One Piece Officially Sets Up The Final Upgrade To Luffy’s Gear 5

On March 23, 2022, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shounen Jump issue #17, Monkey D. Luffy officially debuted his ultimate transformation called Gear 5. This transformation was made possible due to the awakening of Luffy’s Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, one of the most powerful Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits that carries the name of a God. Since then in One Piece, Luffy has demonstrated the powers of his Sun God Nika form on multiple occasions, and it is clear to see that he is incredibly overpowered already.

However, when it comes to fighting the absolute strongest of the world, such as the Devil God Nerona Imu, who officially descended upon Elbaf in chapter 1179 on April 6, 2026, Luffy’s Gear 5 is not enough, and he needs to go beyond. The Elbaf arc, which is currently in its climax, has set the basis for Luffy doing just that, and we absolutely cannot wait to see the next upgrade to his Sun God Nika form.

One Piece Prepares For A Major Haki Boost To Gear 5 In The Luffy Vs Imu Battle In Elbaf Climax

Monkey D. Luffy’s Gear 5 is his strongest transformation by far. The Gear 5 form was officially obtained by him in Chapter 1044, and it was clear that after being killed by Kaido’s powerful Horai Hakke, Luffy finally managed to unlock his true potential and understand the true nature of his Devil Fruit ability.

“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 #1045

His body became more rubbery and was able to fight more freely than ever before. Most importantly, Luffy was not bound by anything other than his own imagination and could do just about anything he put his mind to. This became the true power of his Gear 5 transformation and made him a force to be reckoned with. While Luffy initially struggled to fight against Kaido, after gaining access to the power of Gear 5, he was easily able to overwhelm him on multiple occasions, which went to show his superior fighting capabilities. Since then, two arcs have passed, and Luffy’s Gear 5 has only gotten better.

The true power of Luffy’s Gear 5 will be tested against Nerona Imu in the climax of the Elbaf arc. In One Piece chapter 1181, which was officially released on April 27, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue 22-23, Monkey D. Luffy was seen preparing to face off against Imu by consuming huge amounts of food. Naturally, this is going to fix one of the biggest flaws that Luffy has when it comes to Gear 5, and that is a lack of stamina. Once the stamina is made up for, Luffy’s strength needs an upgrade as well.

“Gotta eat more! I’ve never felt anything like this before! It’s so heavy and harsh! What’s with this guy’s Haki?” — Monkey D. Luffy consumes extra food to fight Imu, One Piece Chapter #1181

While Gear 5 is incredibly powerful, it is not strong enough to defeat Nerona Imu, as things stand. Even Loki, who should be, in every way of the word, an equal to the Sun God Nika, is struggling to land consecutive hits on Imu. For Luffy to do that as he is, is going to be impossible, and that is precisely why he must get an upgrade. In order to increase the efficiency and fighting power of Luffy’s Gear 5, Eiichiro Oda is likely to give him a Haki upgrade. In One Piece Chapter 1152, Scopper Gaban told Luffy to keep in mind how he uses his Haki properly. Once Luffy learns how to utilize Conqueror’s Haki at a higher level, just like Shanks, he is going to become much stronger overall, and his efficiency with Gear 5 is also going to increase drastically. Only then can he stand a chance against Nerona Imu in battle.

“Listen, Straw Hat! Etch into your mind how you use your Color of the Supreme King. These guys aren’t immortal! — Scopper Gaban tells Luffy how to beat the immortals, One Piece Chapter #1152

Why Stronger Haki Can Push Luffy’s Gear 5 To Newer Heights

When it comes to the power of Supreme King Haki, it is tied inherently to the strength of the user. Unlike other Haki, Supreme King Haki cannot be trained directly. It becomes stronger as the user grows in strength. As such, when Luffy is stronger than before, his Haki is also going to grow. Conversely, once Luffy’s Haki is stronger, his Gear 5 is automatically going to receive a significant buff. This buff comes in terms of both offense and defense. Luffy’s offensive capabilities will increase drastically, allowing him to deal more damage to the likes of Nerona Imu in combat.

Similarly, Luffy’s defense will also improve to the point where powerful hits from the likes of Imu won’t do lasting damage, and he can take part in an extended battle. This should also reflect in his overall stamina, and with time, he should be able to maintain Gear 5 for longer periods. All these problems could be fixed by Eiichiro Oda at once in the Elbaf arc, which we are eagerly waiting to see.

“Though you can control the Color of the Supreme King, you can’t train it to be stronger directly. It is the embodiment of the spirit of the user. The only way to make it stronger is for the user to grow stronger.” — Silvers Rayleigh explains how to strengthen Supreme King Haki, One Piece Chapter #597

Luffy’s Gear 5 Must Surpass Joy Boy’s Overall Level By The Time Of The Great War

The creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, has already set a level for Luffy to reach in the story, thanks to the character of Joy Boy. In One Piece Chapter 1122, which was officially released in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #36-37 on August 5, 2024, Eiichiro Oda showcased the absolute peak of Joy Boy’s strength when Emeth unleashed Joy Boy’s Haki. It was strong enough to split the skies on its own, knock out all the Vice Admirals in Egghead, nullify the Yokai powers of the Five Elders, and finally, even cause pain to Nerona Imu. Right now, Luffy is nowhere close to this level of strength, but that must change. In the grand scheme of things, this is the exact level that Luffy must reach if he is to take on Nerona Imu in battle and defeat him.

“Listen, Emeth! I’ve tied a knot of the greatest Haki and locked it inside your body. Use it when the time is right.” — Joy Boy to Emeth, One Piece Chapter #1122

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Luffy would need to surpass Joy Boy by quite a margin if he is to do what he failed to do 800 years ago. Reaching such a level is only possible by continuously upgrading the power of Gear 5, which is what Luffy is going to do from here onwards, starting with Elbaf. Eiichiro Oda is going to give him a Haki boost, which is the main objective of this arc, as far as power-ups for the Straw Hat Pirates go. Once Luffy grows in terms of Haki, more power-ups are going to come his way, as the Great War edges closer. By the end of the last battle, he will likely have moved past the overall level of the likes of Gol D. Roger and Joy Boy, becoming the undisputed strongest pirate in the entire world.

The latest chapters of the One Piece manga by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.