1) She shouldn't be having attacks since she's already "following him". You do not necessarily need to be in a relationship with the person you love. You just need to be around them and let yourself be in love. Something explained by Gloriosa in Amazon Lily.

Candelle is basically his right hand woman. This should be enough to keep her healthy.

2) It's extremely suspicious that she falls ill immediately after the Celestial Dragons visit Esperia.

There's also the way Oda had her answer very vaguely when Brook asked who she liked. Why wouldn't she just say it's Reuven? That's easy exposition right there.

"He's out of my league"

Yeah, a King is of higher status than commander of the Royal Guard, even if she is a noble as well, but...

Then why was Reuven even allowed to marry her in the end?

In Dressrosa, the only reason Scarlett had to fake her death just to marry Kyros wasn't because of his social position, but his criminal past. If he wasn't a former prisoner he could've married Scarlett publicly.

So why would Candelle think Reuven is unattainable at any level? It's not like he had women falling all over him either.

Unless it wasn't Reuven she was in love with.

-Someone she feels is out of her reach

-Her bout of sickness happens AFTER they meet with the Celestial Dragons ship

-Who is someone unattainable that also is from Mariejois??

Was it Imu!? 😭

Hear me out! Put those tomatoes down!

Imu cannot leave his flower room for very long, but he CAN use vessels. It's very possible that during the visit to Esperia, he possesses a Holy Knight on board in order to communicate directly. Maybe even discreetly.

This would explain why she suddenly becomes ill after the WG ship arrives. Just like with Hancock, she becomes overwhelmed and flustered at the "sight" of her crush. More so, since she remained in Esperia instead of going with him.

Why though? What possible reason could Oda have for doing this!? Is there any indication that suggests she's a "villain"?

1) Why did Oda frame her very first appearance like THIS

with extremely suspicious wording?? Remember y'all, manga is a visual medium. There IS meaning in the way panels and characters are drawn. Her watching a literal play while hiding her face and commenting on people's performance is eyebrow raising.

2) Secondly, why in TF would Oda give her a GIANT sfx of DOOM if she was just gunna die next chapter??

That seems like a nonsensical choice if Candelle wasn't even going to be shown having significant battle feats right? Why all the aura? Especially since apparently the only other character to get this specific sfx was Mihawk. It's not common.

Keep in mind, it's never confirmed if Candelle is an Esperia native or not. We have no idea if she's been there her whole life OR if she's someone who randomly showed up one day.

Ok, so what? If she loves Imu, what's the play here? Why go through with a marriage to Reuven and have Shuri if she loves Imu so much? What was the reason?

1) The "Candelle is a Holy Knight" theories were true. Oda having fun with word play again!? More possible than you think lol.

"I am your trusted blade" is awfully similar to "devoted blade" isn't it? If Candelle wanted to convincingly gain Reuven's trust, but also keep respect for Imu, a slight change in the signature devoted phrase would work pretty well.

Also, the irony of Candelle calling herself "trusted" only to then backstab everyone in the end, is a very Oda thing to do imo.

2) Candelle trains hard for the sole purpose of being a Holy Knight because that's the only way she can stay close to Imu

Candelle has been said to be strong multiple times in just the few chapters she's been in. 1185 even confirms that she has the power of future sight, which is an advanced form of observation haki, which not everyone can simply achieve.

You know who else is supposed to be very strong? Which has very limited spots?

Holy Knights.

If Candelle cannot be with Imu romantically, then second best option would be for her to get into his inner circle. Become one of his "Devoted Blades".

3) She wants to help Imu control Esperia by producing an heir for him.

A twisted act of "Love"

Remember, Imu seems to NEED an heir in order to rule countries from the shadows. What did Brook say Shuri do?

She killed her father. Making HER the new heir and becoming a vessel for Imu to control.

At the end of 1185, Brook walks in on a Domi Reversi Shuri stabbing fellow Domi Reversi Reuven, so he shouldn't be dead yet, but something obviously happens later on that actually kills poor King Reuven. It doesn't seem like Shuri is getting free of Domi Reversi anytime soon either.

4) Shuri was the target all along. This was premeditated.

Let's go back a little. What happens at the same time Reuven assumes the throne and becomes KING of Esperia?

He marries Candelle.

Shuri is born very soon after.

