One Piece Volume 115 was released officially in Japan on July 3, 2026. This new volume of One Piece is the longest in the entire history of the series, carrying 13 chapters stretching from One Piece chapter 1167 all the way to 1179. As is the case with every One Piece volume, Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the series, revealed a ton of new information to us, and this also included key details pertaining to Imu’s clan.
Thanks to the official release of One Piece Chapter or One Piece Volume 115 on July 3, we now know that Nerona Imu is connected to Dracule Mihawk, and this has been highlighted yet again through the latest PV released for the volume.
One Piece Volume 115 Establishes Imu And Mihawk’s Blood Connection Through Golden/Red Ringed Eyes
Every time a One Piece volume is released, Eiichiro Oda and Shueisha release a PV for it. One Piece Volume 115 was no exception, and a new official PV was released alongside the volume on July 2, 2026. This PV was officially featured on the official YouTube account of One Piece, and it showcased animated panels from all the chapters included in the volume release, and some even further back. One specific panel that stood out was from One Piece chapter 1155, released on July 21, 2025, in WSJ Issue #34, where Nerona Imu was seen showcasing his powerful, gleaming eyes.
Usually, Nerona Imu’s eyes are colored red in the One Piece Digitally Colored Edition. However, for this preview, it seems that Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the series, has changed the color tones for Imu. This time around, Nerona Imu’s eyes are shown golden, and the ringed pattern makes it look exactly like the eyes of Dracule Mihawk. Interestingly enough, the One Piece Digital Color Edition also showcases Dracule Mihawk’s eyes as red, while the anime shows them to be golden.
The man claimed to be a worshipper of Davy Jones. He knew he couldn’t do anything more, so he simply left with the words ‘Just wait. I will come back, right here.’” — Dialogue featured on the One Piece Panel showcasing Imu’s golden eyes.
Imu’s golden eye color, showcased in the Volume 115 PV officially sets up a connection, and the fact that these are the only two characters in the entire world of One Piece with golden ringed eyes makes them directly connected by blood. Mihawk is royalty, and that much has already been set up in the story. Now, with this latest piece of information by Oda himself in One Piece Volume 115, we can connect the Strongest Swordsman in the World directly to the Nerona Clan of the Celestial Dragons.
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Nerona Imu’s Sword Of Judgment: Nemesis Connects Him To The World’s Strongest Swordsman
Image created by author Rei Penber using official One Piece assets from Manga Plus and Toei Animation.
Mihawk and Imu being the only two characters in the One Piece world with this golden ringed eye pattern already is conclusive proof of their connection. What makes this even more believable is the fact that, in One Piece Chapter 1181, titled “God and Devil,” and officially released in Shueisha’s Weekly Shounen Jump Issue #22-23 on April 27, 2026, Imu unleashed a powerful sword attack called the Sword of Judgment: Nemesis. This powerful sword was made of Imu’s Maki or Omen, and the design that Imu conjured for this sword was exactly the same as Dracule Mihawk’s Yoru.
Imu: Omen is my military might. It’s a power that dwells within all living things.
Imu: Blade of Judgment: Nemesis!
Imu: People crave power. However, if the power they crave is obtained through ease, it leads to corruption.
— Nerona Imu’s explanation of Omen and usage of the Blade of Judgment, One Piece Chapter #1181
This was a clever way by Eiichiro Oda to showcase that Mihawk and Imu are related by blood. This new sword skill showcased by Imu, combined with the golden/red ringed eye pattern, officially set up a strong blood relationship between the two through the Nerona Clan.
For those who do not remember, the Nerona Clan was one of the 20 families that banded together in the battle against the Ancient Kingdom 800 years ago in the Void Century. Even though Imu ended up becoming the King, the Nerona Clan still exists in the Holy Land as one of the Founding 20.
There are many ideas pertaining to Mihawk and Imu’s blood connection, but the strongest one out of them all is that Mihawk is Imu’s very own son. This makes sense when looking at their shared eye pattern, but more than that, also the naming pattern that Oda has employed for Dracule Mihawk. The word Dracule literally translates to “Son of the Devil” in Romanian. In One Piece Chapter 1179, which was officially released on April 5, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19, Eiichiro Oda officially introduced Imu as the Devil of the World with the power of the legendary Akuma no Mi, or “The Devil’s Fruit.” If Mihawk’s name implies him to be the son of the Devil and Nerona Imu is the Devil of the World, then it is highly likely for Mihawk to be a direct blood descendant, which is further backed up by the latest reveal in One Piece Volume 115.
“My name is Dracule Mihawk! It’s way too early for you to die. Know yourself. Know the world and grow strong. However long it may take, I shall await you at the top. Strive with your whole heart and mind to best this blade. Strive to surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!” — Dracule Mihawk introduces himself, One Piece Chapter #52
Image by Toei Animation
There might be complications arising from the fact that Nerona Imu is over 800 years old, but it must be remembered that Imu is immortal and, as such, can have children at any time. With the Celestial Dragons’ habit of taking slaves often, Nerona Imu could easily have had a child recently in One Piece, and that child could very well end up being Dracule Mihawk. As we head towards the last stretch of the story following the events of Elbaf, Dracule Mihawk’s character will be expanded upon significantly, and it is in this part of the story that his connection with Nerona Imu and his clan will be explained properly.
For now, we can rest assured that these two are connected by blood, although the exact specific connection between the two will likely be elaborated by Eiichiro Oda later on in the line. As Imu continues to fight in Elbaf against Loki and Luffy, more hints about his powers, as well as his bloodline and the old battle from the Void Century, will be given to the fans. Perhaps a connection to Dracule Mihawk will also be teased here, and we absolutely cannot wait to see how Eiichiro Oda shapes this beautiful story in the future.
All the new One Piece manga chapters by creator Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
