one piece In Issue 32 of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump, we are deeply into the climax of the Elbaf Arc, with Chapter 1187 expected to be released on July 5, 2026. Here is the founder, Eiichiro Oda. one pieceIt tells the story of the Straw Hat Pirates fighting against the Holy Knights, a powerful force in the world government led by the officially descended king of the world, Nero or Imu. one piece April 5, 2026 Episode 1179.
with one piece Chapter 1187: The Straw Hats, marking the start of the main battle, must bring out their respective strengths to the fullest, and this applies to Straw Hat Luffy more than anyone else. Luffy is already one of the Yonko of the Sea, so he can already fight at a very high level, utilizing the Nika fruit and the immense power of Haki. But all this is still not enough to bring down the world government. Luffy needs to become stronger, and for all these reasons, Oda is quietly preparing a new mythical Zoan transformation for him, one last time in 29 years.
One Piece will give Luffy the ultimate mythical Joan transformation after 29 years of waiting.
The biggest reason why Oda gave Luffy a new transformation in the Final Saga is because he still needs to become stronger in order to defeat Nero or Imu. one piece After Chapter 1187, and later to defeat other powerful enemies. As things stand now, there is no denying that the rupee is quite powerful. He defeats Kaido in the Wano Country Arc and becomes the Lord of the Sea. one piece June 20, 2022 Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump No. 29 Episode 1053. In Egghead, Luffy fought Kizaru and later Saint Saturn as well, and did fairly well against both of them.
Now, in Elbaf's climax, he continues to develop and become stronger with each passing chapter. Luffy is stronger than Egghead as he has a special focus on Haki and counters enemy threats such as Nerona Imu. Despite this, he is not yet at a level where he can beat the world's elite. To reach that level, Luffy will have to work incredibly hard and improve both his Supreme King Haki and his equipment control skills.
“Listen carefully, Straw Hat! Keep in mind how you use the colors of the Great King. These guys are not immortal!” — Scopper Gaban asks Luffy to improve Haki. One Piece Chapter #1152
Even though Luffy said he couldn't imagine losing to Imu. one piece In episode 1186, June 28, 2026, his Gear 5 runs out too quickly, putting him at risk in battle. So far, luck has been on his side, but that may not always be the case. Likewise, Luffy's Haki is not yet sufficient to combat threats like the Five Elders and Imu. For context, Imu's Haki was so powerful that the combined Haki attacks of five legendary figures – Roger, Garp, Rocks, Big Mom, and Whitebeard – could not even leave a scratch on him. one piece Chapter 1163, October 27, 2025. It is impossible at this point for Luffy to hurt Immu with Haki. It's clear that Final Saga needs a makeover. one piece.
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Luffy may further evolve his mythical Zoan Devil Fruit Awakening as hinted by Nerona Imu and Zaza in chapters 1180 and 1182.
The biggest question any fan may have about Luffy's evolution is how he can achieve it. As things stand, Luffy still has quite a bit of room for improvement. Luffy's hockey needs a lot of improvement. Although he has learned how to coat his body in Conqueror's Haki, his overall control over his body is still very immature. This was mentioned by Kaido in the Wano Country arc in episode 1011, and it's clear that it hasn't developed much since then. At Egghead, Luffy caught a glimpse of Joy Boy's Haki and was puzzled as to how such a powerful Haki could exist. He should aspire to reach a similar level, but has not yet achieved it. Because Haki Great cannot be trained and grows through the user's power, Haki greatly improves as Luffy's overall power grows.
“You can control the color of the Great King, but you cannot directly strengthen it. It is an embodiment of the user's spirit. The only way to make it stronger is for the user to become stronger.” — Silvers Rayleigh explains how to strengthen hockey for the greats. One Piece Episode 597
Then we should also take a look at Luffy's mythical Zoan Devil Fruit powers. It goes without saying that Luffy's overall Devil Fruit abilities are enormous. Luffy can utilize Gear 5, obtained through the awakening of Hito Hito no Mi (Model: Nika). one piece Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump No. 17 March 28, 2022 Episode 1044.
He can fight the strongest enemies, but Gear 5 can actually evolve even further. As Luffy learns the power of Advanced Conqueror's Haki, he can coat his body with stronger Haki, causing new, time-limited transformations. Just as Luffy utilizes Gear 4 with his full-output Armament Haki, he can do something similar with Gear 5 and create something even more powerful than his normal Nika state.
At the same time, the power of Gear 5 is enough to give Luffy infinite imagination and make it a reality. This is the fruit of a god, such as Nero or Imu's demon beauty ability or the rain god Zaza revealed in One Piece Chapter 1182 on May 10, 2026. Luffy is able to obtain his own Sun Ring, as both Zaza and Immu have unique rings of elements on their backs. Luffy doesn't seem to be aware of this power at this point, but his energy was even able to activate Egghead's Iron Giant. If Luffy can utilize this special ring of power, he will be able to easily evolve and develop what could be his ultimate Devil Fruit transformation, his true state of Gear 5. With this power, Luffy was able to fight even someone as strong as Immu, which is something he desperately needs from One Piece Chapter 1187 onwards.
Loki: What are those black flames?
Imu: The omen is my military might. It is the power that resides within all living things!
— An exchange explaining Immu’s black flame ring power, One Piece Episode 1181
Luffy's ultimate transformation will help him fight Imu in Elbaf Climax
As things stand now, Luffy is no match for Imu at all. Luffy absolutely stands no chance, given that even Rocks couldn't stand against him and Loki was easily overpowered by him. However, if Luffy can take Conqueror's Haki to the next level and develop something similar to the power Shanks utilizes, plus potentially using the Sun Ring to take Gear 5 to its absolute maximum level, he would certainly be a worthy rival to Imu.
“Was that Haki stronger than the redhead? There was no animosity at all!” — Dorry and Brogy highlight Joy Boy's level. One Piece Episode 1123
You have to remember that Luffy has reached Joy Boy's level. As it stands, he's no stronger than Shanks, so he'll need to get a few more power-ups and develop a lot as a fighter to reach Joy Boy's level. In the end, it is Luffy who will defeat Immu, and the battle officially begins with the release of One Piece Chapter #1186 in WSJ Issue #31 on June 28, 2026. Oda says Luffy will have plenty of opportunities to further develop his Gear 5 in the arc's climax, which could eventually become the source of his infinite power at some point in the story.
All chapters of One Piece written by creator Eiichiro Oda can be read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.
