One Piece’s Elbaph Arc Sets Up The Next Level Of God Devil Fruit Awakenings

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Devil Fruits are the main source of power in the world of One Piece, first appearing in the very first chapter with Luffy’s Gum-Gum Fruit. Over time, these fruits have become much more complex, with different types and even ways to evolve, a process called Devil Fruit Awakening. Essentially, Awakening happens when a user fully masters their fruit’s abilities, pushing it beyond its normal limits through both physical and mental control.

I’ve been watching One Piece for a while now, and Devil Fruit Awakenings are already incredibly rare and strong. But recently, during the climax of the Elbaph arc – around chapters 1179 to 1182 – the story introduced something even more powerful. It seems like they’re building towards a new level of awakening, something beyond even ‘god-level,’ and it feels like this is setting the stage for a massive power boost for Luffy as we head into the final part of the story.

One Piece Chapters 1180 And 1182 Open The Doors To An Upgraded God Devil Fruit Awakening For Luffy

The latest chapter of One Piece, released on April 5, 2026, delivered a huge surprise: the introduction of Nerona Imu directly into the story’s central conflict. Chapter 1179, featured in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19, finally revealed Nerona Imu’s appearance and Devil Fruit powers, and fans were thrilled. After nearly seven years of anticipation, this reveal not only answered a long-standing mystery but also broadened our understanding of Devil Fruit abilities.

“Domination is the only true bliss in this world.” — Nerona Imu, One Piece Chapter 1181

In chapter 1179, Eiichiro Oda revealed the unique characteristics of Nerona Imu’s Devil Fruit power, including black wings, horns, and tanned skin, along with his demonic abilities. A notable detail for some fans was a ring of black flames surrounding Imu’s back. Unlike other awakened Devil Fruit users, Imu didn’t have a cloud around his body; instead, he controlled this ring of black flames directly, which was particularly surprising.

I was initially convinced that the ring we saw on Imu was totally unique to them! But then, Eiichiro Oda dropped Chapter 1182 of One Piece on May 10, 2026 (in WSJ Issue #24), and it blew my mind to see the Rain God Zaza sporting a ring too! It wasn’t the same fiery one Imu has, though – Zaza’s ring was made of water, which makes total sense given their powers. It seems these rings aren’t as exclusive as we thought!

As the pleas for rain rose, he arrived—Rain God Zaza! —as exclaimed by Saint Rimoshifu Killingham in One Piece chapter 1182.

Both Imu and the Rain God Zaza possess unique rings that appear after they awaken their powers. These rings represent their abilities: Imu’s ring, called Omen, manifests as a powerful military force, and Zaza’s controls rain and floods. This suggests that awakened gods in the One Piece world can access these rings to wield their specific powers, as seen in chapters 1180 and 1182.

What’s particularly intriguing is that Luffy hasn’t fully unlocked the potential of his Devil Fruit, even with his Gear 5 transformation. This suggests his powers could grow even stronger as the story progresses towards its conclusion, and we’re especially eager to see how things unfold with the upcoming events in the Elbaph arc, particularly with Chapter 1183 scheduled for release on May 24, 2026.

How The Rings Of Gods Will Shape The Final Saga

Eiichiro Oda has hinted at powerful new abilities called ‘rings of gods’ that could appear in the final part of the story. We’ve already seen glimpses of these powers: Nerona Imu can control something called ‘Omen,’ as demonstrated in chapter 1182 with a technique called ‘Rising Eclipse.’ And Rain God Zaza showed the ability to cause massive flooding and destruction in the Western Elbaph Village.

For Luffy, this ring probably represents the power of fire, or even the sun itself. It’s strange that he hasn’t demonstrated any sun-related abilities yet, despite being referred to as the Sun God. Awakening this ring could finally explain this mystery and give Luffy the power boost fans have been waiting for.

With a rubber body and a completely free fighting style, this warrior brings joy to everyone… he’s also known as the Sun God, Nika! – as revealed by the Gorosei in One Piece chapter 1044.

I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot more Gods appear in One Piece from now on. Specifically, I’m thinking about the ones Eiichiro Oda hinted at way back in chapters 287 of the Skypiea arc and 1138 of the Elbaph arc. He mentioned a few by name that we haven’t met yet – the Forest God, the Earth God, and maybe even the Sea God – plus this being called the Serpent of Hellfire. It’s interesting to think these Gods might have a ring on their backs, which could mean some really cool and powerful abilities will come into play as the story heads towards its ending.

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Monkey D. Luffy’s Sun God Nika Form Can Be Evolved Like Rain God Zaza And Nerona Imu

Fans are most eager to see Monkey D. Luffy’s abilities continue to grow in the final arc of the story, potentially unlocking a new level of power symbolized by a ring behind his back. While Luffy’s Gear 5 has already proven incredibly strong, allowing him to defeat opponents like Kaido and challenge Kizaru, his battles against them show he isn’t strong enough to face Imu yet. To overcome this challenge, Luffy needs to further evolve Gear 5, which would significantly increase his strength and overall capabilities.

Luffy has shown some ability to control fire, which seems connected to his attacks like Red Hawk and Red Roc, both of which create flames on impact. If the author reveals this fire control is linked to a newly awakened ability, and that Red Hawk and Red Roc hinted at it all along, fans would likely be very impressed. Regardless, Luffy still needs to get stronger, and this new fiery power could be what allows him to finally fight opponents like Nerona Imu and anyone else standing between him and the One Piece in the story’s final arc.

The latest chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga can be read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.

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2026-05-18 04:35