With One Piece returning from break with Chapter 1183 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #26 on May 24, 2026, all eyes are currently on the protagonist of the series, Monkey D. Luffy, as he prepares to enter the final battle against Imu in the Elbaph Arc's climax. This incredibly exciting battle that fans have waited ages for sees the Sun God Nika go up against the Devil God of the One Piece world and resume a battle that ended 800 years ago, at the end of the Void Century.
While Luffy versus Imu is sure to be an exciting clash that will serve to elevate the climax of the Elbaph Arc, it must be noted that the strength of the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates is nowhere near the level of Nerona Imu at the moment. Despite having the power of Gear 5, Luffy pales in comparison when it comes to overall strength. Eiichiro Oda, the author of the series, has already set up a major Haki upgrade for him in the upcoming battle, and even more than that, a potential evolution of Gear 5 that will see him more than make up for the strength that he lacks to beat the Sovereign of the World.
One Piece's Elbaph Arc Climax Sets Up Luffy's Next Haki Power Up To Fight Imu
One Piece's Elbaph Arc climax shocked all fans when Chapter 1179, which was released officially in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19 on April 6, 2026, officially brought down Nerona Imu, the King of the entire World, upon the Warland. Nerona Imu's appearance in Elbaph was not expected at all, but against all odds, he shocked the fans by showing up to fight both Nika and Nidhoggr all by himself. Chapter 1180 of the manga, which was released in the subsequent week, followed with Imu taking out Zoro, Sanji, and Hajrudin and setting up his battle with the Warrior God of Elbaph, Loki. This battle has since continued.
Meanwhile, One Piece Chapter 1181 gave us our last glimpse of Monkey D. Luffy as he continued to consume an exorbitant amount of food to prepare for the battle against Nerona Imu. Clearly, Eiichiro Oda has already set up Luffy versus Imu based on the latest developments in the story. One Piece Chapter 1183, which will be released on May 24, 2026, and the subsequent chapters are likely to move the story along in this direction, setting up the eventual clash of Sun God Nika against the Demon God Devil God Imu.
"Gotta eat more! I've never felt anything like this before! It's so heavy and harsh! What's with this guy's Haki?" — Monkey D. Luffy after feeling Imu's Haki in One Piece chapter #1181
When we compare the strength of Luffy and Imu, it is a given that at this point, the former is no match. In fact, in the Wano Country Arc, he struggled to defeat the likes of Kaido and in Egghead, he couldn't fully beat Kizaru. For him to be able to fight on equal footing against Nerona Imu, who is significantly stronger than both, is preposterous. Thankfully, in One Piece Chapter 1152, which was officially released in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #30 on June 23, 2025, Eiichiro Oda officially set up a Haki upgrade for Monkey D. Luffy.
Scopper Gaban's Comments From One Piece Chapter 1152 Set Up A Major Luffy Haki Upgrade
In One Piece Chapter 1152, Scopper Gaban specifically gave Luffy a lot of advice before he set out to fight against the Holy Knights. Gaban told him to keep in mind how to properly use his Conqueror's Haki, because only then will he realize that the Holy Knights are not immortal. This means Gaban's message came after he saw Luffy's fight against him in Chapter 1140 of the story. Gaban assessed that Luffy's Conqueror's Haki usage is weak and callous. Luffy needs to know how to utilize his Conqueror's Haki properly if he is to fight and defeat the likes of Nerona Imu. As such, a major Haki upgrade has been set up for Luffy by Eiichiro Oda.
“You, Straw Hat! Make a mental note of how you use your Color of the Supreme King. They are not immortal!” — Scopper Gaban telling Luffy to use Haki properly, One Piece Chapter #1152
It is no surprise to know that Conqueror's Haki levels differ depending on the user. In One Piece Chapter 1122, which was officially released in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 36-37 on August 5, 2024, Joy Boy's Haki was showcased for the very first time. It was clear to see that it was significantly stronger than that of Luffy or any other character that exists in the world of One Piece, because it caused even Nerona Imu tremendous pain.
"Was that Haki even stronger than Red Hair's? There was no hostility to it!" — Dorry and Brogy, One Piece Chapter 1123
Shanks has also demonstrated his Haki over multiple instances in the series, such as Chapter 1056 and then once again in Chapter 1079. With the feats that he has pulled off, such as paralyzing an Admiral and defeating Eustass Kid and Killer in a single swing of his blade, Shanks has showcased superior Haki to Monkey D. Luffy. For Luffy to be able to stand up to the likes of Nerona Imu, he must stand on a similar level when it comes to Haki manipulation, and the climax of the Elbaph Arc is setting up this ascension to the next level.
GameRant Quiz
Why Luffy Could Also Gain An Awakening Ring In Elbaph Climax
While a Conqueror's Haki upgrade on its own is tremendous enough to see Luffy compete with Imu at the very highest level, there is yet another power-up that Eiichiro Oda is quietly setting up for him. In the climax of the Elbaph Arc, particularly chapters 1179 and onwards, Nerona Imu, the Devil God of the One Piece world, manifested a black ring of flames behind him. Similarly, in One Piece chapter 1182, which was officially released on May 10, 2024, in Issue #24 of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, Rain God Zaza, another God, was shown with a water ring behind her back.
Luffy is the Sun God, yet he does not possess any ring at the moment, which might suggest that this power hasn't fully awakened in him yet. In the battle against Nerona Imu, Luffy might evolve if he manages to truly awaken to the power of Sun God Nika by manifesting a ring of flames behind his back. This could bring out his true Gear 5 powers and upgrade his overall level of strength significantly by giving him a massive strength boost. It would also boost his Conqueror's Haki, because, as confirmed by Rayleigh in Chapter 597 of the story, Conqueror's Haki cannot be trained directly and instead grows in power when the user grows stronger as well.
Though you can control the Color of the Supreme King, you can't train it to be stronger directly. It is the embodiment of the spirit of the user. The only way to make it stronger is for the user to grow stronger. — Silvers Rayleigh to Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece Chapter 597
In any case, Luffy vs Imu is going to be very significant for the overall character development of the protagonist of the series, both in terms of his role as Sun God Nika and overall character strength. We absolutely cannot wait to see how this battle develops and how Luffy's new Haki power-up shapes his journey from here onwards as One Piece hurtles towards the Great War and, with it, its eventual end.
The latest chapters of the One Piece manga can be read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
One Piece
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
