One Piece Volume 115 Is Series’ Longest, Adds a New Nerona Imu Clan Member
One Piece Volume 115 officially hit Japan on July 3, 2026, and it’s already making waves for a pretty rare reason: it’s the longest volume in the series’ history. The release spans 13 chapters, covering One Piece chapters 1167 through 1179. As with every volume, Eiichiro Oda and Shueisha included fresh material via a new promotional video—and this time, it also doubles down on crucial details tied to Imu’s lineage.
With the official release of One Piece Chapter 1167 through 1179 as part of Volume 115, fans also got another confirmation point in the ongoing Imu and Mihawk discussion. The latest PV associated with the volume highlights that Nerona Imu is connected to Dracule Mihawk, tying them together in a way that goes beyond just shared symbolism.
One Piece Volume 115 PV Turns Imu’s Eyes Golden—And Mirrors Dracule Mihawk’s Ringed Pattern
Every One Piece volume release comes with a dedicated PV, and Volume 115 followed that pattern. A new official trailer for the volume dropped on July 2, 2026. It was posted on the official One Piece YouTube channel and compiles animated panels pulled from the chapters included in the release, with some imagery reaching even further back than the volume’s main chapter range.
One panel in particular drew immediate attention: a shot from One Piece chapter 1155, which originally released on July 21, 2025 in WSJ Issue #34. In that moment, Nerona Imu is shown displaying his striking, luminous eyes.
In the One Piece Digitally Colored Edition, Imu’s eyes are typically red. However, the Volume 115 preview appears to shift the tone—this time, Imu’s eyes are rendered golden. Even more notable is the ringed pattern: it resembles the eye design fans associate with Dracule Mihawk. The One Piece Digitally Colored Edition still shows Mihawk’s eyes as red, while the anime presentation renders them golden, making this PV’s golden look feel like a deliberate visual emphasis.
“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 shown on the One Piece panel featuring Imu’s golden eyes.
The PV’s golden, ringed-eye presentation is positioned as a setup for a blood connection. It also matters that, across the One Piece world, only two characters are depicted with golden ringed eyes in this specific way: Nerona Imu and Dracule Mihawk. With Mihawk already established as royalty within the story, Oda’s Volume 115 reveal gives fans a new thread to pull—linking Mihawk directly to Nerona’s clan among the Celestial Dragons.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hat Pirates’ long search continues: they’re still waiting on their final member, the one positioned to wield the power of God after Elbaf.
Nerona Imu’s Sword of Judgment: Nemesis Reinforces the Mihawk Connection
Having the same unique golden ringed eye pattern is treated here as strong evidence on its own, but the case gets even more convincing thanks to a later chapter detail. In One Piece Chapter 1181, titled “God and Devil,” Imu unleashes a major sword technique: Sword of Judgment: Nemesis. That chapter was released in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issues #22–23 on April 27, 2026.
The attack is portrayed as being forged from Imu’s Maki, or Omen. Even the weapon’s design lines up with Mihawk’s established look—Imu’s conjured sword is said to match the appearance of 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 the use of Blade of Judgment, as featured in One Piece Chapter #1181
Oda’s choice to align both the golden ringed eyes and the visual design of Imu’s blade with Mihawk is framed as a deliberate storytelling move. Together, the eye pattern and the sword technique are presented as official groundwork for a blood relationship between Imu—specifically the Nerona clan—and Mihawk.
For context, the Nerona Clan was one of the twenty families that joined forces in the fight against the Ancient Kingdom during the Void Century, 800 years in the past. Even though Imu ultimately became the King, the Nerona Clan still exists within the Holy Land and remains one of the Founding Twenty.
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How Mihawk and Imu Might Be Related
There are multiple theories floating around about how Mihawk and Imu connect by blood, but the strongest idea highlighted here claims that Mihawk is Imu’s son. The shared eye motif supports that claim, but the naming logic is treated as equally important.
The name “Dracule” is described as translating to “Son of the Devil” in Romanian. In One Piece Chapter 1179—released on April 5, 2026 in Weekly Shonen Jump issue #19—Oda introduced Imu as the Devil of the World, tied to the legendary Akuma no Mi, or “The Devil’s Fruit.” If Mihawk’s name points to the son of the Devil and Imu is framed as the Devil of the World, then it’s suggested that Mihawk is likely a direct blood descendant. That interpretation is further reinforced by the latest information included in 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 in One Piece Chapter #52
One potential complication is that Nerona Imu is more than 800 years old. Still, the argument counters that Imu is immortal, meaning children could be possible at any time. With the Celestial Dragons’ history of taking slaves, it’s suggested Imu could have had a child more recently, and that child could very well be Dracule Mihawk.
As the story moves deeper into its final stretch after Elbaf, the expectation is that Mihawk’s role will expand substantially. That’s where his relationship to Nerona Imu and his clan is expected to be explained more clearly.
Looking Ahead: More Imu Clues During Elbaf
For now, the takeaway is that the two are connected by blood, even if the exact specifics of the relationship may not be fully spelled out yet. As Imu keeps fighting in Elbaf against Loki and Luffy, additional hints about Imu’s abilities, his bloodline, and the earlier Void Century conflict are expected to surface for the fans. There’s also the possibility that Mihawk’s connection will be teased further in this same stretch of the story.
All the new One Piece manga chapters by creator Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
