Oda Sets Up The Next King Of The World After Imu

The Loki flashback of One Piece, which also featured God Valley, is currently still ongoing in the One Piece manga and has been quite incredible so far. The God Valley Incident, especially, was long-awaited, having been teased by Eiichiro Oda around 6 years ago first. This stretch of the manga has been delivering not just in action, but also in terms of lore. Through Rocks D. Xebec and Imu, Oda revealed major information to the fans about the Void Century, specifically about the previous King of the World, Davy D. Jones.

This major reveal, coupled with what Egghead gave the fans, sets up Blackbeard’s end goal, which is to become the new King of the World and fulfill the Will of Davy. For him to become King, Imu has to go down, making Blackbeard potentially the true final villain of One Piece.

Blackbeard Is The Future King of the World In One Piece

Rocks Confirmed Davy Jones Was King In The Past

Blackbeard wants to fulfill the Will of Davy

His goal is to reach the top

During the Reverie arc of One Piece, Oda made an absolutely massive reveal around 8 years — the One Piece world was revealed to have a secret ruler, controlling everything from the shadows. This ruler was none other than Saint Imu Nerona. Imu remains a huge mystery still, but Oda has made it quite clear in the story that Imu wasn’t always the King. During the Void Century, or even before it, the King of the World was Davy D. Jones. Somehow, however, he was usurped and replaced by Imu.

Ever since then, it seems that some descendants of Davy D. Jones have set out to reclaim their throne. Rocks D. Xebec wanted to do just that, but failed and died on God Valley. Now, it’s up to Blackbeard to fulfill the Will of Davy and become the next King. In the Egghead arc, Oda revealed Blackbeard’s intentions, and he wants to become the King, just like Rocks. This flashback cements his goals even more.

Blackbeard Might Truly Be One Piece’s Real Final Villain

Imu Has To Fall For Blackbeard To Become King

Before Imu’s introduction, every fan of the story agreed that Blackbeard would be One Piece’s final villain. However, with Imu entering the story, fans are now split. Imu is the current strongest of the story, and the Elbaf mural hints at the final battle to come against them. However, the truth is, Blackbeard might still be the final villain of the series.

After all, to become King of the World, Imu must first be defeated. Only after that can Blackbeard reach his full potential and become the final villain of the One Piece world. Luffy and the others can’t let Blackbeard cause chaos and become the next Imu, so he too will have to be defeated.

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece will be on break next week. One Piece Chapter 1166 will be out in two weeks. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1166 is November 23, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.