Again, I noticed the way Oda frames the art with this dialogue. There is focus on Shuri's face and repeated lines about how excited people were for her birth.

Almost like her birth was especially significant for the world. The world being Imu???

5) The "Fog" was a coordinated attacked by Imu to weaken Esperia and create an excuse

Not only does Oda confirm the timeline of the Fog with Shuri's birthday (once again hinting to Shuri being the lynch pin)

I don't think this was actual Fog.

I believe this was chemical warfare similar to Caesar's own "toxic" creations.

Something purposefully set on Esperia so that the country would be weakened and sabotage their ability to pay the Holy Tax. Remember Imu works from the shadows. Politics is a messy mind game. They need to appear somewhat justified, especially if they have a strange interest in Shuri specifically. Maybe the land of Esperia itself.

So Candelle does this all for Imu? Isn't that a bit dramatic? Isn't that a bit random for Oda to throw in the middle of this arc?

Mmm Not really. Not if you pay attention to not just this flashback, but the arc as a whole!

1) Brook and Shuri's own unrequited romantic feelings are a hint by Oda and establishing a pattern? Candelle is the ultimate unrequited lover girl in this scenario?

Oda's emphasis on these two being romantically obsessed with an unattainable person isn't just for the LOLs.

The messy love connections are Oda's greater exercise in an almost Shakespearean style of story. Pretty much every major player involved in this flashback will be holding a flame for some other main player, but doomed to never be mutual.

Shuri loves Brook -> Brook loves Candelle -> Candelle pretends to love Reuven, but is actually in love with IMU -> Poor Reuven has no fucking idea he's kind of the ultimate cuck.

So would this mean Candelle didn't actually die? Is this a fake out death scenario!?

Mmm maybe. Maybe not. Candelle's character could still be a tragic one.

As we've already discussed earlier in this post, love sickness attacks the victim if they are not able to pursue or be close to their desired partner.

IF Candelle was in love with Imu, then spending a significant amount of time away from him would eventually weaken her and thus leave her susceptible to other kinds of sickness.

It's entirely possible then that she actually DID die from the toxic "fog", but only because she was already weak and therefore compromised.

"...an unimaginable tragedy"

So this dialogue could be Oda saying 1 of 2 things:

1) Candelle isn't actually dead. She's faked her death so that she can go back to Mariejois (and IMU) as her part in the grand scheme is over and we will get a surprise reveal of her in the future.

OR

2) Candelle is a poor, deluded woman who quite literally sacrificed her life in a sad attempt to please a man who only saw her as a pawn. In other posts i've written about IMU, i've discussed the parallels between him and Doflamingo. [x] [x]

Was Candelle IMU's Monet?

It's not lost on me that Punk Hazard, where we met Monet, is also the same arc we are introduced to Caesar and his chemical weapons.

Finally, is the Boa Hancock cover story not only a cheeky nod to Candelle's predicament, but a clue to love sickness being used in the plot and a possible narrative full circle to the Kuja being so heavily involved in Elbaph!?

Hancock is a "fool" in love with a man who will never look at her as a romantic option. Is Candelle a parallel? Did she dedicate her life to Imu in a strange attempt to get his attention? Is Shuri taking after her mother not just in strength, but personality?

Possibly. Maybe. At least, that's what i'm trying to argue.

1) Possible Kuja connection with Candelle?

Not only is love sickness first shown in Amazon Lily, but Big Mom pretty much implies this is a special condition that only happens to Kuja women. (The unofficial translations are more obvious with this).

IF this is true and IF i'm right about about Candelle having love sickness.....

Is Candelle a Kuja?

We know the Kuja used to sail more freely and weren't as isolated before. Could Candelle have somehow seen IMU in one of his forms, fallen in love, and then like every other Kuja, left Amazon Lily in order to chase after a man?

Or does this simply prove Love sickness isn't a Kuja specific disease?

Could any woman (or even man!) be left completely vulnerable to manipulation and a tragic end?

And if so, what would this mean for the future of the story? Why NOW would Oda show this?

As always, I do not have the answers to every possible plot hole, but that hasn't stopped me from being right before lmao. Sometimes Oda just hasn't given us all the puzzle pieces. I could be very wrong here and talking out my ass, but I try to follow my gut and it immediately pointed my mind into the direction of love sickness.