Monkey D. Luffy officially rose to the position of Yonko in One Piece Chapter 1053, which was released in Chuehsha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #29 on June 20, 2022. In this chapter, the Straw Hat Pirates ascended to a new level alongside Buggy’s Cross Guild and joined the same ranks as Blackbeard and Shanks. Since then, the Straw Hats have continued to grow in terms of strength and influence significantly, as has their captain, Monkey D. Luffy.
Being an Emperor of the Sea, Monkey D. Luffy holds tremendous power at his disposal, which stems from the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, one of the most powerful Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruits in One Piece. On top of this, he also has powerful Conqueror’s Haki, which he uses with tremendous refinement. Despite that, one of the more recent pirates introduced in the story, the Accursed Prince Loki, ranks above him in terms of overall power. Loki’s strength is such that only Red-haired Shanks has been able to defeat him to date, and even characters stronger than Rocks D. Xebec, such as King Harald, were no match when he was in his hybrid form.
One Piece Creator Eiichiro Oda Sets Up Hybrid Loki To Be Stronger Than Luffy
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In One Piece Chapter 1175, which was released in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #14 on March 2, 2026, Eiichiro Oda officially introduced one of the most legendary Devil Fruits in the series, that being the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Nidhoggr. Eaten by Loki 14 years ago, this Devil Fruit was guarded by Ragnir in Elbaf for centuries and was eventually eaten by none other than the Accursed Prince. The power of this Devil Fruit is tremendous, such that it even went on to shock both Scopper Gaban and Shanks when they witnessed it in action against King Harald. While Loki was already a tremendously powerful individual prior to consuming this Devil Fruit, this ability, along with the Ragnir buff that he got with it in One Piece Chapter 1170 on January 5, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Double Issue #6-7, took him to an entirely new level.
“The Mythical Zoan Ryu Ryu no Mi…it is said that whoever eats it can transform into the largest dragon in the whole world. The size of the creature is relative to the initial size of whoever ate the fruit. They say this dragon breathes lightning, and when it flies, its jet black wings turn day into night.” — Jarul explains the Nidhoggr ability in One Piece Chapter #1175
To put that into perspective, we only need to take a look at the life of King Harald, whom he officially defeated in combat in the same chapter. King Harald was a monstrously powerful entity who was every bit as strong as Rocks D. Xebec. In fact, these two were equals in power, as was portrayed by Oda in multiple chapters, specifically One Piece Chapter 1155 on July 21, 2025, and later down the line, in One Piece Chapter 1158 on September 1, 2025. While Harald was already as strong as Rocks D. Xebec, who himself was equal to the Pirate King Roger, he became even stronger upon receiving a significant buff by Nerona Imu through the Depths Covenant in One Piece Chapter 1168, which was officially released on December 8, 2025, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #2.
Image created by the author Rei Penber using official One Piece assets.
Harald: This insane power…it’s surging within me. It’s chilling!
Mars: This is the power of immortality.
Warcury: It sends shivers down the spine.
Nusjuro: He’s now beyond any monster. He’s now a weapon.
— Exchange showcasing Harald’s growth in power after the Depths Covenant, One Piece Chapter #1168
The power of the Depths Covenant was such that Harald received a significant boost to his overall physical strength and, on top of that, got the powers of immortality and regeneration as well. The version of Harald that Loki took on in combat in One Piece Chapter 1170 was thus far stronger than Rocks, and thanks to the power of the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Nidhoggr, Loki was able to not only overwhelm but surpass him.
In terms of power, Loki’s offensive capabilities were taken to the next level when he tapped into his hybrid form, and it is this hybrid form of his that ranks even above Yonko Luffy at the moment, even though the latter is strong enough to rival the likes of Yonko Kaido or hold his own against Admiral Kizaru and the Five Elders. Loki, especially in his hybrid Nidhoggr form, is on a completely different level, ranking even above the likes of the top tiers of the One Piece world.
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How Loki Became A Pirate After The Death Of King Harald
Image by Rei Penber/GameRant
Most fans don’t associate Loki with being a pirate. However, One Piece Chapter 1171 officially confirms to us that, after the death of King Harald, Loki took a skeleton crew and a pirate ship with him and operated in the Grand Line to oppose the World Government. While technically Loki never flew the flag of a pirate, he was branded as such by the World Government. He specifically hunted down Government ships in presumably the Florian Triangle, just like Harald had operated there years prior to his death. It is specifically because of this activity that the World Government granted him a special bounty of 2.6 billion berries.
“It was years ago, when a Giant ship was glimpsed at sea, helmed by a Captain of truly immense stature. The craft was never identified, for it skulked deep within the fog-shrouded regions, yet it only ever targeted World Government ships.” — Nerona Imu explains Loki’s exploits as a pirate, One Piece Chapter #1178
In reality, Loki’s bounty should have been much greater. However, because the World Government never truly confirmed for themselves that the Nidhoggr was back in the world or that the one wielding the ability was none other than Prince Loki, his bounty remained rather low. All things considered, Loki is on a completely different level of strength when it comes to Luffy, and he has the potential to get even stronger if he awakens his Devil Fruit.
Why Loki’s Devil Fruit Awakening Could Widen The Gap Between Him And Luffy Even More
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Devil Fruit Awakening is a unique concept that comes into play when the mind and body of the user finally catch up with the ability, as explained by Yonko Kaido in One Piece Chapter 1045 in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #18 on April 4, 2022.
“Awakening is what happens when your mind and body catch up with your ability. And those certainly are ridiculous powers!” – Kaido explains Devil Fruit Awakening, One Piece Chapter #1046
Monkey D. Luffy ended up awakening his Devil Fruit in One Piece Chapter 1044, and it was clear for us to see how significant a rise in strength he showcased. His awakened transformation is levels above his Gear 4 form. The same can be said for other Awakenings that we have seen as well. For instance, Law’s Ope Ope no Mi awakening allowed him to deal deadly damage to Big Mom and fracture several of her bones and damage her internal organs. Normally, Ope Ope no Mi could never produce this level of damage.
The same would be true for Loki as well. He is the user of the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Nidhoggr, but the ability does not seem to be awakened yet. If it is, Loki has not tapped into his Awakened form just yet. If he does manage to awaken this Devil Fruit, which remains a strong possibility at the moment, then the gap between him and Luffy would widen even further. Loki is already among the strongest in the world of One Piece, with only Shanks having been able to defeat him so far. If his Devil Fruit awakens, he could potentially go even higher than Shanks in terms of overall power, and while he wouldn’t call himself a pirate anymore, he would still rank among the most dangerous people in the entire One Piece world.
All the latest One Piece chapters by creator Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
