One Piece Teases A New Upgrade To Luffy’s Gear 5 in Elbaph

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I’ve been following the final arc of One Piece, and things are really heating up! Chapter 1182 just came out on May 10th, 2026, in Weekly Shonen Jump, and it didn’t disappoint. The fight between Nerona Imu and Loki is still raging, and we’ve now been introduced to another powerful god, Rain God Zaza. But the biggest reveal in my opinion was that the chapter hinted at a new, even stronger version of Luffy’s Gear 5. It looks like powerful beings in the One Piece world use something called ‘power rings,’ and that’s how Luffy will level up! It’s setting the stage for some incredible things to come.

The power rings first appeared when Nerona Imu arrived in Elbaph, and Oda recently confirmed they exist again with the introduction of Rain God Zaza. This sets the stage for Luffy to awaken his own ring during the Elbaph arc as he prepares to battle Nerona Imu.

One Piece Chapter 1182 Sets Up Luffy’s Sun Ring Akin To Imu’s Omen And Rain God Zaza’s Water Ring

Chapter 1182 of One Piece significantly developed the series’ established concept of God-level powers and also hinted at a major upgrade for Monkey D. Luffy’s Gear 5. When Nerona Imu reached Elbaph in chapter 1179, he instantly transformed into his Devil Form, gaining large wings, tanned skin, horns, and a naginata. Most notably, this form granted him control over Omen. A key element of Nerona Imu’s design was a black ring that floats behind him, which chapter 1181 revealed to be the source of Omen’s power – what he calls his ‘military strength.’

My strength comes from a hidden power that everyone possesses. That’s what I call ‘Omen.’ — Nerona Imu, One Piece Chapter 1181

Imu controls a powerful black ring that he can use for both defense and offense. He can block attacks with it, launch his own, and even boost his own strength while weakening opponents. This ring, made of black flames, is currently one of Imu’s most potent weapons. Recently, in the manga, Imu used the ring to perform an attack called Gazing Eclipse, which successfully defended against Loki’s Ragna Quint-Arrow and simultaneously launched a counterattack.

In One Piece chapter 1182, released on May 10, 2026, Eiichiro Oda introduced the character Rain God Zaza. Like Imu, Zaza possesses a unique ring – a ring of water that they can control at will. With this ring, Zaza is capable of flooding entire villages, such as the Western village of Elbaph, causing widespread destruction and chaos.

Okay, so in One Piece chapter 1182, this absolutely incredible character, Saint Killingham, just arrived with this dramatic entrance! It’s described like he literally materialized to the beat of people praying for rain, and the reveal is that he’s the Rain God, Zaza! Seriously, it was a goosebumps moment – such a powerful introduction!

In the world of One Piece, both the Rain God and the Devil God have special rings linked to their Devil Fruit powers. This suggests that Monkey D. Luffy, often called the Sun God, might also develop a ring of his own. Currently, Luffy is the only one of these ‘Gods’ who doesn’t have one. Many fans believe he’ll gain this ring during the Elbaph arc, potentially to enhance his Gear 5 ability when he finally fights Nerona Imu.

Why Luffy’s Upgraded Gear 5 Will Be His Final Power Up

It’s curious that Luffy, even as the Sun God Nika, doesn’t seem to have any connection to the sun. He has white hair and clothing and doesn’t use sun-based powers or fire in his attacks. Despite this, everyone still calls Nika the Sun God, which suggests Luffy hasn’t unlocked the full potential of his Gear 5 form. Even though Gear 5 is already a powerful awakening of his Devil Fruit, it’s likely he can evolve this transformation even further.

To make Gear 5 even stronger, Luffy might need to unlock a hidden power source, similar to the rings possessed by Nerona Imu and Rain God Zaza. If he does, it’s likely this power would be based on fire or solar energy. This would allow him to effectively counter Imu’s abilities and the water-based powers of Rain God Zaza.

This development would make Luffy one of the most powerful characters in all of One Piece, representing the peak of his abilities. He could then use this power in the upcoming Great War, potentially against opponents like Imu. This new ability might be what Luffy refers to as Gear 6, or it could be an enhancement within Gear 5, functioning like Snake Man as a specialized form of Gear 4.

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Luffy’s Overall Power Level Following His Next Gear 5 Upgrade In Elbaph

I fully expect to see Luffy’s Gear 5 evolve in the Final Saga, and when it does, his strength will increase dramatically. Eiichiro Oda has essentially laid out Luffy’s ultimate power potential – specifically through the introduction of Joy Boy’s Haki in chapter 1122 of the manga, as published in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 36-37.

I poured all my strongest Haki into you, sealed it within your very being. You’ll continue to live on, even after I’m gone. But know this: a time will come when I can no longer assist you. — Joy Boy, from what I witnessed in Chapter 1122.

Conqueror’s Haki shows how powerful someone is. Silvers Rayleigh confirmed it can’t be trained directly – it only gets stronger as the user themselves grows in power. Joy Boy’s Haki was so immense that it even caused pain to Imu and neutralized the powers of the Five Elders, proving he was far stronger than Luffy is currently. If Luffy wants to defeat the World Government and free the world, he needs to not only reach Joy Boy’s level but exceed it. His developing sun ring, potentially awakening during the Elbaph arc, will likely be key to achieving this and boosting his Conqueror’s Haki.

Currently, Monkey D. Luffy is getting ready to confront Nerona Imu in the final battle of the Elbaph arc, as revealed at the end of chapter 1181. When Luffy starts fighting Imu, his abilities are expected to increase dramatically, pushing him to evolve beyond his current limits—even beyond what his Gear 5 can achieve. Many fans believe Luffy will unlock a sun-shaped ring, similar to Imu’s ring of black flames and Zaza’s ring of water, which would greatly amplify his power. Everyone is excited to see if this happens in the upcoming chapters of the Elbaph arc.

All One Piece manga chapters are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.

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2026-05-15 19:07