One Piece’s Elbaf Arc is deeply connected to the gods and deities that exist in the One Piece world. This was made clear to us right from the very beginning of the arc, when, in One Piece Chapter 1138, the lore of the Harley was unveiled to us for the very first time. With more chapters passing, Eiichiro Oda revealed to us various eras of the One Piece world, and a special importance was given to certain deities, such as the Sun God Nika.
One Piece’s Elbaf Arc also saw the descent of Devil God Nerona Imu in Chapter 1179 on April 5, 2026, and now, it has confirmed another God from the Void Century in its latest release of One Piece Chapter 1188 on July 12, 2026. This God is none other than the Forest God, whose abilities connect him directly to the King of the World, Imu himself.
One Piece Chapter 1188 Officially Teases The Return Of Forest God Through Nerona Imu
On July 12, 2026, One Piece Chapter 1188 showcased quite a few abilities of Nerona Imu after he defeated Loki in battle and started taking on Luffy instead. In the battle against Imu, Luffy utilized Gear 5 right away, and much to the surprise of the fans, he was not able to land even a single hit on him. All his powerful blows, even those coated in the Color of the Supreme King, the ultimate form of Haki, were blocked by Nerona Imu quite easily and countered effectively. Luffy was on the receiving end of quite a few powerful hits, but it wasn’t until the very end of the chapter that he was defeated.
“What happened? I was able to land my hit a lot easier earlier!” — Monkey D. Luffy, confused at Imu’s sudden power, One Piece Chapter #1188
To beat Luffy, Imu utilized the Blade of Nothingness: Vohu, which possesses tremendous powers far beyond the comprehension of anyone. Using the power of Vohu, Imu immediately started to suck the life out of an entire forest and wither it away. An entire branch of the Adam Tree was immediately cleared of all life, and moments later, at the end of Chapter 1188, Imu used this blade to strike down Monkey D. Luffy, the current Sun God Nika of the world.
Imu: Blade of Nothingness: Vohu!
Luffy: What? The forest withered away!
Imu: The view is far clearer now.
Luffy: Same from up here!
— Imu uses Vohu to defeat Luffy, One Piece Chapter #1188
While the small details may have fallen under the radar of some fans, it is interesting to note that Nerona Imu was able to suck life from the forests of the world. Similarly, when Imu arrived in Elbaf in One Piece Chapter 1179 on April 5, 2026, which was published in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19, it was clear for all of us to see that the forest around Imu started taking a life of its own. Yet, no other object was given this life. This suggests a deep connection between Nerona Imu and the forest. When tying it directly to the Harley texts that were officially revealed in One Piece Chapter 1138 on February 3, 2025, it becomes a solid proposition that Nerona Imu is the same Forest God that was unveiled from the Void Century and is known to have existed in the Second World.
Why The Forest God Stands As A Mighty God Atop The World Government
The Forest God standing atop the World Government makes perfect sense. To understand why that is the case, fans only need to take a look at the Harley text. In these Harley texts, it is stated that the Second World began with a breath in nothingness. Tying this together with One Piece Chapter 1188, we can see clearly that Imu utilizes the very same power when using the Blade of Nothingness: Vohu. The term used for ‘Nothingness’ is the same in the Harley text and in Imu’s attack. The fact that Imu’s Blade of Nothingness withers away an entire forest suggests that he has a monopoly over forests and any life in general. This might also explain why Imu is able to give perpetual life to those who follow him using various Covenants, such as the Holy Knights and the Five Elders.
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“Within Nothingness, there was breath. The Forest God tamed the demons, and the Sun spread the fires of war. Those of the half moon dreamed. Those of the moon dreamed. Man killed the Sun and became God, and the Sea God stormed. And they’ll never meet again.” — The Harley texts’ first mention of the Forest God, One Piece Chapter #1138
At the same time, the Harley also states in The Second World that the Forest God sent forth demons. This also aligns perfectly with Nerona Imu, because through his ability, he can send forth the Five Elders as well as the Holy Knights, all of which are repeatedly referred to as Demons. In One Piece Chapter 1187, which was released officially on July 5, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #32, Roronoa Zoro officially calls the group of World Government fighters in Elbaf “the Three Demons,” further solidifying the fact that it is Imu who stands atop the World Government as the Forest God of the World. The Forest God is clearly not an ally of the Sun God, and the perfect fit at the moment for this God from the Void Century is none other than Imu himself.
“You’re one of the Three Demons. You’re the ones who ruined a feast between good old friends. My companion is on the way to the village, so I don’t think yours will be coming back because he’ll be dead.” — Zoro refers to Imu and his Knights as Demons, One Piece Chapter #1187
One Piece Will Reveal More Gods After The Elbaf Arc
With Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, heavily hinting at Nerona Imu being the Forest God from the Void Century, fans are eagerly waiting for more God reveals to come following the events of the Elbaf arc. Right now, the Sun God Nika has already been revealed to us, alongside the God of War of Elbaf, Loki. The Rain God Zaza was also teased in One Piece Chapter 1182 on May 10, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #24, and Nerona Imu might just be the Forest God of the world. That leaves behind the Earth God, whose identity is still to be revealed.
At the same time, there are other characters that existed in the world of One Piece long ago, such as the Serpent of Hellfire, who partnered with the Earth God, that are yet to be revealed. Eiichiro Oda is likely to throw some light on these individuals in the events following the Elbaf arc, and we absolutely cannot wait to see what the author of the series comes up with. For now, all our focus is on the climax of Elbaf, which will once again pit Sun God Nika against the King of the World and potential Forest God, Nerona Imu. Even though the former has already been defeated, fans are eagerly waiting to see Luffy get back up once again and, most importantly, power up further to bring out the true extent of the Sun God Nika’s powers. The upcoming chapters of One Piece are going to be an exciting ride, and we cannot wait to see the next developments in the story.
All the new manga chapters of One Piece by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
