With the release of One Piece Chapter 1188 on July 12, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #33, Eiichiro Oda shocked us all with the massive revelation of Monkey D. Luffy’s defeat in the battle against Nerona Imu. Despite having eaten a ton of food and being at full power, as well as utilizing the Awakening the Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika, Monkey D. Luffy was completely outclassed and overwhelmed in his short-lived battle against Imu. To make things worse, Luffy was officially labeled as way too weak by Nerona Imu, which essentially sets up a major power-up for him in the future of the series and, as such, officially confirms to us that Luffy’s Gear 6 could now be on the way.
With Gear 5 proving to be insufficient in battle against Imu, and Joy Boy’s level confirmed to be way higher than that of Luffy, it is now time for the protagonist to evolve even further and reach the pinnacle of strength in the One Piece world, which would then facilitate the pushback against Nerona Imu in Elbaf.
One Piece Chapter 1188 Confirms Luffy’s Gear 5 Is Too Weak To Beat Imu
One Piece Chapter 1188 was absolutely sensational, given that the vast majority of the chapter focused on the battle between Monkey D. Luffy and Nerona Imu. We had high expectations from this battle because Luffy was at the pinnacle of strength after having consumed more than enough food for five straight chapters. In fact, when Luffy sprang into battle in One Piece Chapter 1186, which was officially released on June 28, 2026, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, he officially stated that he had consumed enough food and was overflowing with energy. Luffy stated in an ominous message that he could imagine himself losing to anyone the way he was, which is precisely why his defeat just two chapters later at the hands of Nerona Imu came as a major shock to us.
“That bad news guy is Elbaf’s enemy, right? Then, that means he’s my enemy as well. I’m overflowing with strength. Right now, I cannot see anyone beating me.” — Monkey D. Luffy’s message, One Piece Chapter #1186
Image via Toei Animation.
Despite Luffy’s Gear 5 being incredibly powerful and tested in battle against Yonko Kaido, Kizaru, and even the Five Elders, he was not able to do much against Nerona Imu. In fact, much to the surprise of the fans, Luffy was not even able to land a single hit on Imu and was completely overwhelmed in this short-lived battle. At the end of it all, he was pierced by Nerona Imu’s Blade of Nothingness: Vohu. This sword pierced Luffy right through his torso and made him bleed profusely. With Luffy now completely out of commission and having taken a serious wound, it is time for Gear 5 to retire from battle and for Gear 6 to make its entry. However, even if Gear 6 doesn’t happen in this battle, what we know from this short-lived fight is that Luffy has to evolve further in one way or another, and Gear 6 has to happen at some point in the final saga.
Imu: Blade of Nothingness: Vohu!
Luffy: What? The forest withered away!
Imu: The view is far clearer now.
Luffy: Same from up here!
— Imu unleashes the Blade of Nothingness: Vohu, One Piece Chapter #1188
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One Piece Brings Back Another User Of Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika
The previous user of Luffy’s Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, just made a new appearance in the latest One Piece chapter 1188.
Eiichiro Oda Sets Up Gear 6 For Luffy To Push Him To Joy Boy’s Level
If One Piece Chapter 1188 made one thing clear to us, it is that Joy Boy was much stronger than Luffy. This was confirmed directly by Nerona Imu at the end of the chapter, immediately after he utilized the power of Omen to create the Blade of Nothingness: Vohu. Upon the creation of the sword, Imu sprang through the air, and before Luffy could even know what hit him, he pierced him right through the torso and hung him by the sword, declaring him too weak to be called Joy Boy.
“Of course I know that thou art not Joy Boy! Joy Boy was not this weak!!” — Nerona Imu, disappointed by Luffy, One Piece Chapter #1188
This tells us directly that Joy Boy was significantly stronger than Monkey D. Luffy and had enough power to stand on even footing against Nerona Imu in battle. Yet at the same time, we know that Luffy’s Gear 5 is his ultimate Devil Fruit transformation, which he called his peak in One Piece Chapter 1044, on March 28, 2022, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17. The simple inference from here is that Luffy needs to evolve his Devil Fruit powers even further and tap into the true awakening of his fruit, which would then allow him to develop a new Gear and, at the same time, attain higher power as he continues to fight Nerona Imu.
“What’s happening? How can I still stand? I just lost, but I feel like I’m having a blast! Ahahahahaha! I feel like anything is possible now. I can keep fighting a little longer. This is my peak. This is Gear 5.” — Monkey D. Luffy uses Gear 5, One Piece Chapter #1044
Why Gear 6 Is A Necessity In The Final Saga Of One Piece
As things stand, Luffy has not got access to Gear 6, and Gear 5 remains to be his pinnacle. But there are certain abilities of Gear 5 that can be improved upon to create Gear 6. For example, Monkey D. Luffy is called the Sun God, yet almost none of his abilities are even remotely close to the sun itself. If Nika was called the Sun God, there must have been a significant reason behind it. Yet Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation does not connect to the sun in any way. In fact, when Luffy debuted his Gear 5, Oda specifically juxtaposed it against the moon to portray that this transformation might not be at its pinnacle just yet.
This is further supported by the fact that One Piece Chapter 1179, which was released on April 5, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19, showcased Nerona Imu with a ring of black flames behind his back. Meanwhile, One Piece Chapter 1182 showcased Rain God Zaza with a ring of water behind her back. Luffy does not have this ring yet, and perhaps when he manages to manifest this ring, it is going to be a ring of flames, which would explain why Nika was called the Sun God. Once this power is awakened, Luffy could potentially call this form Gear 6 and thus be able to receive a significant buff in order to fight on even footing against Nerona Imu. In any case, Luffy needs a major power buff, both in terms of Devil Fruit abilities and Haki, if he is to truly beat Imu. As things stand, without Imu even going all out, Luffy is already incapable of taking him down.
All the latest manga chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
