Now that Luffy has awakened his Devil Fruit and unlocked Gear 5, the story needs even more powerful enemies to keep things exciting as it heads toward its conclusion. Eiichiro Oda has delivered with the upcoming Elbaf arc. The latest chapter of One Piece confirms that the strongest character in the series, Saint Imu Nerona—who surpasses even Luffy in power—is traveling to Elbaf. This sets up a huge challenge for Luffy, as he’ll now face someone far more powerful than himself. The stakes are incredibly high, and we’re looking at a truly epic battle.
Assessing the Overall Power Of Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika’s Awakening
Luffy, now awakened as the Sun God Nika, is undeniably one of the most powerful characters in the story’s final arc. This transformation, revealed during the Wano Country Arc, showed that his Devil Fruit is actually a Mythical Zoan type called the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. This fruit gives Luffy a rubber body and incredible freedom in battle. Most importantly, it lets him manifest his imagination into reality, allowing him to do seemingly impossible feats like running on air or creating objects from nothing.
Luffy’s Gear 5 is incredibly strong, allowing him to defeat powerful opponents like Kaido, and even gain the upper hand against characters like Kizaru and Saint Saturn in the Egghead Arc. However, Luffy hasn’t completely mastered this form yet, as he can’t use it for extended fights and had difficulty against Gunko.
Why The Real Imu Surpasses The Straw Hat Captain
As a huge One Piece fan, let me tell you, Imu is on another level! Their actual, true form is stronger than even Luffy, and that’s saying something! We’re talking about someone who was beyond the reach of legends like Rocks D. Xebec, King Harald, and even Joy Boy from 800 years ago! Seriously, they’re basically unstoppable – seemingly immortal, and with the terrifying ability to control anyone as if they were puppets. I mean, their power feels completely limitless, it’s mind-blowing!
During the Elbaf Arc, Imu showed incredible Haki, described as far more powerful than Luffy’s or Loki’s. Considering Imu’s immense strength—the highest we’ve seen in the story so far—it’s clear they pose an even bigger danger than Luffy in his Gear 5 form.
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Gauging The Full Strength Of The World’s Sovereign
The Sovereign of the World is incredibly powerful, with Haki second only to Joy Boy in the One Piece universe. This makes them a bigger threat than even Gear 5 Luffy, Loki, Roger, or Joy Boy themselves. However, their greatest strength isn’t their Haki – it’s their still-unknown Devil Fruit ability.
Five Elders, Mu shall leave the Holy Land for a short while. — Imu, One Piece 1178
So far, we’ve seen that Imu can use special Contracts to control others in the One Piece world. These Contracts allow Imu to do things like turn people into immortal slaves, essentially controlling them like puppets, or give them incredible strength at the cost of their lifespan. Imu also appears to have a powerful transformation ability, though its full extent hasn’t been revealed yet. The story strongly suggests that Imu is immortal, possibly due to a procedure called the Perennial Youth Operation, originally performed by the previous user of the Ope Ope no Mi. We’ll likely learn more about this in the final part of the story as things unfold.
How Luffy’s Defeat Will Shape The Story After Elbaf
The Elbaf Arc is building towards the arrival of Saint Imu Nerona’s physical form. This strongly suggests Luffy will be defeated in this arc. While a final showdown between Luffy and Imu is inevitable in the story’s climax, Luffy won’t be able to defeat Imu yet – it’s too soon for the main villain to be defeated. Imu will win this initial clash in Elbaf, and this outcome will significantly impact the rest of the story.
The Straw Hat Pirates also need to experience some defeats; overcoming challenges is how they become stronger. They’ve easily handled every obstacle in the New World so far, and it’s time for the author to introduce a truly powerful enemy – one connected to the mysteries of the Void Century – to really push them to their limits and force them to evolve.
One Piece Chapter 1179 will be available to read on Manga Plus on April 5, 2026.
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2026-03-31 18:34