One Piece chapter 1188 was officially released on July 12, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #33, and in this week's chapter we finally got to see the much-anticipated battle between Yonko Monkey D. Luffy and the King of the World, Nerona Imu. This battle has been hyped ever since the first introduction of Nerona Imu One Piece Chapter 906 on June 4, 2018, and finally Eiichiro Oda delivered it in the climax of the Elbaf Arc.
While most of us expected Monkey D. Luffy to impress against Nerona Imu, especially after eating as much as he could, this week's chapter officially confirmed to us that Luffy, despite using the almighty Gear 5, lost the battle. Since Big Mom and Kaido's fall were officially confirmed in One Piece chapter 1050 Luffy becomes the first Yonko to fall in battle, which is both exciting and terrifying at the same time.
One Piece Chapter 1188 officially confirms the defeat of Full-Powered Gear 5 Luffy Vs Imu
At the end of One Piece Chapter 1186, officially released on June 28, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, Monkey D. Luffy joined the battle against Nerona Imu right at the end. This was a glorious moment for all of us to witness, and it continued One Piece 1187, which was released on July 5, 2026, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #32. In this chapter, Luffy started his fight against Imu by transforming into Gear 5 at the end of the chapter.
Imu: So you've finally shown yourself, Joy Boy!
Luffy: Don't call me what you want. I am Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will become the King of Pirates.
— Luffy Vs Imu Begins, One Piece Chapter #1187
One Piece In 1188, this battle continued for the most part, and needless to say, it was an exciting clash that we all absolutely loved, with Luffy using his Gomu Gomu no Majin, a brand new transformation, for the very first time and even managing to hold his own against Imu. It was indeed an amazing clash for us to witness. But at the end of this clash, there would only be one winner, and it turned out to be none other than Nerona Imu. At the very end of One Piece In 1188, Nerona Imu used her Omen powers to produce a special sword, called the Blade of Void: Boufu, to strike Luffy directly through the chest.
Now, Monkey D. Luffy has lost the first round of his fight against Nerona Imu, and what's even worse is that the difference in strength between the two is obvious for all to see. Luffy may be one of the strongest Yonko, especially with his awakened Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, but he is certainly not powerful enough to defeat Nerona Imu or even make Imu take him seriously in battle, again reinforcing the need for him to get more power-ups.
“It's clear you're not Joy Boy. Joy Boy would never be that weak.” — Imu crushes Gear 5 Luffy, One Piece Chapter #1188
Nerona Imu Labels Luffy's Gear 5 “Too Weak”
As One Piece Chapter 1188 officially marked the defeat of Yonko Luffy, it also highlighted the rift that exists between the King of the World and the Emperor of the Sea. Luffy is an incredibly powerful pirate, but against Nerona Imu, he can't even last a single chapter in battle. Worse, Nerona Imu even taunted Luffy by saying he couldn't be Joy Boy because he was too weak. As Joy Boy's greatest rival and the one who ultimately won over him, Nerona Imu knows full well that Joy Boy was a monstrously powerful entity. But when he fought Luffy, Imu didn't get the same pleasure. In fact, Imu clearly expressed her disappointment in One Piece Chapter #1188 on July 12, 2026.
“Weren't you just bragging about seeing what became of Loki and his giant body?” — Nerona Imu warns Luffy of impending defeat, One Piece Chapter #1188
This is damning proof that Luffy, despite having access to his Sun God Nika form thanks to Gear 5, is still far from reaching his full potential and that, as it stands, he is nowhere near the top of the world in terms of strength. In addition, this also confirms to us that, just like Luffy, every other Emperor of the Sea that exists in the world of One Piece is no match for Nerona Imu, and that only a select few can stand against him.
Why Monkey D. Luffy was able to gain a strength in Elbaf Arc Climax
As officially confirmed in this week's chapter, Monkey D. Luffy is far too weak to compete with Imu in battle, which is exactly why he deserves a significant power-up. In One Piece Chapter 1044, officially released on March 28, 2022, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17, Luffy awakened the power of Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, for the first time. At the time, he claimed that this power was the pinnacle of his Devil Fruit abilities. That said, it's possible that Luffy hasn't fully tapped into his Awakening yet. Curiously, One Piece Chapter #1044 and all subsequent chapters label Luffy as the Sun God, but Luffy has yet to harness the power of the sun in battle.
“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!” – Eiichiro Oda explains Luffy's Sun God powers, One Piece Chapter #1044
Another interesting point to note is that when Nerona Imu made her debut in One Piece Chapter 1179 April 5, 2026, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19, he showed a ring of black flames behind his back. Likewise, when Rain God Zaza made her appearance in One Piece Chapter 1182 on May 10, 2026, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #24, she had a ring of water behind her back. Considering that these divine entities hold gigantic elemental rings behind them, Luffy, who was also a God, could potentially have a ring of his own. If Luffy gets a Sun Ring behind his back, maybe his Awakening will finally be completed, and this is the form he could officially call Gear 6.
For now, this is all a theory on our part, but we're confident that Monkey D. Luffy will need additional power-ups if he's going to defeat Nerona Imu in battle. Consequently, by growing in terms of strength and unlocking the true power of Gear 5, Luffy's Conqueror's Haki would also receive a significant buff, and this is because the level of Conqueror's Haki is directly proportional to the overall power level of an individual, as confirmed by Rayleigh in One Piece Chapter 597.
The latest One Piece manga chapters by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
