The recent few One Piece chapters have managed to gain insurmountable tension, while simultaneously revealing more about Rocks than all the previous thousands of chapters combined. Although one of the highlights of Rocks’s entire backstory ends up being his direct confrontation against Imu in Imu’s own Room of Flowers, it manages to leave fans with a glaring question.
Imu’s existence is one of the most well-kept secrets within the series. It is further exemplified by the elimination attempt on Sabo as well as the actual death of Cobra. With Rocks confronting and leaving Imu’s chamber unscathed, it raises the question of why Imu didn’t dispose of Rocks.
Although there are many theories around their strength levels, their interaction may remain as proof of Imu’s own philosophy, while simultaneously strengthening the system that has ruled the world for centuries.
Disclaimer- This article is a speculative theory and contains spoilers for the One Piece series.
One Piece: Imu’s philosophy of power and why engaging Rocks wasn’t worth it
Imu’s decision not to kill Rocks D. Xebec, albeit confusing, might signify one of Imu’s greatest strengths. The ruler of the World Government sits before one of history’s most dangerous pirates and chooses restraint. But this choice reflects the same careful method that has kept Imu in power for centuries.
Imu’s apparent philosophy is simple. Real power works best when it stays unseen. If Imu had fought Rocks in that sacred room, the clash would have shattered the illusion of the Empty Throne. The force required to defeat Xebec would have proven Imu’s existence to the world, turning rumors into fact.
Imu’s calm in that moment also sends a message about rank. Not even looking at Rocks signals that the intruder is not a real threat, merely testing a system built to outlast figures like him. This mirrors how the World Government operates. The Gorosei, CP0, and the Marine Admirals serve as its public hands of power, while Imu remains in the shadows. Even the room itself reflects this idea.
By design or belief, it is a place where politics functions through restraint, not blood. If Imu had spilled blood there, the mystique that sustains his rule would have cracked. The Room of Flowers symbolizes governance through absence and patience over confrontation.
Furthermore, if Imu is long-lived, as many theories suggest, there is no need to rush into risky battles. Pirates like Rocks seek final clashes, immortals think in eras. In the end, time, chance, and shifting tides accomplish what a single strike might, without damaging Imu’s carefully preserved image.
The meeting also served as an opportunity to gather information. Letting Rocks speak revealed his desires, his knowledge, and his weaknesses, all while Imu remained cloaked in secrecy.
Had the standoff turned into a fight, the consequences would have reached far beyond Rocks’s death. A clash of Haki at that level would have shaken Mary Geoise itself. Whispers would have converted into shouts and slogans, with the outcome being Imu’s exposure to the world.
Seen in this light, Imu’s restraint becomes the most aggressive move. It denied Rocks the expected script of a duel and replaced it with Imu’s terms. Invisibility as a rule, deniability as a shield, patience as a weapon. The system endures because it remains consistent at every level. The chamber stays unsullied, the myth stays intact, and the proxies remain the public face.
Rocks entered expecting confrontation. Imu, however, stayed true to his philosophy of invisibility. Imu’s continued rule through the eras of both Roger and Rocks proves the strength of the system constructed around this philosophy.
From all the characteristics that have remained consistent with Imu, it can be justifiably inferred that Rocks walked away alive simply because he was unable to topple the system that has governed the One Piece world for nearly a millennium.
Final Thoughts
One Piece chapter 1158 will be released on August 31, 2025, and will be available to read on Shueisha’s MANGA Plus platform. Since the Gorosei have now instructed Harald to eliminate Rocks, future chapters may unveil the exact sequence of events that led to the God Valley incident and Harald’s eventual death.
