Despite Gear 5, Yonko Luffy Has Officially Been Surpassed By A Next Gen Character

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This article contains spoilers for the One Piece Series.

Eiichiro Oda began creating the exciting adventure story One Piece in 1997, and it has become incredibly popular since then. The series follows Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as they become stronger and pursue their dreams. Luffy is the most powerful member of the crew, so it wasn’t surprising when he recently achieved a major power-up called Gear 5 during the Wano arc. This new ability has allowed him to reach an entirely new level of strength, earning him the status of a Yonko.

Luffy has become incredibly powerful, able to compete with many characters in One Piece, but he isn’t the strongest yet. Recently, a new character named Loki, the Accursed Prince of Elbaf, has emerged and is currently more powerful than Luffy, even with Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation. While Luffy isn’t strong enough to defeat Loki now, he’s expected to eventually become more powerful. Loki is a formidable opponent with impressive abilities, a legendary Devil Fruit, strong Haki, and the weapon Ragnir, making him a difficult challenge for Luffy to overcome.

Luffy’s Gear 5 Made Him Yonko Level

  • He Awakened His Fruit Against Yonko Kaido
  • Luffy Reached New Levels With The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika Awakening

Luffy, the main character in Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece, has steadily become more powerful since the beginning of his journey in the East Blue. Initially, he wasn’t particularly strong, and though he could defeat opponents, he was much weaker than the most powerful characters in the series. Even after his two-year training where he learned Haki, he still had a long way to go before reaching the very top levels of strength in the One Piece world.

Previously, Luffy faced significant challenges against strong opponents like Katakuri. But during the Wano arc, specifically his battle with Kaido, he achieved a breakthrough, unlocking his Gear 5 power. This new ability propelled him to the level of a Yonko, one of the most powerful pirates in the world.

Luffy’s Devil Fruit wasn’t the Gomu Gomu no Mi as everyone believed – it’s actually a rare and legendary fruit called the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. When fully awakened, this fruit transforms its user into what is essentially a Sun God. This grants Luffy incredible power fueled by his imagination, allowing him to turn his thoughts into reality.

Seeing Luffy defeat Kaido with his newfound abilities was incredible – it’s cemented his place as one of the Yonko. However, even with his Devil Fruit fully mastered, I’ve noticed he still has areas where he could improve. This really hit home in the Final Saga; it’s clear now that characters need significantly stronger Haki just to be able to hurt each other.

Luffy’s Gear 5 Is Strong, But Loki Is Still Stronger Than Him

  • Loki Has A Legendary Devil Fruit
  • Loki Has Better Haki Control Than Luffy
  • Loki has a Mighty Weapon Known as Ragnir

Luffy is currently among the most powerful characters in One Piece, but he’s not quite at the very top yet. The author, Eiichiro Oda, has introduced a new character named Loki, the Prince of Elbaf, who is stronger than Luffy. Loki has been built up as a formidable opponent, and recent flashbacks detailing Harald’s past have shown just how powerful he truly is.

Loki’s unique heritage includes ancient giant ancestry, giving him exceptional strength and stamina. He also possesses a powerful, yet currently unknown, Devil Fruit. The creator, Oda, plans to reveal this fruit soon, and it’s hinted to be on par with Luffy’s Nika fruit in terms of power.

Loki is incredibly skilled with Haki, capable of hurting even powerful opponents like Harald. On top of that, he carries Ragnir, a legendary weapon that’s powerful enough to rival the strongest pirates – the Yonko. Together, Loki and Ragnir are a truly overwhelming force.

Loki Was Stronger Than Immortal Harald

Image by Viz Media

This flashback really highlighted Loki’s power, showing him defeat his father, Harald. Harald wasn’t just any king – he was renowned as the strongest ruler of Elbaf and was considered as powerful as the legendary Rocks D. Xebec, even before Xebec made a deal with Imu. Later, Imu’s seal further boosted Harald’s strength to extraordinary levels.

I did everything I did to break the endless fighting and violence that has plagued Elbaf. I always meant for anyone who wanted to join the Navy to be able to, but not through these circumstances! I offer myself as the one to serve the punishment. Guards, please bind me to the post and immediately summon Elder Jarul and Loki. — King Harald, One Piece Chapter 1168

Even with everything against him, Loki managed to defeat his opponent. He demonstrated his incredible power later when the people of Elbaf attempted to restrain him, but they failed. Only Shanks could bring him under control.

Loki Will Eventually Be Surpassed By Luffy

Image by Toei Animation
  • Luffy’s Haki Upgrade In Elbaf Will Take Him To The Next Level

Loki is powerful, but it’s highly likely Luffy will become even stronger eventually. As the main character, Luffy consistently improves at an amazing rate. He went from barely being able to fight a Pacifista to defeating a Yonko in just two years.

Given how much stronger Luffy is becoming, his next big step will likely involve mastering Haki. He’ll need to figure out how to overcome the immortality of the giants in Elbaf, and if he does, he could become even more powerful than Loki. While they’ll probably remain evenly matched for a while, Luffy might ultimately prove to be the stronger of the two by the end of this story arc.

Luffy And Loki Might Be Fighting Together Soon

  • Loki Has Been Invited By Luffy To Join The Crew

Currently, Loki seems more powerful than Luffy, but Luffy has the potential to become stronger. It’s also possible they’ll end up fighting together as allies. Luffy has already asked Loki to join his crew, and although Loki turned him down, he could reconsider before this story arc ends.

Loki stole the famed Devil Fruit from Elbaf, and the giants fear he’ll unleash global destruction if he isn’t stopped.

Loki is currently without a home, and becoming a member of the Straw Hat Pirates would be a fantastic opportunity for him. Adding Loki and Ragnir to the crew would significantly boost their fighting power, which is important as the story progresses and they face increasingly powerful opponents. The Straw Hats really need to strengthen their team for the challenges ahead.

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. The newest chapter, 1170, will be available in this week’s Weekly Shonen Jump, with an official release date of January 4, 2026. In Japan, it will be released at midnight on Monday, which translates to 11:00 AM Eastern Time or 8:00 AM Pacific Time. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump app, and doing so helps support the creator.

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2026-01-06 15:35