Roger Pirates now residing on Elbaf, likely knows fragments of this history. Roger reached Laugh Tale and learned the True History — which would include the truth about Imu’s immortality and Lili’s sacrifice.
Roronoa Zoro’s Conqueror’s Haki: Zoro’s recent awakening of Conqueror’s Haki on Elbaf may not be coincidental. With Imu representing the ultimate embodiment of tyrannical authority, Zoro’s Haki development positions him as a key combatant in the final war against the World Government.
The Endgame: Luffy vs. an Immortal God
The brilliance of Oda’s storytelling is that Imu’s immortality does not make them unbeatable — it makes the stakes impossibly personal. Luffy is not just fighting a tyrant. He is fighting someone who was made immortal through the sacrifice of a “D.” clan member, someone who then used that immortality to erase the very history that gave the “D.” clan meaning.
Every Poneglyph that Nico Robin reads, every island Luffy liberates, every alliance the Straw Hat crew forges — it all traces back to Nefertari D. Lili’s 800-year-old gambit. She died to make the tyrant immortal, but she also ensured the tyrant’s story would eventually be told.
And now, as Luffy stands on Elbaf in his Gear 5 form, channeling the spirit of Joy Boy and the will of the “D.” clan, he carries the weight of Lili’s sacrifice on his shoulders — whether he knows it or not.
What do you think about this theory? Could Nefertari D. Lili really be the one who granted Imu immortality? Or is there an even deeper twist waiting for us when Chapter 1195 drops? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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