Gorosei's apparent immortality may be simpler than One Piece fans think
The Gorosei's immortality might be one of the biggest mysteries in One Piece, in addition to how their existence contradicts that of normal human beings. In their yokai forms, as showcased on Egghead Island, these creatures regenerated from fatal injuries as if they were nothing. So, what could be the secret behind them having healing capabilities close to that of an immortal creature?
The secret might lie in their relationship with Imu and how they could be granted powers from the World Government leader. Their yokai forms, in which the Gorosei were immortal, might be husks formed by Imu's powers (as indicated by their injuries after JoyBoy's Haki blast).
Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the One Piece manga series and has the author's opinion.
One Piece: Exploring the reason behind the Gorosei's immortality
During the Egghead Incident on Egghead Island, the Gorosei wreaked havoc in hopes of stopping Vegapunk's stream. It all started with Saint Saturn invading the island with Kizaru and some Marine officers. As expected, he killed Vegapunk but this was the last of his worries as the death of the scientist triggered the start of a stream.
This stream would reveal the truth of the world and Saint Saturn had no choice but to summon the rest of the Gorosei to take care of this issue. Therefore, he summoned the other Elders using a magic circle. The Five Elders were then showcased in a double spread as they started wreaking havoc and kept looking for a way to stop Gorosei's stream before it started.
However, the Gorosei were interrupted by Luffy and the Giants who kept injuring them. However, as fatal as these injuries might be, the Gorosei kept healing from them. So, what could be the reason behind their immortality? First, let's see what happened at the end of this incident for some clarity.
One Piece's Egghead Incident ended with Emeth, the Iron Giant, releasing JoyBoy's Haki (by undoing a knot). This was strong enough to undo Saint Saturn's summoning and throw the Gorosei back inside the Pangea Castle. Interestingly, all of them seemed injured, hinting that their immortality might only be limited to their yokai forms.
The immortality of the Gorosei inside their yokai forms might be one of Imu's powers, which allowed the World Government leader to manifest their aura (or Haki) on their subordinates (Gorosei). As Imu was affected by JoyBoy's Haki release, their stream of Haki was also disturbed which led to the summoning getting canceled.
So, the Gorosei's yokai forms might be just physical manifestations, instead of transformations. This could be similar to Zoro's 'Demon Aura Nine-Sword Style Asura,' a three-sword style technique where the swordman's potential triples and Zoro appears like Ashura, a demigod class from the Dharmic religion.
Final thoughts
While the theory does seem a bit too straightforward, it might become true given the sequence of events in One Piece. However, some points might seem far-fetched, for instance how the Gorosei's immorality might only be limited to their yokai forms. So, take this theory with a grain of salt, just to be on the safe side.
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