a piece Volume 115 was officially released on July 3, 2026 in Japan. This new version a piece It is the longest in the entire history of the series, spanning 13 chapters from One Piece chapter 1167 to 1179. As with every single episode, series creator Eiichiro Oda revealed a lot of new information to us, and this includes key details related to Imu's claims.
Thanks for the official release a piece Chapter or a piece In volume 115 on July 3rd, we now know that Nerona Emu Dracul is connected to Mihawk, and this is highlighted again through the latest PV released for the volume.
One Piece Volume 115 establishes Imu and Mihawk's blood connection through eyes with golden/red circles
Every time a a piece volume is released, Eiichiro Oda and Shueisha release a PV for it. a piece Volume 115 was no exception, and a new official PV was released alongside the volume on July 2, 2026. This PV was officially featured on One Piece's official YouTube account, and it showcased animated panels from all the chapters included in the volume release, and some even further back. One particular panel that stood out a piece Chapter 1155, released in WSJ Issue #34 on July 21, 2025, featured Nerona Emu showing off her powerful, glowing eyes.
Normally, Nerona emu's eyes are red in color a piece Digital color version. However, for this preview, it appears that series creator Eiichiro Oda has changed the color tone for Imu. This time, Nerona Emu's eyes are shown to be golden, and the ringed pattern makes it look like Dracula Mihawk's eyes. Interestingly, the a piece Digital Color Edition shows Dracula Mihawk's eyes to be red, while the anime shows them to be golden.
The man claimed to be a Davy Jones worshiper. He knew there was nothing else he could do, so he left with the words, 'Just wait.' I'll be back right here.'' – Illustrated dialogue in a One Piece panel showing Emu's golden eyes.
Imu's golden eye color, shown in the volume 115 PV officially sets up the connection, and the fact that these two characters are the only ones in the world. a piece A golden ringed eye connects them directly by blood. Mihawk is royalty, and that's already been set up in the story. Now, with this latest piece of information by Oda himself a piece Volume 115, we can connect the World's Strongest Swordsman with the Nerona Clan of Celestial Dragons.
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Nerona Emu's Sword of Justice: Nemesis joins her with the strongest swordsman in the world
Mihak and Emu are the only two characters a piece The world with this golden ringed eye pattern is already conclusive proof of their connection. What makes it even more believable is the fact that, in a piece Chapter 1181, titled “God and Devil,” and officially released in Shuisha's Weekly Shonen Jump issues #22-23 on April 27, 2026, Emu unleashes a powerful sword attack called Sword of Justice: Nemesis. This powerful sword was made from Emu's Maki or Omen, and the design Emu designed for this sword was similar to Dracul Mihawk's Yoru.
Emu: Omen is my military power. It is a force that resides in all living things.
Emu: Blade of Justice: Nemesis!
Emu: People want power. However, if they get the power they want easily, it leads to corruption.
– Nerona Emu's explanation of the Omen and the use of the Blade of Judgment, One Piece Chapter #1181
It was a clever way by Eiichiro Oda to show that Mihawk and Imu are related by blood. This new sword skill demonstrated by Emu, combined with the golden/red ringed eye pattern, officially established a strong blood relationship between the two through the Nerona Clan.
For those who don't remember, the Nerona Clan was one of the 20 families that banded together in a fight against the Ancient Kingdom in the Zero Century 800 years ago. Although Emu became king, the Nerona clan still exists in the Holy Land as one of the founding 20.
There are many theories about Mihawk and Imu's blood relationship, but one of the strongest of them all is that Mihawk is Imu's own son. This makes sense given their shared eye pattern, but even more so, the naming pattern Oda used for Dracul Mihawk. The word Dracul literally means “son of the devil” in Romanian. In One Piece Chapter 1179, which was officially released on April 5, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump issue #19, Ichiro Oda officially introduced Emu as the devil of the world through the power of the legendary Akuma no Mi, or “The Devil's Fruit”. If Mihak's name indicates that he is the son of Satan and Nerona is the devil of the Emu world, it is very likely that Mihak is a direct blood descendant, which is further supported by the latest revelation in One Piece Volume 115.
“My name is Dracul Mihawk! It is too soon for you to die. Know yourself. Know the world and be strong. However long it may take, I will wait for you at the top. Try with all your heart and mind to excel this blade. Try to surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!” — Drecul Mihawk introduces himself, One Piece Chapter #52
There may be complications arising from the fact that the Nerona emu is over 800 years old, but it must be remembered that the emu is immortal and thus, can have a baby at any time. Due to the Celestial Dragon's frequent slave-taking habits, Nerona Emu could have just given birth. a pieceAnd that kid could very well be Dracul Mihawk. As we move into the final part of the story following the events of Elbaf, the character of Dracul Mihawk will be significantly expanded, and it is in this part of the story that his relationship with Nerona Emu and his clan will be properly explained.
For now, we can rest assured that these two are connected by blood, although the exact specific relationship between the two will be elaborated on later down the line by Eiichiro Oda. As Emu continues to fight against Loki and Luffy in Elbaf, fans will be given more hints about his powers as well as his bloodline and the old battle of the Zero Century. Maybe Dracula's relationship with Mihawk will be teased here as well, and we can't wait to see how Eiichiro Oda shapes this beautiful story in the future.
All new One Piece manga chapters by creator Eiichiro Oda are available to read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.
