One Piece Chapter 1186 Reveals Luffy’s Long-Awaited New Haki Boost

On March 28, 2022, during Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17 from Shueisha, Monkey D. Luffy fully awakened the Devil Fruit form known as the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika—and unlocked Gear 5 in Chapter 1044. After that, for roughly four years, Luffy didn’t receive a truly major new power-up. That changed with One Piece Chapter 1186, which was published in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31 on June 28, 2026.

Luffy is now stepping into what’s been framed as the biggest fight of his entire One Piece run, and it’s starting with a brutal strike powered by his Color of the Supreme King Haki against Nerona Imu. With the opening of this clash, author Eiichiro Oda has effectively confirmed that Luffy has gained his most significant Supreme King Haki improvement since Wano Country—an upgrade fans have been expecting for years.

Quick facts

• One Piece Chapter 1186 is officially released in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31 on June 28, 2026.
• Luffy’s Gear 5 power is still not the focus of his latest hits; the fight begins with major Supreme King Haki pressure.
• Luffy lands a heavy blow on Nerona Imu using both Armament and Supreme King Haki.
• Chapter 1186 concludes a Brook-and-Shuri flashback and re-centers the story on the Elbaf battles.
• Chapter 1187 is set for release on July 5, 2026, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #32.

One Piece Chapter 1186 confirms a massive Haki boost for Luffy in Elbaf vs. Imu

Chapter 1186 wraps up the flashback involving Brook and Shuri. That sequence had been setting up the Straw Hat Pirates’ larger objective: rescuing Princess Shuri from Nerona Imu and the World Government, following the destruction of Esperia decades earlier. With that history beat finished, the story snaps back to the ongoing conflict in Elbaf, where Luffy is once again front-and-center.

In Chapter 1181—released on April 27, 2026, as part of Weekly Shonen Jump’s Double Issue #22-23—Luffy was shown eating massive amounts of food to prepare for the fight against Imu. By Chapter 1186, he declares he’s full, claiming he has more than enough power and can’t picture himself losing to anyone.

“I need to keep eating! I’ve never felt anything like this before. It’s so heavy… and so rough. So what’s going on with that guy’s Haki?” — Luffy, as he powers up to face Imu (One Piece Chapter #1181)

What really stands out is how quickly Luffy turns that preparation into results. Even though Nerona Imu is presented as the strongest person in the world, Luffy connects with a punch that’s coated in both Armament and the Color of the Supreme King Haki. The strike lands across Imu’s face, and despite Imu being in what’s described as her strongest state, she can neither dodge nor effectively block it.

The chapter frames this as a broad upgrade across Luffy’s stats—speed, strength, Haki refinement—while also emphasizing that he hasn’t even used Gear 5 yet. That combination suggests the boost is coming at the “base” level first, and more specifically, that Luffy’s innate Haki has improved dramatically.

“That bad guy is Elbaf’s enemy, right? Then he’s mine too. I’m overflowing with strength. Right now, I can’t see anyone beating me.” — Luffy boasting after the new surge of power (One Piece Chapter #1186)

Loki, Zoro, Sanji—and why Luffy’s base damage matters

To understand how far this goes, the article contrasts Chapter 1186 with earlier moments in the same Elbaf conflict. In Chapter 1180—released in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #21 on April 20, 2026—Roronoa Zoro and Sanji both face off against Imu. Zoro unleashes his strongest form, King of Hell, and pours out full power Armament and Supreme King Haki aimed at Imu. Even so, his attack gets stopped by Imu using her tail, and Zoro is knocked down in a single counter.

Sanji, meanwhile, taps into Ifrit Jambe, described as his top-tier technique, and drives a powerful kick into Imu. That, too, is blocked, and Sanji ends up losing as well.

Even Loki—the Accursed Prince and a user tied to the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Nidhoggr—has only managed a single hit on Nerona Imu across four chapters, and that moment comes only while Imu is distracted, reminiscing about Joy Boy. Against that backdrop, the chapter’s argument is clear: Luffy’s current power is so far above his old baseline that he can threaten Imu with improved Haki alone, without needing to reach for Gear 5.

A new Devil Fruit connected to the Elbaf arc’s latest release is also teased as being revealed, described as coming “straight from hell.”

Base Luffy in Elbaf vs. the Egghead era

The article’s comparison lands on the idea that Luffy’s Elbaf-era improvements are not just cosmetic—they show up in his raw physical output. It compares Luffy’s current base strength to a period about three years earlier, when he fought Admiral Kizaru during the Egghead arc in Chapter 1092, released on September 14, 2023.

Back then, in his base form, Luffy couldn’t properly hold his ground against Kizaru. The story then pushes him into Gear 5 in Chapter 1093, implying that even Gear 4: Snakeman was overrun by the Navy Admiral. The contrast is used to highlight that Luffy’s base form today is on a completely different level.

“Looks like you really are the guy who took Kaido down. You’re tough. But why are you protecting Vegapunk? I’m not trying to kill him. I’ve known Vegapunk for years—so please don’t get in the way. After all… speed is power.” — Kizaru, dismissing Snakeman Luffy (One Piece Chapter #1092)

Compared to Kizaru, the article notes that Nerona Imu is even stronger. Still, Luffy performs far better against Imu while staying in base mode, which is presented as proof of a significant buff to both Haki and overall physical capability. In other words, his base form now seems more powerful and more refined than it was in the Egghead encounter.

This is framed as another step up for the Straw Hat “Yonko” as well, raising him higher among the series’ strongest Haki users. As the battle between Luffy and Imu continues into Chapter 1187—scheduled to launch on July 5, 2026 in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #32—the expectation is that Luffy will keep fighting in base using Haki first. The piece also argues that Gear 5 is likely to follow, with the possibility of another meaningful upgrade attached to it.

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Why Luffy is positioned for further power-ups in the Elbaf climax

The Elbaf arc climax is described as a joint effort involving the Straw Hats and the Giants, with the aim of pushing back the World Government while surviving the assault from Imu, the so-called King of the World. Within that setup, Gear 5—while extremely dangerous—is portrayed as not being enough by itself once Imu starts going all out. The article’s conclusion is that Oda will likely grant Luffy additional upgrades so he can keep up in the closing stretch.

“Straw Hat! Make it stick in your mind—how you use your Color of the Supreme King. These people aren’t immortal!” — Scopper Gaban urging Luffy to refine his Supreme King Haki for the fight against the immortals (One Piece Chapter #1152)

The same reasoning is then applied to Luffy’s crew. The article points out that Zoro and Sanji are already set up for meaningful Supreme King Haki improvements, which makes it unlikely that Luffy would be left behind. In Chapter 1152, released in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #30 on June 23, 2025, Oda is said to have lined up Supreme King Haki power-ups for both Zoro and Sanji.

Because of that, the article suggests multiple possibilities: Luffy could gain even tighter control over the Color of the Supreme King, or he could receive a major Gear 5 enhancement tied to awakening a Sun Ring. Either way, it argues that Luffy is headed for another significant power boost, and that fans should expect new abilities during the climax’s second half.

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