u/DueBlock3454

People are overhyping Imu way too hard and ignoring what Usopp actually represents in the story.

I genuinely think there’s a real chance Usopp lands the final hit or straight up one shots Imu.

Not because he’s “stronger” in the normal shonen powerscaling sense, but because One Piece has NEVER been about raw power alone. The entire series is built around inherited will, symbolism, dreams, fear, stories, and irony. Usopp embodies literally all of those themes more than almost any character in the manga.

Imu meanwhile barely even exists as a character right now. 1000+ chapters in and what do we actually know? Shadow silhouette. Empty throne. Generic “secret king” setup. People are acting like Imu is some deep mastermind already when the character currently has less emotional depth than random East Blue villains.

Usopp on the other hand has had continuous development since Syrup Village. His whole character is about turning lies into reality. Oda repeats this over and over again. Giant goldfish. Giant mole. Conqueror-type moments by accident. Followers. God Usopp. Every joke eventually manifests into truth somehow.

So what happens if Usopp says something insane like:

“I can defeat even the ruler of the world.”

That’s literally the exact kind of thing Oda would turn into reality later.

And thematically it makes way more sense than another giant haki punch from Luffy. Luffy defeating the World Government is obvious. Usopp overcoming the literal embodiment of fear and oppression despite being terrified himself is actual character payoff.

People forget Usopp’s dream is becoming a brave warrior of the sea. Bravery is NOT being fearless. It’s standing up anyway while knowing you’re outmatched.

Imagine the final war:

Everyone else is down.

Imu looks untouchable.

Even the strongest characters can’t approach.

Then the weakest Straw Hat, the biggest coward in the series, stands up shaking and fires one impossible shot.

That is peak One Piece.

Not another “my haki is bigger” clash.

And honestly? If Oda really wants to complete the “lies become truth” theme, Usopp defeating the king of the world with a single shot sounds exactly like the kind of absurd thing he’d do.

Random thought but what if the reason Imu stays hidden isn’t because they’re the strongest person alive, but because they’re actually a coward?

Everybody assumes final villain = strongest fighter, but One Piece has never really worked like that. Half the people with the most power in the world are frauds hiding behind status, fear, or other people doing the work for them.

And the reason I think this connects to Usopp is because Oda keeps making his lies come true.

Usopp lies about having followers -> gets followers

Lies about being a great warrior -> slowly becoming one

Lies about being a god -> literally worshipped in Dressrosa

Lies constantly to survive -> those lies somehow become reality later

So what if one of the biggest reveals in the series is that the “king of the world” is exactly the type of person Usopp used to pretend NOT to be? Someone terrified. Someone hiding behind other people. Someone who rules from shadows because they’re scared of the truth coming out.

Imu has the Gorosei, Marines, Cipher Pol, ancient weapons, literally the whole system protecting them. That honestly doesn’t feel like confidence to me. If they were truly unstoppable why even hide? Why erase islands? Why remove history? Why sit in a dark room alone instead of ruling openly?

I actually think it would fit the story more if Imu is emotionally weak rather than physically unbeatable.

And it would be perfect if the biggest coward in the world ends up exposed by the guy everyone laughs at for being a coward.

People complain that he’s still scared after all this time, but that’s literally the entire point of his character. If Usopp was already fearless and brave right now, then his character arc would basically already be finished.

Usopp’s dream isn’t to become the strongest. It’s to become a brave warrior of the sea.

And bravery does NOT mean never feeling fear. Real bravery is being terrified and still standing up anyway.

That’s why I think his true moment has to happen near the end of the series when Luffy finally becomes Pirate King. Every Straw Hat achieves their dream at the end:

* Zoro becomes the world’s strongest swordsman

* Sanji finds the All Blue

* Robin learns the true history

* Nami maps the world

So why do people expect Usopp to complete his dream halfway through the story?

If Oda suddenly made Usopp fearless now, it would completely defeat the purpose of everything he’s been building toward for 1000+ chapters. His entire journey is about slowly becoming brave despite his fear, not magically turning into a different person overnight.

Honestly, I think the fact he’s still scared makes his big future moment hit even harder when it finally happens.

The reason Usopp will probably have one of the best endgame moments in One Piece is because he’s the only Straw Hat who keeps moving forward despite being genuinely terrified.

I can absolutely see him standing against Imu in the final war knowing full well he’ll probably lose. And somehow, that would make him braver than almost anyone else in the series.

Usopp haters are going to regret everything by the end of One Piece because they completely misunderstand what Oda means by “brave warrior.”

People think bravery means being fearless like Zoro or reckless like Luffy.

That’s NOT Usopp’s dream.

Usopp’s dream was NEVER “becoming the strongest man.” His dream is becoming a brave warrior of the sea.

And the entire point of his character is that bravery only matters when you ARE afraid.

Zoro walking into danger isn’t shocking anymore. Luffy laughing at death isn’t shocking anymore. They’re built different.

But Usopp?

Usopp is terrified EVERY SINGLE TIME and still stands up anyway.

That’s actual courage.

And Oda keeps hammering this point over and over.

* Alabasta: broken body, still fights for Luffy’s dream

* Enies Lobby: declares war on the World Government despite shaking in fear

* Thriller Bark: fights Perona because only he can

* Dressrosa: literally tries to run, then turns around to save people anyway

* Wano: says survival matters because living gives you another chance to fight

People clown him because they compare him to monsters.

But that’s exactly WHY his dream matters more.

