The Celestial Dragons are one of the most powerful groups in the One Piece world. The Final Saga of the series has shed a lot of light on these descendants of those who created the World Government 800 years ago at the end of the Void Century. The Elbaf arc of One Piece, which is currently in its climax and awaiting the release of Chapter 1191 on August 23, 2026, in Shueisha's WSJ Issue #39, has shed a lot of light on the strongest of the Celestial Dragons, such as the Holy Knights.
Among them all, however, there is only one individual with enough strength to be labeled as the strongest. This individual is none other than Nerona Imu, who made his descent on Elbaf in One Piece Chapter 1179 on April 5, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19. Since then, Imu has showcased tremendous capabilities, and his powers officially surpass every other character to have been seen in One Piece.
One Piece's Elbaf Arc Officially Confirms Nerona Imu As The Strongest Celestial Dragon Of All Time
The Celestial Dragons of the One Piece world came into existence around 800 years ago at the end of the Void Century War, following the death of Joy Boy. The group consisted of 19 Kings who led the war against the Ancient Kingdom and, upon its conclusion, left their weapons before the Empty Throne and swore an oath of equality. The descendants of these 19 Kings are what are currently known as the Celestial Dragons of the One Piece world, and they are deemed Gods of this world with unlimited power that hardly anyone can rival.
“800 years ago, the 19 Kings who forged this world took an oath of equality, thrusting their weapons into the ground around the Empty Throne. Blade of Chaos, Tohu! Vohu! Nemesis! Longinus! Stigma! Muramasa! They are the 19 weapons of those who brought the world to heel!” — Sommers reveals the Oath of the 19 Kings, One Piece Chapter #1189
The Celestial Dragons control the entire world, and at the top of this organization is none other than Nerona Imu. Once upon a time, Nerona Imu was among the 19 families who fought equally against Joy Boy and the Ancient Kingdom, and this was officially confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1086 by none other than Emporio Ivankov. However, through some means, Imu was able to assert his dominance at the top and become the true King of the World. Right now, Nerona Imu stands as one of the most powerful characters in One Piece, surpassing even the likes of the Four Emperors, the Marine Admirals, and even Nika himself. As things stand, Nerona Imu is undoubtedly the strongest of the Celestial Dragons, and much of that is down to his powerful Akuma no Mi ability, which was unveiled to us in One Piece Chapter 1179 on April 5, 2026.
Why Nerona Imu's Akuma no Mi Makes Him The Strongest
Nerona Imu's Akuma no Mi makes him the strongest of the Celestial Dragons simply because of its nature. The Akuma no Mi is quite special in the sense that it does not follow a dual-naming pattern, unlike other Devil Fruits that exist in the One Piece world. The naming of this fruit, The Devil's Fruit, also suggests that this fruit precedes all the others that exist in the world and is the true ability of the Devil itself. On April 27, 2016, Loki explained Nerona Imu's ability in One Piece Chapter 1181 as “God's Domination” or “A deal with the Devil.” In other words, Nerona Imu holds the power of a God through his Devil Fruit, and that was quite clear to see throughout the Elbaf arc.
Loki: So your power is God's Domination? Think you mean a contract with the Devil!
Imu: God? Devil? What is the difference?
— Loki explains God's Domination, One Piece Chapter #1181
In One Piece Chapter 1150, a fraction of Nerona Imu's ability was showcased to us through Domi Reversi. Using the power of Domi Reversi, Imu can essentially turn anyone into a demonic slave by bestowing upon them a Contract. For a portion of their lifespan, Imu can give anyone immortality, infinite regeneration, and, above all, superhuman strength, making them stronger than they were. This power is so strong that it can work on someone as powerful as Dorry and Brogy, and even Rocks.
Then comes Imu's transformation, which was first showcased in One Piece Chapter 1179. This transformation grants Imu immense strength as he immediately grows in size and takes on a tan appearance, growing wings as well as horns, with lush white hair flowing behind him. This transformation of Nerona Imu made him so strong that he was able to defeat Zoro, Hajarudin, and Sanji in One Piece Chapter 1180, and then Loki, Luffy, and Gaban in the subsequent chapters, all the while being nerfed due to not being able to sustain the outside world for long, as confirmed officially in One Piece Chapter 1182.
"Great Imu's body isn't meant to sustain the outside. But even pushing past that, the strength we need and the strength we ought to destroy are both right here." — Saint Sommers confirms Imu's nerfed body, One Piece Chapter #1182
The biggest ability that makes Imu the strongest Celestial Dragon is his manipulation of Omen, or Maki. This is a new power system that was introduced in One Piece that is likely accessible only to the members of the Celestial Dragons so far. Maki is present within all living beings, as Imu explains himself, but so far, it is seemingly only accessible to those who are corrupted by a thirst for power and are then granted it by Imu. Omen can be manipulated by Nerona Imu for both offensive and defensive purposes. It can shield against the strongest of attacks, such as Loki's Ragna-Izuchi, and it can also deal deadly damage, as seen when it was powerful enough to knock out his enemies. These weapons prove to be so strong that even the likes of Loki and Luffy could not stand in a battle against Nerona Imu. It is important to keep in mind that the King of the World was able to do all this while being severely nerfed.
"Omen is my military might. It's a power that dwells within all living things." — Nerona Imu explains Omen, One Piece Chapter #1181
Luffy Must Surpass Roger To Reach Imu's Level
One Piece heads towards the climax of the Elbaf arc, and fans are currently awaiting the release of Chapter 1191, which is set to come out on August 23, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #39. As Elbaf approaches its climax, it has become abundantly clear that Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist of the series, is nowhere near Imu in terms of power level. Luffy is incredibly strong, but his strength pales in comparison to the King of the World. Furthermore, his Nika form, which was first seen officially in One Piece Chapter 1044 on March 28, 2022, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17, has already failed against the King of the World. Even with help from Scopper Gaban and the likes of Loki, Luffy still does not possess enough strength to match up to the strongest Celestial Dragon of all time.
That said, we do know that Luffy holds the potential to reach Imu's level. First, Luffy must surpass Roger. In One Piece Chapter 968, Roger told his crew that someday, a crew capable of surpassing them will emerge, and Gaban believes this group to be none other than the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy is still quite young and needs to grow further in strength before taking on the threat posed by Nerona Imu. As such, beating Imu in Elbaf is impossible for him, but before the Great War comes, Luffy must prepare himself both physically and mentally to hit a completely new level and match Imu in battle. Only then can he fulfill his role as Sun God Nika and liberate the world from the clutches of this powerful Celestial Dragon.
All the new One Piece manga chapters by Eiichiro Oda are available to 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
