Warning: This contains spoilers for One Piece up to chapter #1186.
With Brook and Gunko’s flashback finally over, One Piece is heading straight back into the battle that has been hanging over Elbaph for weeks. Luffy is finally about to face Imu, and despite everything Gear 5 has accomplished since Wano, this fight feels like a completely different challenge. The Emperor has overcome Kaido, Kizaru, and the Five Elders, but the ruler of the World Government has already shown why this battle stands above the rest.
Imu did not need a long fight to make that clear. The moment the ruler arrived on Elbaph, a single burst of his Conqueror’s Haki knocked out countless giant warriors across the battlefield. Even Scopper Gaban admitted it was the most overwhelming Haki he had ever felt, saying it surpassed even the legendary clashes witnessed at God Valley. Since then, Imu has effortlessly overwhelmed both Zoro and Sanji, while also revealing immortality and near-instant regeneration, making the gap between the two sides feel larger than ever.
That is what makes this battle so different. Luffy and Loki may be the strongest alliance on Elbaph, but everything Oda has shown in One Piece so far points to Imu operating on an entirely different level. If Gear 5 really suffers its first decisive defeat here, it will not just be another loss for Luffy. It will prove that even after becoming an Emperor, he is still not ready to challenge the person sitting at the very top of the world.
One Piece Sets Up Gear 5’s First Major Defeat Against Imu’s Overwhelming Power
For the first time since Gear 5 made its debut against Kaido, Luffy looks like he is walking into a fight he simply cannot win. His opening Haki-infused punch may have landed cleanly on Imu, but it would barely change anything. Loki’s attacks have already shown the same problem. No matter how much damage Imu takes, the ruler recovers almost instantly through the mysterious Omen ability and the massive hologram supporting it. Right now, Luffy and Loki are not fighting someone they can overpower. They are fighting someone who refuses to stay down.
That is exactly what makes this battle so different from every major fight Luffy has had since Wano. Gear 5 overwhelmed Kaido, pushed Kizaru to his limits, and even found ways to deal with the Five Elders. Imu, however, has already shown a completely different level of power. Right now, the King of the World appears to possess the strongest Haki in the series. Add immortality and instant regeneration on top of that, and Gear 5 suddenly does not look nearly as invincible as it once did.
That does not mean Luffy has no way of surpassing him. The recent chapters have started showing what Conqueror’s Haki looks like at its absolute peak. As overwhelming as Imu’s Haki is, there is still one person whose power continues to haunt the ruler to this day: Joy Boy. Luffy has already witnessed that overwhelming Haki firsthand, making it clear that his next step is not another Gear 5 upgrade, but reaching the same level Joy Boy once did.
That is why a defeat on Elbaph would make perfect sense. Rather than ending the rivalry before it truly begins, Oda seems to be setting up a much bigger clash between the King of the World and the future King of the Pirates. If Luffy loses here, it will not be because Gear 5 has reached its limit. It will be because he still has one final level left to achieve before he can stand where Joy Boy once stood.
A Devastating Gear 5 Luffy Defeat Perfectly Sets Up The Ultimate One Piece Final War
As exciting as the fight already looks, Luffy winning here would actually create a much bigger problem for One Piece than losing. Imu has been built up as the hidden ruler of the world for years, standing above the Five Elders and the entire World Government. Defeating that kind of opponent in the middle of the Elbaph arc would take away a huge part of the tension Oda has been building toward since the Void Century first became a central mystery.
There is also the simple fact that Luffy’s journey is far from over. He has not reached Laugh Tale, the battle against Blackbeard is still waiting, and the final war has yet to begin. From a story perspective, Elbaph feels much more like the start of Luffy’s rivalry with Imu than the place where it ends. A loss here would not make Gear 5 any less impressive. Instead, it would remind readers that becoming an Emperor was just a first step towards it.
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That is where Imu’s current condition becomes important. The latest chapters strongly suggest the ruler cannot maintain this overwhelming form forever outside Mary Geoise, with even the Five Elders questioning the decision to leave the Holy Land. Rather than ending with Luffy defeating Imu, the battle may most likely run out of time. That would give Oda the perfect balance: Gear 5 suffers its first real defeat in One Piece, but Luffy still lives to face Imu again when the final war finally begins.
- First Film
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One Piece: The Movie
- Cast
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Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi
- Created by
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Eiichiro Oda
- Character(s)
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Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
