One Piece Shakes the Status Quo With a Crucial Villain’s Death

One Piece likes to keep fans on its toes, and the series has done so since it went live in the ’90s. Creator Eiichiro Oda has crafted an expansive world with the Straw Hat crew at the helm, and while Luffy has met many allies, he has just as many enemies. It feels like ages ago that Oda brought Luffy’s biggest enemies to life with Imu and the Five Elders. And in the wake of a cliffhanger, One Piece has shaken the status quo by killing a key member of the Five Elders.

The whole ordeal went down this week as One Piece posted chapter 1125, and the chapter acts as a close for Egghead Island. The Straw Hat crew has escaped, and thanks to some quick thinking, the Vegapunk clones were able to secure their creator’s work. Saint Jaygarcia Saturn is left to survey the mess left by the failed Buster Call, but he doesn’t get long to do so.

After all, Imu wants answers, and the mysterious ruler is not interested in mercy. He is able to remotely kill Saturn, and the Five Elder is replaced immediately by Figarland Garling.

Why Was Saturn Killed?

As you can imagine, the death of Saturn left readers stunned as it capped the chapter, but One Piece loves to surprise. The Five Elders were welcomed to the manga as an almost untouchable army that worked for Imu directly, but even the most powerful of Devil Fruit users can die. Saturn wasn’t defeated by Luffy or anyone who sided with Vegapunk during the Egghead Island arc. Saturn was killed by Imu, so that goes to show what kind of power the shadowy figure wields.

The Five Elders are held to a strict code, and clearly, Imu doesn’t accept any kind of failure. Saturn was killed for the simple sin of letting Joyboy escape. No mercy was given by Imu, and the rest of the Five Elders accepted the man’s replacement when Figarland Garling was promoted. There is no doubt the Five Elders as an organization is ruthless, and the men will all get their chance at battle before One Piece wraps.

What Is Next for the Five Elders?

With Saturn dead and replaced by Garling, all eyes are on the future of the Five Elders. The group consists of powerful World Nobles who do whatever is bid by Imu. We know very little about the latter leader save for their obsession with Joyboy. Imu is also connected to the time before the Void Century and wants to keep the world’s true history at bay. That history is said to be part of Gol D. Roger’s fabled treasure, so Imu is determined to keep the one piece hidden, and that means the Five Elders feel similarly.

We know the Straw Hat crew will continue its travels to Laugh’s Tale, the place where the one piece is said to exist. You can bet the World Government is also hunting for the location, and the Five Elders will be hunting for Luffy every step of the way. The pirate presents a problem on two fronts: his interest in Laugh’s Tale and his tie to Joyboy. As the One Piece manga moves forward, Imu will no doubt send the Five Elders to Luffy in a bid to defeat him. And if they should fail, well – the Five Elders saw what happened to Saturn.

What do you think about this One Piece cliffhanger? Did you expect the manga to kill off a member of the Five Elders? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.