Gol D. Roger Sparked the Great Pirate Era to Stop Imu — The Hidden Plan to Save the World

One Piece Chapter 1163 spoilers are out, and they sparked a pretty wild theory that actually makes a lot of sense once you connect the dots. It ties Gol D. Roger lighting the fuse on the Great Pirate Era to Imu’s creepy new power, and why the world didn’t fall under one shadowy ruler a long time ago.

Spoiler alert: This digs into One Piece Chapter 1163 spoilers.

The short version

Fans are chewing on a new idea: Imu’s big move, Domi Reversi, only works on people when they’re in their homeland. If that’s true, Roger’s decision to kick off the Great Pirate Era wasn’t just about adventure. It was a strategic mess-making that pushed the strongest people off their home islands, limiting Imu’s ability to steamroll the world.

Where this is coming from

Per the 1163 spoilers, Imu used Domi Reversi on Xebec during the God Valley Incident. That set off a debate: if Imu and Xebec crossed paths before, why wait until God Valley to pull the trigger? The working theory is that God Valley was Xebec’s homeland, so that’s when Domi Reversi could actually stick. The technique invades an island by turning locals into demons, but it only works if the island is home turf for the targets.

So why would Roger start the Great Pirate Era?

If Roger learned about Domi Reversi after finding the One Piece (and understood it was Imu’s ace), the logic tracks: unleash an era of chaos that encourages heavy hitters to leave home and stay mobile. You don’t let the hidden ruler of the world turn you and your people into contracts-from-the-abyss demons if you’re not even on your home island to begin with.

What Domi Reversi seems to do (so far)

• Transforms people into demons using some abyssal power, tied to a contract that costs the victim part of their lifespan.
• Appears to require the victims to be on their homeland for the transformation to work.
• In the current Elbaph storyline, Imu targets giants on Elbaph (their home) and turns them, not outsiders.
• In the God Valley flashback, Imu transforms members of the Davy Clan, because they’re on their home ground.
• Chapter 1163 spoilers say Imu used Domi Reversi on Xebec at God Valley, reinforcing the 'home turf' rule.

The loophole that could break Imu

If the homeland restriction is real, it’s a huge crack in the armor. Elbaph isn’t Luffy’s home, which gives him room to fight Imu directly or at least protect others from getting turned. If Domi Reversi is Imu’s strongest card (and right now it sure looks like it), Oda doesn’t need to hand him another superpower for the final war. Luffy just needs to play the board right and exploit the rule.

Yes, this theory has holes

It’s compelling, but it’s not airtight. Oda will have to explain why and how this homeland condition works without tripping over past events. Still, as a piece of deep-cut series lore, it gives a clean reason for Roger’s infamous announcement and sets up a very specific path to beating the big bad.

What to watch next

The upcoming chapter should clarify some of this, or we get answers when Imu and Luffy finally collide in Elbaph. Either way, if the homeland rule holds, Imu’s empire-building plan has a built-in failure point—by design or by Roger’s chaos engineering.

Do you think Imu’s hiding an even nastier trick, or is Domi Reversi the top of his pyramid?

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media.