Chapter 1181 of One Piece reveals the friendship between Joyboy and Imu

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As a huge One Piece fan, I was completely shocked seeing Imu take out so many strong characters! Now, in chapter 1181, he’s going up against Loki, and it’s not just a fight – he’s actually dropping some new info about Joyboy while they’re at it. It’s like he wants to show off how much he knows, and it’s seriously raising the stakes!

The latest developments in the One Piece story have taken a dramatic turn as the main villain, the giant Saint Nerona Imu, has entered the fray. Realizing his God Knights weren’t strong enough to defeat Luffy and his crew, Imu has decided to fight personally. Calling himself the ‘King of the World,’ he’s now unleashing a powerful, ancient force against his enemies.

The villain effortlessly blocks Zoro’s strongest attack and quickly defeats Sanji, sending both pirates flying and easily slicing through the giants. However, when facing Loki, the battle seems poised to reveal more about the mystery of Joyboy, based on early looks at chapter 1181 of One Piece.

Warning: the rest of this article contains spoilers for chapter 1181 of One Piece.

In chapter 1181 of One Piece, we discover that Imu was close to Joyboy in the past

In One Piece chapter 1181, during a battle with Loki and amidst powerful attacks, Imu surprisingly suggests a past connection with Joy Boy, which throws many fan theories into doubt.

During a battle with Loki, the villain discusses human desires and flaws, claiming that real happiness comes from having power over others. Simultaneously, a quick flashback reveals Imu interacting with Joyboy. They seem friendly and close – Joyboy is shown laughing and speaking to Imu without any hostility.

Interestingly, in chapter 1181 of One Piece, both Imu and the other character are shown only as shadows. This suggests that the antagonist’s true appearance might be quite different from how he looks when using his Devil Fruit powers.

Although the characters seemed friendly in the short flashback, something clearly happened to damage their relationship. Right after the vision, Imu becomes incredibly angry, finishing a rant to Loki with a furious shout of “No way, Joyboy!” His face twisted with rage and his jaw dropped, implying that just one incident was enough to end their friendship.

Loki’s dragon form brings back memories too, but it’s unclear if they’re happy or sad. Even while recovering from a tough fight at the end of chapter 1181, he smiles when he sees Nidhogg, almost as if he’s glad to see him back.

Imu immediately recognized Luffy and Loki’s powerful transformations, identifying them with the names of ancient Devil Fruit users. This reinforced his belief that they were connected to significant figures from the long-lost Void Century. In fact, their resistance to his Domi Reversi during their first encounter was what ultimately led him to decide to travel to Elbaf.

We believe the villain has a shared past with the two main heroes. Considering what happened in the flashbacks and Imu’s angry reaction in One Piece chapter 1181, it seems they were once friends before something went wrong. It’s unclear whether existing problems caused the falling out, or if their disagreements actually created those problems.

Now that One Piece is nearing its end and Imu has finally shown up, we can expect a flashback that explains her history and how she’s connected to characters like Nidhogg and Joyboy. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a bit, as there’s a break before the next chapters of the manga are released.

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2026-04-24 12:20