After four years, One Piece has officially set Luffy's biggest power-up since Gear 5.

with one piece It will return with episode 1183 in the 26th issue of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump on May 24, 2026.Currently, all eyes are on the series' protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. He is preparing to enter the final battle with Imu at the climax of the Elbaf Arc. This incredibly exciting battle, which fans have been waiting for for a long time, sees the sun god Nika face off against the demon god. one piece We resume the battle that ended 800 years ago, at the end of the Void Century.

It is clear that the battle between Luffy and Imu will be an exciting match that will further heighten the climax of the Elbaf arc, but it is important to note that the Straw Hat Pirates captain's power is currently nowhere near the level of Nero or Imu. Despite having the power of Gear 5, Luffy has no comparison when it comes to overall strength. Series author Eiichiro Oda has already set up major Haki upgrades for him in the upcoming battle, and even more than that, he's set up a potential evolution for Gear 5 that will see him more than make up for his lack of strength to defeat the Lord of the World.

The Elbaph Arc Climax from One Piece sets up Luffy's next Haki power-up to fight Imu.

one piece Elbaph Arc climax shocked all fans. Episode 1179 was officially released in the 19th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump on April 6, 2026. Nerona Imu, officially the king of the entire world, has been defeated in Warland. The appearance of Nero or Imu in Elbaf was completely unexpected, but against all odds, he shocked fans by showing up to face both Nika and Nidhoggr on his own. Following episode 1180 of the manga, released the following week, Imu eliminated Zoro, Sanji, and Hajrudin and began a battle with Loki, the warrior god of Elbaph. This battle continued thereafter.

meantime, one piece Chapter 1181 showed Monkey D. Luffy's final appearance as he continues to consume massive amounts of food in preparation for his battle with Nerona Imu. Apparently, Eiichiro Oda has already set up Luffy vs. Imu based on the latest developments in the story. one piece Chapter 1183 and subsequent chapters, which will be released on May 24, 2026, will take the story in this direction and set up the ultimate conflict between the sun god Nika and the demon demon Imu.

“I need to eat more! I've never felt anything like this before! It's so heavy and rough! What is this guy's hockey?” — Monkey D. Luffy after feeling Immu's Haki in One Piece #1181

Comparing the power of Luffy and Immu, it is obvious that the former is no match at this point. In fact, in the Wano Country arc, he struggled to defeat guys like Kaido, and in Egghead, he was unable to completely defeat Kizaru. It is absurd to think that one can fight on equal footing against Nero or Imu, who are much stronger than either of them. thankfully one piece Chapter 1152, officially released in the 30th issue of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump on June 23, 2025, officially sets up Monkey D. Luffy's hockey upgrade by Eiichiro Oda.

in one piece In 1152, Scoper Gavan gave Luffy a lot of specific advice before fighting the Holy Knights. Gavan told us to keep in mind how to use Conqueror's Haki correctly. Because only then will you realize that the Paladin is not immortal. This means that Gavan's message came after seeing Luffy's fight with himself in episode 1140 of the story. Gaban assessed Luffy's use of Conqueror's Haki as weak and callous. If Luffy wants to fight and defeat Nero or Imu, he must know how to properly use the Conqueror's Haki. Therefore, Eiichiro Oda set up a major Haki upgrade for Luffy.

“You, Straw Hat! Remember how to use the colors of the Great King. They are not immortal!” — Scoffer Gavan is telling Luffy to use Haki properly. One Piece Episode 1152

It's no surprise that Conqueror's Haki level varies depending on the user. Joyboy's Haki was revealed for the first time in One Piece Episode 1122, which was officially released in Issues 36-37 of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump on August 5, 2024. Since he caused tremendous pain to Nero and Immu, it was clear that he was much stronger than Luffy or any other character in the world of One Piece.

“Was that Haki stronger than the redhead? There was no animosity at all!” — Dori and Brogy, One Piece Episode 1123

Shanks also demonstrated his Haki in several instances in the series, such as Chapters 1056 and 1079. His accomplishments, including paralyzing the Admiral and defeating Eustass Kid and Killer with a single swing of his blade, led Shanks to demonstrate superior Haki to Monkey D. Luffy. For Luffy to be able to compete on the same level as Nero or Imu, he must stand on a similar level in Haki manipulation, and the climax of the Elbaf arc is what sets this ascension to the next level.

The reason why Luffy was able to obtain the awakening ring in Elbaf Climax

While the Conqueror's Haki upgrade itself is massive enough to see Luffy compete with Imu at the highest level, there's another power-up that Eiichiro Oda has quietly set out for him. At the climax of the Elbaf arc, especially after chapter 1179, the demon god of the One Piece world, Nero or Imu, manifested a ring of black flame behind him. Likewise, in One Piece Episode 1182, which was officially released on May 10, 2024, in the 24th issue of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump, another new rain god, Zaza, appeared with a water ring on his back.

Luffy is the sun god, but he doesn't currently have a ring. This may suggest that this power has not yet fully awakened in him. During the battle with Nero or Imu, Luffy can also evolve by manifesting a ring of flames on his back if he can truly realize the power of the sun god Nika. This can greatly increase his overall power level by bringing out his true Gear 5 abilities and granting him immense strength. It can also improve Conqueror's Haki, as confirmed by Rayleigh in Chapter 597 of the story, as Conqueror's Haki cannot be trained directly, but instead grows in power as the user becomes stronger.

You can control the color of the Great King, but you cannot directly train him to be stronger. It embodies the spirit of our users. The only way to make it stronger is for the user to become stronger. — Silvers Rayleigh to Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece Episode 597

In any case, Luffy vs Imu will be very important to the overall character development of the series protagonist, both in terms of her role as Sun God Nika and her overall character strengths. We can't wait to see how this battle unfolds and how Luffy's new Haki power-up shapes his journey from here. one piece We are heading towards World War I, which will eventually bring that war to an end.

The latest chapters of the One Piece manga can be read through Manga Plus and Biz Media.