One Piece Final Saga Guide: Luffy Gear 5 Release Date

Luffy is scaling new heights in the Final Saga of One Piece, recently crossing the line into Emperor of the Sea status. With the awakening of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, he unlocked Gear 5—and, in his own mind, this form represents his ultimate peak. As a Yonko, Luffy’s strength is framed as so extreme that he can take on some of the series’ top-tier fighters and win, even when they’re considered the best of the best.

Key takeaways

Luffy has awakened the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, granting him access to Gear 5.
One Piece chapter 1187 confirms Sanji as a Conqueror’s Haki user.
The list ranks major heavyweights from 8 down to 1, placing Luffy’s growth as the reason many rivals can’t keep pace anymore.
Kaido’s defeat is attributed to Luffy’s awakening after repeated losses, with the power of Nika playing the deciding role.
Oden is described as one of the only fighters Kaido believed could kill him—until Luffy surpassed him.

The new ceiling in Luffy’s power climb

Luffy’s current standing didn’t come out of nowhere. The article emphasizes that he’s already outgrown multiple powerful figures who, at earlier points in the story, were positioned above him in power and influence. Now, those same heavy hitters are portrayed as falling behind—across combat ability, status, and nearly everything else that matters in the One Piece world.

One Piece chapter 1187 also delivers an important confirmation: Sanji is officially recognized as someone who can use Conqueror’s Haki.

8. Kuzan

Affiliation: Blackbeard Pirates
Bounty: At Least 3 Billion
Devil Fruit: Hie Hie no Mi
Haki: Color of Armament, Color of Observation

Kuzan is presented as a former Marine Admiral who now serves as the 10th Ship Captain of the Blackbeard Pirates. He previously stood as an antagonist to Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, and the two sides collided on Long Ring Long Land.

On that island, he’s described as completely wiping out the crew, and during his duel with Luffy, Kuzan is said to have come out on top. He also fought Luffy in the Paramount War, where the text claims Kuzan was even stronger than he is right now. The current problem is simple: he’s not strong enough to defeat Luffy or even trade blows effectively. The biggest weakness highlighted is that he lacks Conqueror’s Haki.

7. Borsalino

Affiliation: Marines
Bounty: 3 Crowns
Devil Fruit: Pika Pika no Mi
Haki: Color of Armament, Color of Observation

Borsalino (spelled as Barcelino in one spot in the source text) is described as a major factor behind the destruction of the Straw Hat Pirates during the Sabaody Archipelago arc. At the time, he was portrayed as far stronger than every Straw Hat member combined.

Today, though, the article argues he still isn’t strong enough to beat Luffy. While he can supposedly go toe-to-toe for stretches in a carefully played matchup, he’s missing the raw power needed to finish Luffy. The piece ties Luffy’s leap forward directly to Gear 5 and Conqueror’s Haki Infusion, saying fans can clearly see the gap widening since then.

6. Dracule Mihawk

Affiliation: Cross Guild
Bounty: 3.59 Billion
Devil Fruit: None
Haki: Color of Armament, Color of Observation

Mihawk is framed as the World’s Strongest Swordsman, a fighter not many can challenge successfully. The article notes that earlier in the series, Mihawk was overwhelmingly stronger than Luffy, and the two clashed in the Paramount War, where Mihawk is said to have fought at full effort with the goal of killing him.

Back then, Mihawk held the advantage. Now, the situation has flipped: Luffy is described as stronger at this point, having surpassed Mihawk in every meaningful area of battle as well as authority.

The text then pivots to the world of releases and franchise additions: the Nerona clan is said to rule the One Piece world, and a new member from that clan is introduced on July 3, 2026, through One Piece volume 115.

5. Sakazuki

Affiliation: Marines
Bounty: 5 Billion
Devil Fruit: Magu Magu no Mi
Haki: Color of Armament, Color of Observation

Fleet Admiral Sakazuki is positioned as one of the most formidable individuals in the setting. The article emphasizes that he wields the Magu Magu no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that lets him transform into magma and create and control it at will. It also claims he has strong Haki command, pointing to his performance in the Paramount War as evidence.

Even with that, the piece insists Luffy has already overtaken him. The reason given is Gear 5 combined with overwhelming Haki strength. It’s acknowledged that Sakazuki can still hold his own in a fight, but the conclusion is that Luffy would defeat him now.

4. Rayleigh

Affiliation: Roger Pirates
Bounty: Unknown
Devil Fruit: None
Haki: Color of Armament, Color of Observation, Color of the Supreme King

Rayleigh, also referred to as the Dark King, is described as terrifyingly powerful even in older age. He’s characterized as the right-hand man of the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and as an impressive user of all three Haki categories.

Up until recently, the article claims Rayleigh still had more strength than Luffy. However, after the climax of the Wano Country arc, Rayleigh is said to be unable to keep up anymore. The piece states that Luffy has already passed him in combat for a while, and that the margin between them can only widen as time goes on.

3. Big Mom

Affiliation: Big Mom Pirates
Bounty: 4.388 Billion Berries
Devil Fruit: Soru Soru no Mi
Haki: Color of Armament, Color of Observation, Color of the Supreme King

As a former Yonko, Big Mom is portrayed as one of the most powerful individuals in the One Piece universe. Since she is an Emperor herself, the text claims she was far beyond Luffy’s level during the Whole Cake Island arc, and even across most of the Wano arc.

That balance changes once Luffy awakens his Devil Fruit and unlocks Gear 5, along with the ability to infuse Conqueror’s Haki. The article says Luffy doesn’t just match her—he surpasses her in combat. It further claims that in Wano, Luffy ended up ripping both Big Mom and Kaido off their thrones, and then became an Emperor himself.

2. Kaido

Affiliation: Beast Pirates
Bounty: 4.614 Billion Berries
Devil Fruit: Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Seiryuu
Haki: Color of Armament, Color of Observation, Color of the Supreme King

Luffy battles Kaido during the Wano Country arc. The article makes it clear that Luffy loses three times before finally turning the tide and winning in the end. It frames the final outcome as coming only after Luffy was nearly killed and awakened the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.

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The text then describes how Luffy’s breakthrough works in practice: he combines the freedom-fueled violence of his new power with advanced Haki that he had already mastered. It argues this blend is too much for Kaido to counter, and eventually Kaido is forced into defeat. From there, it states that Luffy surpasses Kaido near the end of Wano—and that the strength gap has only expanded since that point.

1. Kozuki Oden

Affiliation: Roger Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, Wano
Bounty: Unknown
Devil Fruit: None
Haki: Color of Armament, Color of Observation, Color of the Supreme King

Kozuki Oden is described as a legendary samurai of Wano, and as one of the rare figures Kaido believes can reach legendary-level strength. The article goes even further, saying Oden is the only person before Luffy who could have killed Kaido—an argument meant to underline just how immense his power was.

Oden’s mastery of all three Haki types is highlighted as a major reason for his strength. Then the text ties the timeline together: Luffy overtakes Oden toward the end of the Wano Country arc, when he finally defeats Kaido thanks to the awakening of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.

One Piece is available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.