One Piece's Elbaph Arc sets up the next level of the God Devil Fruit Awakening

Devil Fruits formed the primary power system for One Piece world that Eiichiro Oda, the writer of the series, introduced in the very first chapter of the story through Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Mi. However, we have seen these Devil Fruits evolve drastically over the years, both in terms of classes and subclasses, and in terms of direct evolution through a concept called Devil Fruit Awakening. To put it simply, Devil Fruit Awakening is what happens when a Devil Fruit is taken beyond all its limits and when the user's mind and body catch up with the ability.

Devil Fruit Awakening itself is a very powerful concept that only a handful have taken advantage of. Now, in the climax of the Elbaph arc, specifically over chapters 1179 to 1182, One Piece has introduced a concept to take god-level Devil Fruit Awakenings to the next level, opening up an opportunity for a major Monkey D. Luffy upgrade in the Final Saga.

One Piece Chapters 1180 and 1182 Open the Doors to an Upgraded God Devil Fruit Awakening for Luffy

Image taken from the official release of One Piece chapter 1182 via Viz Media.

The last tale of One Piece's The Elbaph Arc shocked us all when Eiichiro Oda decided to throw Nerona Imu right into the main conflict in Chapter 1179, which was officially released in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19 on April 5, 2026. In this chapter, Nerona Imu's face, as well as his Devil Fruit abilities, were shown not to us to the author, and the author did not disappoint. Not only was this a huge reveal that we had all been waiting patiently for about seven years, but at the same time it also served to expand the concept of Devil Fruit powers.

“Lordship is the only true happiness in this world.” — Nerona Imu, One Piece Chapter 1181

When Nerona Imu's Akuma no Mi power was first unleashed in Chapter 1179, Eiichiro Oda showed us fans some unique features, such as black wings, horns, tanned skin, and the demonic powers that came with Imu's ability. Most of all, what stood out for a select few i One Piece the community was the presence of a ring of black flames behind Imu's back. Unlike normal awakened abilities, Imu did not have a cloud around her neck and arms. Instead, he had a ring of black flames, and what's even more surprising is that this ring of flames could be easily manipulated by him.

At first, the assumption was that this ring was simply unique to Imu; However, when Eiichiro Oda introduced the rain god Zaza in One Piece Chapter 1182 on May 10, 2026, in WSJ Issue #24, this divine being could also be seen with a unique ring of his own. Unlike Imu, it did not have the ring of black flames but instead a ring of water, which relates to its ability.

“Appearing to the rhythm of the prayers for rain… Rain God Zaza!” — Saint Rimoshifu Killingham in a piece chapter 1182

These two gods with rings of their own are essentially telling us that the divine beings in the One Piece world, once awakened, can access a ring that floats behind their backs. With Imu, this is the power of the Omen, which he calls his military power, which is officially seen in One Piece Chapter 1180. In the case of the rain god Zaza, this is a ring of rainwater and floods, as shown in Chapter 1182.

Most interestingly, Luffy hasn't awakened his ring yet, despite having access to Gear 5. This means that his Devil Fruit Awakening could be further enhanced in the Final Saga, which is something that teases us even more, especially as the Elbaph arc heads towards its climax with the impending release of Chapter 1183 on May 2026.

How The Rings Of Gods Will Shape The Final Saga

With the Rings of the Gods teased as a concept by Eiichiro Oda, many exciting abilities can be revealed in Final Saga. With Nerona Imu, we have already seen the occurrence of manipulation of the Omen, especially in Chapter 1182, with the technique known as Rising Eclipse. With Rain God Zaza, we have seen the ability to flood Western Elbaph Village and destroy the landscape.

As far as Luffy is concerned, this ring is most likely a ring of fire, or in other words, the power of the sun. Oddly enough, Luffy hasn't shown any solar abilities despite being the Sun God, and awakening this ring could finally give him the boost that finally solves this mystery once and for all for the One Piece community.

“Possessing a body with the powers of rubber and fighting in any way he wants, bringing smiles to people, the warrior of liberation…also known as the sun god, Nika!” — Gorosei in one piece chapter 1044

Going forward, One Piece will surely introduce more gods, esp those mentioned in chapter 287 of the Skypiea arc and 1138 of the Elbaph arc. Both of these chapters mention specific gods that Eiichiro Oda hasn't introduced us to yet, and the ones that stand out the most are the Forest God, the Earth God, and potentially the Sea God, along with the Hellfire Serpent. These God-fearing individuals could also have a ring behind their backs, which would open up the scope for exciting abilities to exploit in the final saga.

Monkey D. Luffy's Sun God Nika form can evolve as Rain God Zaza and Nerona Imu

Among all the god powers that could be further developed in the Final Saga and given a ring behind their backs, the one that fans most want to see developed is, of course, the main character, Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy's Gear 5 is strong enough to see him defeat the likes of Kaido and overwhelm the likes of Kizaru, as seen in the battles in the Wano and Egghead arcs. But based on his performance against these two, we know he can't compete against Imu as he is. Luffy needs to gain even more power, and by evolving his Gear 5 and getting a ring of his own, he can take his overall skill to the next level.

Luffy was then able to manipulate flames to a degree, and interestingly this could also be directly linked to his use of techniques such as Red Hawk and Red Roc, both of which produce flames on impact. If Oda were to attach these flames directly to the ring of awakening and have Red Hawk and Red Roc herald the awakening of this particular ring, then fans will not be able to help but applaud this genius move. Either way, Luffy needs to further strengthen himself, and this special ring of fire behind his back can take him to the level required where he can fight on equal footing with Nerona Imu, and any other enemy that stands in his way to One Piece in the Final Saga.

The latest chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga can be read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.