Eiichiro Oda Quietly Confirms One Piece’s Strongest Power Isn’t Haki

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This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Final Saga.

The popular manga and anime series One Piece is nearing its conclusion, and the final story arc is introducing long-awaited, incredibly powerful characters like Shanks and the Five Elders. These formidable figures, naturally, possess unique and impressive abilities.

In One Piece, the most powerful characters generally rely on two main abilities: Devil Fruits and Haki. Devil Fruits have been a part of the story since the beginning, but Haki wasn’t fully explained until later on. Both are crucial to the world of One Piece, though Devil Fruits tend to be more focused on raw power, while Haki offers greater flexibility and a wider range of applications.

As a huge One Piece fan, I’ve seen a lot of debate about whether Haki is the ultimate power. But honestly, Oda’s been dropping hints lately – and now it’s pretty clear – that Devil Fruits can actually do things Haki can’t. Some Fruits are just on a whole other level, capable of powers no Haki user could ever achieve with sheer force!

Haki and Devil Fruits Are The Two Main One Piece Power Systems

  • Devil Fruits were introduced in One Piece Chapter 1
  • Haki was properly explained in One Piece Chapter 597

Devil Fruits were first seen in the very first chapter of One Piece when Luffy ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi. This fruit gave him a rubber body, but at the cost of being able to swim. As the story continued, more characters began to appear with their own unique and powerful Devil Fruit abilities, like Buggy and his Chop-Chop Fruit.

Luffy, did you eat that fruit? You idiot! It’ll make you rubber, and then you won’t be able to swim anymore! — Shanks to Luffy

Oda then explained Devil Fruits, clarifying that there are three different types within the world of One Piece:

  • Paramecia
  • Logia
  • Zoan

Over time, Oda significantly expanded on these different types of Devil Fruits, particularly within the dangerous Grand Line, which is filled with powerful and unusual creatures.

I’ve noticed Haki become a really central part of the power system in One Piece, but it wasn’t always like that. It was hinted at early on, but it wasn’t really explained until around the time of the two-year timeskip. Luffy learned about it from Silvers Rayleigh, and ever since, it’s become crucial to battles and overall strength. A lot of fans actually think Haki is even more powerful than Devil Fruits. The big difference is that Devil Fruits give you abilities if you eat them, but Haki is a spiritual power everyone is born with – it’s just incredibly rare for anyone to actually awaken it.

Haki is a powerful spiritual ability in the world of One Piece. It grants users heightened senses and can be used offensively and defensively, even against those with Devil Fruit powers. At its peak, Haki is incredibly strong, capable of overpowering almost anyone and negating abilities like regeneration or immortality. It’s arguably the most dangerous and dependable ability in the series. While Devil Fruit users struggle to survive in the New World without Haki, those skilled in Haki can thrive with sufficient training.

Haki Isn’t Necessarily The Strongest Power In One Piece

  • Devil Fruits can offer more raw power than Haki

While Haki is generally more dependable and simpler to develop than Devil Fruit powers, it isn’t necessarily the most powerful ability in the One Piece universe. Certain Devil Fruits, like Loki’s, can achieve a significantly higher level of power than someone relying solely on Haki.

Everyone possesses a hidden power called Haki – the ability to sense spiritual energy and dominate opponents. While everyone has it to some extent, most never unlock it. True strength comes from unwavering belief. Now, pay attention! Haki generally manifests in two distinct forms or colors. — Silvers Rayleigh to Luffy in Ruskaina

Recent chapters of One Piece (1170 and 1171) showed a taste of Loki’s incredible Devil Fruit abilities, which are clearly much more powerful than any Haki. While the exact nature of Loki’s fruit is still a mystery, it’s proven capable of overcoming extremely powerful opponents like Harald. In fact, Loki defeated Harald, who was even stronger than legendary figures like Rocks and the Pirate King, using the fruit’s immense power.

Both Scopper Gaban and Shanks repeatedly used extremely powerful King Haki against him, but couldn’t prevent his regeneration. In contrast, Loki’s Devil Fruit abilities proved too much for Harald, ultimately leading to his defeat and death.

Some Legendary Devil Fruits Are Unmatched

I’ve noticed that in the world of One Piece, there are some powers that are clearly on another level, going beyond even the strongest Haki. Loki’s Devil Fruit is a prime example, and it seems Imu’s ability falls into that same incredibly rare category. In fact, Imu’s power is so strong that even five masters of Haki couldn’t break through their defenses – it’s really something else.

Luffy’s Devil Fruit power, like others of its kind, hasn’t been fully developed yet. He still needs more training to reach his full potential, meaning it’s unfair to compare him to someone as powerful as Imu right now.

Haki Is More Reliable Than Devil Fruits Overall

  • Haki isn’t the strongest, but it is more reliable
  • Devil Fruits can destroy the world

Generally, Devil Fruit abilities offer more raw power than Haki. For example, Whitebeard’s Devil Fruit allowed him to potentially destroy the world, a feat likely beyond the reach of even powerful Haki users. Similarly, Imu possesses world-ravaging power through their abilities, while a Haki user would find it much harder to achieve. Loki could defeat a strong opponent like Harald using his Devil Fruit, but characters like Scopper Gaban and Shanks wouldn’t be able to accomplish the same feat with Haki alone. While Luffy’s creativity allows for incredible feats, relying solely on Haki would limit his capabilities.

While Devil Fruits might offer greater raw power, Haki is generally a more dependable and useful ability in the world of One Piece. Unlike Devil Fruit powers, Haki allows users to swim and consistently overcome opponents with Devil Fruit abilities. Skilled Haki users, particularly those with Conqueror’s Haki, can even challenge incredibly powerful and seemingly immortal characters – with only a few exceptions. Ultimately, Haki is the more versatile and consistent power, despite Devil Fruits having a higher potential for sheer strength.

Eiichiro Oda’s popular manga, One Piece, follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as they search for the legendary treasure, the One Piece. The story is currently in its final arc. A new chapter, 1172, will be released in this week’s Weekly Shonen Jump. It will be available on February 1, 2026, at midnight in Japan (11:00 AM EST / 8:00 AM PT). Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump app, which helps support the author.

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2026-01-24 03:44