On July 12, 2026, One Piece marked the release of its 1188th chapter titled “Vohu”, and this chapter showcased the biggest and most anticipated fight in the entire series, Luffy vs Imu. Although this fight is far from over, Monkey D. Luffy has officially suffered defeat in the first round, falling to the Blade of Nothingness: Vohu, from Nerona Imu.
This blade was created directly by Imu, with an entirely new power system that revolves around the use of a dark ability known as Omen or Maki. While it was initially introduced in the One Piece Chapter 1180 April 20, 2026 Nerona Imu's Omen has now officially made itself the strongest power system after piercing Luffy's Haki, as well as overwhelming his Devil Fruit powers.
One Piece Chapter 1188 officially confirms Omen to be stronger than Devil Fruit and Haki
The power of Omen was first mentioned by Nerona Imu i One Piece Chapter 1180 when he used it immediately after his descent on Elbaf. After this surprising arrival, Nerona Imu quickly went to Saint Sommers and gave him a ring of black flames, which floated over his head. Immediately after, Zoro launched a powerful attack at Imu and was instantly defeated within seconds. Similarly, he then flew to the location of Saint Killingham, gave him a ring of black flames on his head, and defeated Sanji while he was at it.
Chopper: What are these black flames?
Sommers: This is it! an omen!
Imu: Quick, Sommers. There is no time to waste.
— Nerona Imu gives Sommers an omen, One Piece Chapter #1180
It was abundantly clear to all of us to see that Nerona Imu was tapping into a power that we had never before seen exist in the world of One Piece. This ability was later explained to be Omen in One Piece Chapter 1181, April 27, 2026 According to Nerona Imu herself, Omen or Maki is an ability very similar to Haki. In One Piece Chapter 597, Rayleigh explained that Haki is a power that exists within all living things. IN One Piece Chapter 1181, Imu explained that Omen, or Maki, exists within all living things in the world as well.
“Omen is my military power. It is a power that resides in all living things. People long for power. But if the power they long for is obtained easily, it leads to corruption.” — Nerona Imu explains the Omen, One Piece Chapter #1181
Essentially, every character found in One Piece, including Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, or any of the Straw Hats, has the power of the Omen within them. However, this power is not awakened by everyone, just like Haki, and only Imu knows how to harness the power of the omen. This ability is granted to him by using the Akuma no Mi, which is a unique Devil Fruit that stands above all others in the world of One Piece and is probably in a classification of its own.
Since the introduction of Omen i One Piece chapter 1180 on April 20, 2026, this new power system has repeatedly overwhelmed both the Devil Fruit and Haki abilities. Whether it's powerful Devil Fruit abilities of Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Nidhoggr, which Loki unleashed first in One Piece chapter 1175 on March 2, 2026, or Hito Hito no Mi, model: Nika, who debuted on March 28, 2022, in One Piece in chapter 1044, Nerona Imu's Omen surpasses both of them.
“Of course I know you're not Joy Boy! Joy Boy wasn't that weak!!” — Nerona Imu hits Luffy with Omen, One Piece Chapter #1188
Furthermore, even powerful Haki users like Luffy and Loki have both been overwhelmed by Nerona Imus' Omen. The best display of this came in One Piece Chapter 1189 on July 12, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #33, when Imu used her Omen to create Wohu, stabbing Luffy right through the stomach and defeating him.
Why Omen stands as One Piece's new power system
Clearly, Nerona Imu's use of the Omen surpasses both Devil Fruit and Haki abilities, and what makes it a true power system is Imu's confirmation that this ability exists within all living things. It seems that Omen can only be brought to the surface by Nerona Imu using her demon powers. Regardless, there are some characters that can easily make use of it. These characters are none other than Imus' very own Holy Knights as well as the Five Elders, or anyone else he turns on with his ability.
“You have no idea how strong we are at the moment.” — Saint Sommers hypes up the power of Omen, One Piece Chapter #1187
Saint Killingham and Sommers have already started using the Omen in battle against Zoro and Sanji, and similarly, Imu can grant this power and extend it to any other Holy Knight or Five Elders, making them much stronger. There are other characters that exist in the world of One Piece that could potentially continue to utilize this unique power system as well, and Final War will likely see them enter the game.
One Piece's Final War will greatly expand on the omen
Among the Straw Hat Pirates, those who have uniquely harnessed the power of demons are Zoro, Sanji, and Nico Robin. These characters could potentially go on to exploit Omen or Maki at some point in the story. With Zoro, the Omen would most likely derive from the power of the Asura which is officially called “demonic”, while for Sanji, it may derive from Ifrit Jambe's demonic fire-based abilities in the future. Similarly, Nico Robin has her own Demonio Fleur transformation that could potentially allow her to meet the Omen.
“I'll be a devil if that's what it takes to help the people who trust me.” — Nico Robin, One Piece Chapter #1021
As the final war in One Piece unfolds, these characters will be pushed to their limits and forced to evolve even further in the midst of battle. This is where this power system could be expanded to include the Straw Hat Pirates as well, along with the Five Elders and the Holy Knights. We absolutely cannot wait to see how Eiichiro Oda builds this power system further in the future of One Piece. Currently, Nerona Imu, Saint Killingham and Sommers are the first three users, but we are sure that many other power users will show off even greater feats than the Holy Knights in the future. All we have to do is wait and watch as Nerona Imu continues to show off the incredible abilities of the new power system against Monkey D. Luffy in Elbaf.
All the new chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
