Eiichiro Oda one piece It has an incredibly extensive power system, primarily powered by Devil Fruit abilities. There are quite a few characters who use their abilities to undergo unique transformations. The most powerful change so far has been one piece Monkey D. Luffy's Gear 5 is the awakening of Hito Hitonomi (model: Nika), who appeared in Chapter 1044 on March 28, 2022 in Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 17.
Now, four years later, One Piece has officially toppled Luffy's Gear 5 with the latest reveal of Nero or Imu's Demon God transformation due to the use of the Akumanomi ability, as officially confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1179 of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump's 19th April 2026 issue.
In Episode 1179 of One Piece, Nero and Imu's Akuma transformation surpasses Luffy's Gear 5.
one piece Chapter 1179 was released on April 6, 2026, marking a historic moment for the series as a whole. It is in this chapter that we first officially reveal the full character design of Nero or Imu, who has decided to descend on Elbaf to erase both the sun god Nika and Nidhoggr from existence. Through this, Eiichiro Oda truly showed us all the power of Nero Naimu and confirmed that he is indeed the wielder of the Devil Fruit.
Founder of World Government (one of the first 20)
Power: Akumanomi
Castle Nerona Immu, king of that world
— One Piece Episode 1179 Nerona Immu Introduction Box
Interestingly, Nero Naimu's Devil Fruit is quite different from other Devil Fruits that exist in the One Piece universe and is named Akuma no Mi. Nero or Imu can use the power of Akumanomi to transform into the devil himself, a 'demon god' as he calls it. This demon-god transformation debuted in 1179, and its powers emerged in subsequent chapters running from 1180 to 1183, when Brooks' flashback officially takes over.
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?
— Imu explaining his Akuma no Mi abilities in One Piece Chapter 1181.
Nero and Imu's Akumanomi transformation is unique. It gives him two giant horns, a pair of massive black wings, tanned skin, and a naginata as a weapon. He can also harness the power of the Omen, which he calls his military might, and use it to craft various weapons such as bullets, bombs, shields, morning stars, swords, and even spears, as officially introduced in Chapters 1180-1183.
“Omen is my military power. It is the power that resides within all living things.” — Nerona Imu explains Akuma no Mi Omen, One Piece Chapter 1181.
Imu's physical prowess is such that he can easily overpower Loki, despite having the might of the ice squirrel Ratatoskr at his side. He can one-shot characters like Zoro, Sanji, and Hajrudin as officially introduced. one piece Episode 1180 was released in the 21st issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump on April 20, 2026. Clearly, Nerona Imu stands as the most powerful character in One Piece in the current era, and his Akuma transformation is the most powerful we've seen in the story so far.
Why Akuma no Mi is a Unique Devil Fruit Transformation
The power of Nero or Imu's demon god is special in many ways. This devil fruit not only makes him stronger by granting him the power of omens and various contracts and spells, but it is also special in that it has unique abilities that cannot be compared to any other fruit in the world of One Piece. All Devil Fruits that exist in the One Piece world fall into a specific naming pattern. Each Devil Fruit has a naming pattern that is repeated twice, all of which are often written in kanji by author Eiichiro Oda. For example, Luffy's Hito Hito no Mi, Buggy's Bara Bara no Mi, Kuzan's Hie Hie no Mi, and Ace's Mera Mera no Mi all follow a similar naming pattern. Imu's Akuma no Mi is very different.
Demon nomi only has a singular name and uses katakana instead of kanji. In other words, this is the best Devil Fruit in the One Piece world, and its name clearly embodies that. Wielding the power of the Devil Fruit before everything else that exists in the world of One Piece, it's no surprise that Nerona Imu utilizes transformations that far surpass the likes of Monkey D. Luffy's Gear 5 or Loki's Nidhoggr.
“What’s going on? I’ve never felt hockey like this before, not even in God Valley!” — Scopper Gaban confirms that Imu's transformation is the most powerful. One Piece Chapter #1180
Luffy can develop new transformations that surpass Nero and Imu's Akuma abilities.
The Elbaf arc of One Piece follows the conclusion of the Brook flashback, setting up the ultimate battle between Monkey D. Luffy and Nerona Imu. one piece Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump No. 29 June 14, 2026 Episode 1185. As of now, Luffy has no chance against Imu and even his Gear 5 isn't enough to take him down. This is evident in the fact that Luffy and Loki are scaling to similar levels of power. But Loki seems to be struggling to land even one decent strike against the Sovereign of the World.
“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!” – Gorose explaining the power of the sun god Nika, One Piece Episode 1044
In order for Luffy to defeat Nero or Immu or push him away, he will need a more powerful transformation, something that Eiichiro Oda may introduce at the climax of the Elbaf Arc after the end of the Brook flashback. This change could come from Luffy upgrading his Haki and combining it with Gear 5, or it could be as simple as awakening his Devil Fruit to a whole new level and achieving a greater overall power level. If Luffy does so, he will also have access to a unique transformation that directly rivals the power of Akumanomi possessed by Nero or Imu.
We're eager to see how Eiichiro Oda sets up once the Luffy vs. Immu battle begins and what abilities he gives him. What we can say for sure at this point is that Luffy will have to become much stronger to fight Nero or Imu, or Elbaf and Luffy himself will fall.
All new One Piece manga chapters written by creator Eiichiro Oda can be read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.
