In the 17th issue of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump on March 28, 2022, Monkey D. Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit Hitohitonomi (Model: Nika) and unlocked the power of Gear 5 in Chapter 1044. This was his biggest power-up to date, and he didn't receive any other power-ups for the next four years. That is, until one piece Episode 1186 was officially released in the 31st issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump on June 28, 2026.
Monkey D. Luffy has officially entered the biggest battle in history. one piece He delivered a powerful blow of the overwhelming King Haki to Nero or Imu. With the start of this battle, it was officially confirmed by writer Eiichiro Oda that Luffy received the biggest Haki King power-up since Wano Country, and it's something we've been patiently anticipating for years.
Monkey D. Luffy's massive Haki boost on Elbaf against Imu in One Piece Chapter 1186 has been officially confirmed.
in one piece In episode 1186, the flashbacks regarding Brook and Shuri's characters are officially over. This flashback establishes the Straw Hat Pirates' primary goal of rescuing Princess Shuri from the clutches of Nero or Imu and the World Government following the destruction of Esperia decades ago. Above all, attention returned to the main battle taking place in Elbaf, <엘바프>I was able to see Monkey D. Luffy, the main character of . one pieceLet's go into battle once again. In One Piece Chapter 1181, Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump Volume 2 Issues 22-23, which was officially released on April 27, 2026, Monkey D. Luffy is seen consuming a huge amount of food to prepare for his battle with Imu. Now, in Chapter 1186, Luffy has officially declared that he possesses so much power that he cannot imagine being defeated by anyone.
“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 eats food and powers up to fight Immu, One Piece Chapter 1181
What gave us a big surprise was that Luffy entered the battle with the world's strongest man, Nero or Imu, and threw a powerful punch that wore both the colors of the warlord and the colors of the Great King Haki. This punch landed directly on Yimu's face, and even though the King of the World was in his most powerful form, he was unable to avoid or block it. Almost all of Luffy's attributes, including his speed, strength, and Haki refinement, have been greatly enhanced by Oda, and to top it all off, he hasn't even harnessed the power of Gear 5 yet. This clearly indicates that Monkey D. Luffy has received a significant power-up regarding his base form and, more importantly, his innate Haki.
“The guy who brings the bad news is Elbaf’s enemy, right? That means he’s also my enemy. He’s full of power. I don’t see anyone hitting me right now.” – Monkey D. Luffy shows off his new powers, One Piece Chapter #1186
To put this in perspective, One Piece Chapter 1180, which was officially released in Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 21 on April 20, 2026, sees Roronoa Zoro and Sanji face off against Imu. Zoro unleashed his strongest form, the King of Hell, and unleashed his full-power armament and Great King Haki at Imu, but was blocked by the tail and fell in a single retaliatory attack. Likewise, Sanji used his strongest ability, the power of Ifrit Jambe, to throw a powerful kick at Imu, but it was eventually blocked and Sanji was defeated as a result.
Even Loki (Model: Nidhoggr), the cursed prince and wielder of the power of Ryu Ryu no Mi, has fought Nerona Imu continuously for four chapters now, but has only managed to land a single hit on him. This only happened when Imu was reminiscing about Joy Boy, i.e. when he was distracted. The series' protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, was powered up by Eiichiro Oda to the point where he could inflict critical damage to Nero or Imu with just his newly improved Haki without using Ultimate Gear 5.
One Piece Officially Reveals New Devil Fruit from Hell
A new Devil Fruit from Hell has been officially revealed in the latest Elbaf arc of One Piece.
Basic Luffy's Strengths in Elbaf Compared to Egghead Arc
Certainly, Monkey D. Luffy received a significant power-up to his physical attributes from Elbaf. This is evident when comparing Luffy's power now to three years ago, when we saw him compete with Admiral Kizaru in the Battle of Egghead in One Piece Chapter 1092, released on September 14, 2023. Luffy in his base form couldn't hold his own against Kizaru. In fact, he immediately began transforming into Gear 5 in Episode 1093 of One Piece. Even Gear 4: Snakeman was easily overwhelmed by Navy Captain Kizaru.
“It's really clear that you are the one who brought down Kaido. You are a strong man, so why should you protect Vegapunk? I don't want to kill him. I've known Vegapunk for years. Now, don't get in my way. After all, speed equals strength.” — Kizaru blows away Snake Man Luffy. One Piece Episode 1092
Compared to Kizaru, Nerona Imu is much stronger, and despite this, Monkey D. Luffy performs much better against him in his base form, indicating a significant improvement in his Haki and physical characteristics. Obviously, this indicates that Luffy's current base form is much more powerful and refined than the one he had against Admiral Kizaru in Egghead. This officially raises the level of the Straw Hat Yonko of the Sea even higher, placing him higher on the list of the most powerful Haki users currently existing in the world of One Piece. As One Piece continues the battle between Monkey D. Luffy and Nerona Imu in Chapter 1187, which is scheduled for official release on July 5, 2026, we will see more of Luffy fighting Imu at his base alongside Haki in Issue 32 of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump. Ultimately, the Straw Hat Pirate will utilize his Gear 5, which will likely also receive a significant upgrade.
Why Luffy is set to receive an extra strength upgrade in Elbaf Climax
At the climax of the Elbaf arc, the main goal of the Straw Hat Pirates and the Giants is to oust the World Government and counter the attacks of the world king, Immu. Luffy therefore has a huge responsibility on his shoulders, and Gear 5, despite being incredibly powerful, is not suited to it. Once Imu starts going all out, Luffy will need new upgrades to keep up with him, so it's likely that series creator Eiichiro Oda will also give him a significant buff.
“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 refine Haki so he can beat the immortals. One Piece Episode 1152
This also matches his crew members Zoro and Sanji. Both are already lined up to receive significant upgrades when it comes to Haki. In One Piece Chapter 1152, which was released in the 30th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump on June 23, 2025, Eiichiro Oda officially lined up Zoro and Sanji's Great King Haki power-ups. It's highly unlikely that Luffy won't receive a buff for his crew, so we could see him further strengthen his control over the colors of the Great King or awaken the Sun Ring to receive a significant buff to his Gear 5. Anyway, Luffy is getting quite a buff in terms of strength, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what abilities he gains in the climactic half of the Elbaf Arc.
All the latest One Piece manga chapters written by Eiichiro Oda can be read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.
