A Buddha in Hell (Okama)
“Buddha” (仏) written, “Okama” to read. This wordplay became a major talking point when Imu’s name was revealed: the character 仏 is composed of the katakana イ (i) and ム (mu) — the exact letters that spell “Imu.”
When Sabo infiltrated Pangea Castle, he remarked: “I never expected hell to exist at the very top of the world.” Combine that with Imu’s presence there and the formula writes itself: Hell + Imu → Hell + Buddha (Okama) → Imu is Okama. The chapter title for Ivankov’s debut — “A Buddha in Hell is an Okama” — fits Imu perfectly.
On Elbaf, Imu’s Akuma form appeared female at first, then shifted toward a male-type form as power increased — like the difference between female and male stag beetle horns.
Since the fictional Akuma creature has no inherent gender, the transformation from female to male may simply reflect the degree of power being unleashed. Which raises the question: what gender is Imu in human form? Male? Female? The answer may well be both — keeping the Imu-as-Okama theory very much alive.
This time, though, let’s focus on a different meaning of “Buddha” (仏).
Buddha = France = Sanji = Okama
In Japanese, countries can be abbreviated to a single kanji derived from their transliterated name. “仏” comes from 仏蘭西 (Furansu) — which means France. (For reference, America is written 亜米利加, but the more common shorthand comes from “Merikken,” giving us 米.)
Each Straw Hat has an associated image country, and Sanji’s is France. The logic runs: cook → restaurant → fine dining → French cuisine. It’s almost automatic.
Other France connections add up too: the iron mask in Sanji’s childhood resembles the legend of Louis XIV’s twin, and his near-marriage to Pudding connects symbolically to cross-border World Heritage sites straddling Belgium and France. The France = Sanji association is well-grounded from multiple angles.
Did Sanji Awaken as Okama During His 2-Year Training?
When Sanji first arrived at Kamabakka Kingdom, the Newkamas chased him relentlessly — but the words they called out were telling: “Aren’t you one of us?” They seemed to sense something in Sanji from the very start.
And their instinct proved correct.
The cover page in question carries the title: “Even Hell’s Cauldron Opens Its Lid.” In the main story of that chapter, Blackbeard was storming Impel Down — so in that context, the title means the gates of hell are being forced open. But looking at the cover illustration of Sanji, a second reading emerges: Sanji’s Okama potential — the “lid” on that side of himself — has finally opened.
When Sanji eventually coats himself in Conqueror’s Haki, will it look cool? This theory makes that a genuinely interesting — and slightly worrying — question.