This theory about Imu choosing Lulusia and Oda trolling his own fans offers an intriguing perspective on how the One Piece world—and fan interpretations—often unfold.

Imu’s Decision and Oda’s Storytelling:

• Sabo’s Perspective: Sabo, like many fans, sees deeper connections and grand conspiracies, assuming Lulusia was targeted because of his presence and the sensitive information he overheard about Imu and the Empty Throne.
• Imu’s Reasoning: Imu’s statement about Lulusia being “close” seems almost casual and direct, implying the destruction was more about convenience or proximity than some intricate plot involving Sabo. This could be Oda’s way of saying that not everything has to be connected to a grand scheme, sometimes decisions are made for simpler reasons.

This mirrors how fans analyze the story in-depth, searching for foreshadowing and deeper meanings behind every move, while Oda might sometimes keep things more straightforward. Oda, through Imu, could be subtly poking fun at how fans overcomplicate things, and Lulusia was just a convenient location for testing the Mother Flame weapon.

However, the fact that Imu paused before the statement might indicate there’s more beneath the surface. It’s possible that Imu knew about Sabo’s presence on Lulusia and chose the island partially because of that, but didn’t want to reveal the true reasons to the Gorosei. The idea that Lulusia was targeted for a “practical” reason but had layers of hidden intent is classic Oda style—allowing for a double interpretation where the fans are both right and overthinking at the same time.

Ultimately, Oda could be using this moment to balance between fan expectations and the simplicity of storytelling.