Summary
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The Holy Knights are some of the most powerful charactersin the world ofOne Pieceand they are taking a very important role in the Final Saga already. As fans know, the Holy Knights are the main antagonists of the Elbaf arc, and their goal is to get the Elbaf Giants to submit to the World Government.
However, it certainly won’t be easy for them to do so. Thankfully for them, their immortality, which helps them recover from any and all injuries certainly helps tip the balance in their favor. That said, it is only a matter of time before their true weaknesses are exposed in One Piece, and Oda might have already revealed the secret behind their immortality.
The Immortality Of The Holy Knights And The Five Elders
In the Egghead arc, fans finally got a good look at the Five Elders in action, and it goes without saying that they’re fearsome beasts in combat. What makes them even more formidable is the fact that they all have regeneration and have been alive for hundreds of years.The Five Elders are monsters in their own rightand Egghead showed the fans just that. In comparison, fans expected the Holy Knights to be somewhat more beatable, but Oda surprised everyone when he revealed Gunko to have the power of regeneration as well. Of course, just like Gunko, the other members of the Holy Knights have access to this regeneration as well, which makes things harder for the Straw Hat Pirates against them in Elbaf.
She’s regenerating? That’s creepy even though I felt bad for her. — Usopp
Unlike Egghead, the Straw Hat Pirates absolutely cannot run away from Elbaf and this time around, they will have to figure out a way to counter the immortality of the group. This is precisely what the next few chapters of One Piece will be focused on, and it is only a matter of time before its true weakness is revealed.
The Secret Behind The Immortality Is None Other Than Imu
Imu’s Powers Are Passed On To Others
Fans might be wondering as to what the source ofthis immortality of the Five Eldersand the Holy Knights is. The answer couldn’t be more obvious. The immortal and the regeneration of the Holy Knights and the Five Elders comes directly from Saint Imu, the ruler of the world ofOne Piece. Imu holds tremendous power and fans know that they are immortal. This was implied by Oda directly through Ivankov, who stated that Imu might have gotten the Perennial Youth Surgery done on them in the past and attained immortality. But, that still doesn’t explain why the Holy Knights and the Five Elders are immortal.
The Abyss won’t let people who aren’t marked pass through. — The Holy Knights
The truth behind this lies directly with the ability that Imu holds. Imu can bestow powers on others, and this has already been confirmed in the story. For instance, Imu holds the power of the Aro Aro no Mi, as seen when he attacked Sabo and Cobra with its powers. However, in Elbaf,the Aro Aro no Mi is in possession of Gunko. Similarly, fans already know that Imu could take away the regeneration and immortality of Saint Saturn, who then ended up turning into a skeleton at the end of Egghead. Imu also seems to have given the Abyss to their followers. All this is to say that the regeneration comes directly from the Abyss, and it is there because Imu can bestow their own abilities to others freely and take them away when they want.
The Counter To Immortality Of The Holy Knights
There is only one counter that fans know of so far when it comes to this immortality, and that is Conqueror’s Haki of a very high level. It can easily cancel outthe powers of the Holy Knightsand the Elders. More than that, seawater and Sea Prism Stone should theoretically also work to cancel this ability out. But, it could also be countered by removing the Abyss. For instance, if the Abyss is erased, perhaps, the immorality wears off.
Or, if the Holy Knights are prevented from entering the Abyss, then they can be damaged.
One Piece chapter 1146 will be out very soon, later this week. As usual, One Piece is going to drop on the upcoming Sunday. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday. However, the vast majority of international readers will see the chapter available on April 20. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1146 is Jun 28, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free onManga Plus.
