July 12, 2026, one piece It marked the release of Chapter 1188, which officially presents the battle between the sun god Nika Luffy and the king of the world, Nerona Imu. This was an incredibly exciting battle that we've all been eagerly awaiting, but it was also one that ended so abruptly that it took every reader by surprise.
at the end one piece In 1188, Nero or Imu manifested the Sword of Nothingness: Vohu and stabbed Monkey D. Luffy in the gut, officially ending the brief battle. Through this, Nero and Imu also showed that they were superior to Luffy in terms of using the Devil Fruit. Now his fruit, hinted at as the mythical Joan, has been officially confirmed by Eiichiro Oda to be stronger than Luffy's Hito Hitonomi, model: Nika. Up to this point in the story, the Nika Fruit has reigned as the ultimate Devil Fruit, but now the Imu Fruit has proven to have far greater versatility and firepower.
One Piece Chapter 1188 Officially Confirms Imu's Mythical Joan Akumanomi Above Luffy's Nika Fruit
in one piece Episode 1179, which was officially released on April 5, 2026, shocked us all with Nerona Imu's official appearance in Elbaf in the 19th issue of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump. In this chapter, Imu's full design was revealed, and at the same time, Oda surprised all the fans by revealing his Devil Fruit powers to all of us. Nerona Imu has been shown to wield the most powerful Devil Fruit called Akumanomi, which literally translates to 'Devil's Fruit'. The name of the fruit immediately implies that this fruit takes precedence over all other Devil Fruits and is above the pecking order giving it the greatest power. In particular, during Imu's fight with Loki in One Piece Chapter 1181, Nero and Imu confirmed that their abilities were simply the control of a god who had made a contract with a devil.
Loki: So your power is the rule of God? It's like a contract with the devil!
Imu: Oh my god? devil? What is the difference?
— God's Reign from Imu's Show Akuma no Mi, One Piece Chapter 1181
Nero and Imu's power is such that even Loki, Elbaf's powerful war god, cannot stand against him and is ultimately defeated with only minimal damage. Nika Monkey D. Luffy, the sun god of the One Piece world, also tried his luck against Nero and Imu, but failed. Luffy utilized Gear 5 immediately after striking Immu for the first time, and surprisingly, the moment Immu switched on, he was never able to land a single blow again. Throughout this battle, Monkey D. Luffy is completely outclassed by the King of the World, and it becomes clear to us that he is no longer a contender.
“Of course I know you're not Joy Boy! Joy Boy wasn't that weak!!” — Imu defeats Luffy and confirms that he is weaker than Joy Boy. One Piece Episode 1188
At the end of the chapter, Nero or Imu utilized the power of the black ring on his back to create the Sword of Nothingness: Bohu and stabbed Luffy in the gut. By taking lives and shedding blood, Nerona Imu was confirmed as the victor of the first battle between the two gods of the One Piece world. With this development, Eiichiro Oda confirmed that his demon nomi is superior to Hitohitonomi (model: Nika).
How Imu's versatility and firepower overwhelmed Hito Hitonomi, model: Nika
Introduction from one piece March 28, 2022 Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump No. 17 Episode 1044, Luffy's Hitohitonomi, Model: Nika is a very powerful mythical animal devil fruit, this goes without saying. Through this fruit, Luffy can become a warrior of liberation and a sun god who brings smiles and laughter to the faces of the oppressed and the needy. It also gives Luffy's body the characteristic of rubber and allows him to fight freely like no other. Above all, Luffy can break the very laws of nature and do anything imaginable in battle. Luffy's only limitation in battle is his own imagination, which shows the truly overwhelming nature of his Devil Fruit.
“A warrior of liberation who has a body with the power of rubber, fights as she pleases, and brings smiles to people's faces… aka Nika, the Sun God!” — Elders explain Nika Devil Fruit, One Piece Chapter 1044.
That said, despite this incredible power, Luffy is no match for Nerona Imu, and much of that is down to Imu's Akuma no Mi versatility. The mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, as recognized by Nerona Imu, grants him an incredibly powerful transformation, turning him into a demon with tremendous physical attributes. Imu is superior to Luffy in every way, including speed, strength, and resilience. In addition, Imu also has the ability to use a somewhat mysterious spell book that has not yet been shown in the battle with Luffy. But we know it exists because it was used in One Piece Episode 1150 on June 2, 2025.
With his power, Nero or Imu can cast various spells and force people into unique contracts. Nerona Imu can also use the Black Flame of Omen to both attack and defend, as confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1181 of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump 2 Issues 22-23, April 27, 2026. Obviously, the firepower that Akuma no Mi offers is truly enormous. Additionally, Imu also has access to unique weapons that he can summon using his black flames. These weapons include:
-
Sword of Fury: Gram
-
Sword of Judgment: Nemesis
-
Sword of Nothingness: Vohu
-
Sword of Hatred: Stigma
There are many other weapons that the Imu possesses, all of which are incredibly dangerous in combat. Obviously, Imu's versatility is on a whole other level compared to that of Monkey D. Luffy, which is what makes him the most powerful character in the One Piece universe right now. Luffy's Nika form is amazing in and of itself, but Imu's mythical Zoan Akuma no Mi is on a whole other level, and its power can't be matched by anyone in the world today.
Eiichiro Oda needs to give Luffy's Nika Fruit a big upgrade to compete with Akumanomi
Based on Luffy's performance in One Piece Chapter 1188 on July 12, 2026, it is clear that Eiichiro Oda has established Imu as a commanding figure that no one can defeat at this point. Given that Luffy is the protagonist and the one who must ultimately defeat evil, Oda must find a way to strengthen the protagonist. Luffy's Nikah Fruit is powerful as is, but the Straw Hat captain will need a huge upgrade if he is to fight Nero or Imu once again in One Piece Chapter 1189 on July 26, 2026. As things stand, Luffy is no match for Imu. But with Luffy's Gear 5 upgraded and a potential Gear 6 unlocked, we'll likely see a more fair battle between these two.
The current Luffy and his Nika form are incredibly underwhelming compared to the mythical Zoan Akuma no Mi as recognized by Nerona Imu. The fact that Imu is currently incredibly nerfed in Elbaf makes the gap between them even more vast. In the next chapter of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda may continue to power up Luffy to bridge the gap between the two, but fans shouldn't expect the Straw Hat captain to reach Imu's level in this issue.
The latest chapter of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga was published in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump and can be read through Manga Plus and Biz Media.