And here’s the thing nobody talks about:

If Luffy becomes Pirate King, EVERY Straw Hat must achieve their dream too. That’s the narrative contract of the story.

* Zoro WILL become the strongest swordsman

* Sanji WILL find the All Blue

* Robin WILL learn the true history

* Nami WILL map the world

So why do people think Usopp’s dream is the only one that won’t happen?

Oda is absolutely building toward Usopp becoming one of the bravest warriors in history.

Not because he suddenly stops being scared.

But because he’ll keep fighting even when he IS scared.

That’s the entire point of his character arc.

And honestly? By the end of the story, I think Usopp will be remembered more than most “strong” characters.

Because normal people in the One Piece world can’t relate to monsters like Kaido or Mihawk.

But they CAN relate to a weak, terrified guy who kept standing up against impossible odds beside the future Pirate King.

That’s why Usopp’s story hits harder.

Every coward in the One Piece world will see themselves in him.

And when the final war happens, I genuinely think the biggest emotional payoff in the series will be everyone realizing the coward of the crew became a legendary warrior anyway.

Usopp haters are reading the story backwards.

His fear is not proof he’ll fail.

His fear is proof he’s already brave.

Hot take: Usopp is intentionally nerfing himself because he already knows too much.

I think Usopp unlocked absurd Observation Haki as a child and his constant cowardice is actually his brain protecting him from information overload.

Hear me out.

Observation Haki is not just “seeing attacks.” Rayleigh literally explained it as sensing presence, emotion, intent, and voices. The stronger it becomes, the more awareness you gain.

Now look at Usopp’s personality.

He panics BEFORE danger arrives constantly. Everyone treats it like a gag, but what if he’s genuinely sensing catastrophic outcomes before anyone else? Imagine constantly feeling death, betrayal, monsters, war, and incoming danger around you 24/7 while nobody else notices.

That would turn anyone into a nervous wreck.

And here’s where it gets insane:

Usopp has NEVER had normal intuition.

He instantly reads people better than most of the crew. He knew Merry was “alive” before anyone accepted it. He can adapt to opponents with ridiculous speed despite supposedly being weak. His lies are weirdly specific. And whenever the crew is heading toward disaster, Usopp is usually the FIRST person terrified.

Almost like his haki is screaming at him.

Now connect that to Imu.

I think Imu’s real ability has something to do with erasing presence itself. Not just physically destroying islands — removing things from human perception and memory. The Void Century wasn’t hidden with brute force alone. It was hidden cognitively.

That’s why nobody questions the gaps.

Except Usopp.

Because his Observation Haki bypasses the “filter.”

That’s why Oda keeps making him connected to absurd coincidences and forbidden truths. He’s accidentally resistant to the World Government’s greatest weapon.

And the biggest clue?

Usopp’s goggles.

Oda constantly emphasizes vision with him. Telescopes, scopes, binoculars, aiming, eyesight, observation. Meanwhile Luffy closes his eyes and charges forward. Usopp WATCHES.

He is literally the perspective character of fear and awareness.

I think in the final saga Imu is going to realize Usopp can perceive their true form even when nobody else can. Not because he’s physically stronger than the top tiers, but because his haki operates on an entirely different wavelength.

Everyone will expect Luffy vs Imu.

But the real shock moment will be Imu looking directly at Usopp in fear for the first time.

Because Usopp can SEE them.

People keep laughing at Usopp because Oda hides his importance behind comedy, but I genuinely think Imu is TERRIFIED of him specifically.

Not Luffy. Not Dragon. Not Shanks.

Usopp.

And the reason is Observation Haki.

Think about it. Usopp is the ONLY Straw Hat whose lies literally become reality over time. That’s not a gag anymore. Oda has repeated it too many times for it to be coincidence. Giants, giant goldfish, ancient kingdoms, diseases, impossible islands — his “lies” keep manifesting years later.

What if that’s because Usopp’s Observation Haki is so advanced he subconsciously sees fragments of the future and interprets them as imagination?

Everybody talks about Future Sight, but what if Usopp has something ABOVE Future Sight? Instead of seeing seconds ahead, he sees POSSIBILITY itself.

That would explain Dressrosa too. His haki awakening wasn’t normal. He literally sniped Sugar across an entire country without direct sight while under extreme pressure. The anime makes it look comedic, but from a lore perspective it’s horrifying. He locked onto an aura from kilometers away through buildings and terrain with zero training.

And now think about Imu.

Imu erased islands from history. The World Government fears information more than power. Why? Because the biggest threat to them is someone who can “see” the truth hidden from the world.

Usopp’s entire character revolves around uncovering truth through lies.

Notice how every major cowardice moment from Usopp ends with him accidentally exposing reality. That’s why I think Imu fears him more than Luffy. Luffy brings freedom, but Usopp brings revelation.

There’s also the God Usopp scene. Everyone says it’s a meme, but Oda LOVES hiding important titles behind jokes. Buggy failing upward became real. “God” Usopp being a joke now does not mean it stays a joke later.

I think the final war is going to reveal Usopp’s Observation Haki has evolved into something mythical — the ability to perceive the “true form” of the world hidden beneath the Void Century propaganda.

And the wildest part?

Usopp still thinks he’s weak.

That’s exactly why he’s dangerous.

Imu can predict conquerors. Imu can monitor emperors. But someone whose power manifests through imagination, lies, fear, and impossible luck? That’s unpredictable.

The World Government fears Nika because he brings liberation.

They fear Usopp because he exposes reality itself.