One Piece Chapter 1187 Teases Luffy’s Next Ultimate Zoan Form at Elbaf

Eiichiro Oda is pushing One Piece deeper into the Elbaf climax, and Chapter 1187 is set to arrive on July 5, 2026, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #32 from Shueisha. The story is centered on the Straw Hat Pirates as they clash with the World Government’s elite force, the Holy Knights, under the rule of the King of the World, Nerona Imu. Imu’s official on-page arrival came earlier, when he made his descent in One Piece Chapter 1179 on April 5, 2026.

Release Window and Platforms

With Chapter 1187 positioned as the start of the “real” battles, the stakes for the Straw Hats are obvious: each member needs to bring their strongest options to the table. The pressure lands hardest on Straw Hat Luffy, who is already operating at Yonko-level threat. He can fight at a very high tier thanks to the Nika power and his formidable Haki. Still, Oda’s direction suggests that even this isn’t enough to force a collapse of the World Government on its own. Luffy still has to climb higher, which is why Oda appears to be quietly laying groundwork for what would be a final, major Mythical Zoan evolution after a long 29-year wait.

One Piece Sets Up Luffy’s “Final” Mythical Zoan Upgrade After 29 Years

The reason Oda needs to add another transformation in the Final Saga is tied directly to the enemy on the board. Starting with Chapter 1187, Luffy must become strong enough to take on Nerona Imu, and then—later—handle other world-class threats as well. Luffy is unquestionably powerful right now. He already wiped out Kaido during the Wano Country Arc, and afterward he reached the status of an Emperor of the Sea in One Piece Chapter 1053 on June 20, 2022, published in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #29. On Egghead, he faced Kizaru and later Saint Saturn, performing well against both.

In Elbaf’s climax, that upward trajectory continues. Luffy is said to be stronger than he was during Egghead, with the narrative emphasis shifting toward Haki usage and toward countering Imu’s threat specifically. Even with that progress, he isn’t yet at the level required to beat the world’s top-tier elites. The next steps demand heavy work: raising Supreme King Haki and tightening his control over Gear mechanics.

“Listen, Straw Hat! Etch into your mind how you use your Color of the Supreme King. These guys aren’t immortal!” — Scopper Gaban to Luffy, One Piece Chapter #1152

That gap shows in the way Luffy’s tools behave during fights. In One Piece Chapter 1186 on June 28, 2026, Luffy says he can’t picture himself losing to Imu, but Gear 5’s runtime is still too short—opening him up to danger during engagements. Luck has helped so far, but future clashes won’t always be as forgiving. On the Haki side, Luffy also isn’t quite at the threshold needed to neutralize threats coming from the likes of the Five Elders and Imu. To put that power scale in perspective, Imu’s Haki is described as so overwhelming that even combined Haki strikes from Roger, Garp, Rocks, Big Mom, and Whitebeard couldn’t leave a mark, shown in One Piece Chapter 1163 on October 27, 2025. If that’s the baseline, then injuring Imu with Luffy’s Haki right now is essentially impossible. The conclusion: a new transformation in the Final Saga looks necessary.

One Piece remains the top-selling manga overall, but for 2026 so far, Japan’s readership has leaned more toward Frieren.

Luffy’s Mythical Zoan Awakening Could Evolve Again, With Clues From Imu and Zaza

Fans are naturally asking how Luffy can actually achieve this next level. The story points to multiple areas where he can improve. First is Haki. While Luffy has learned to apply Conqueror’s Haki to his body, his command of it is still described as rough. Kaido stated this in the Wano Country Arc in Chapter 1011, and the implication is that the gap hasn’t closed much since. During Egghead, Luffy saw a glimpse of Joy Boy’s Haki and was left confused by how something so powerful can exist at all. He should be aiming for that kind of level, but he hasn’t obtained it yet. Because Supreme King Haki can’t be trained in a direct, technique-by-technique way—and instead rises alongside the user’s strength—Luffy’s general power growth should translate into a major Haki upgrade.

“Though you can control the Color of the Supreme King, you can’t train it to be stronger directly. It is the embodiment of the spirit of the user. The only way to make it stronger is for the user to grow stronger.” — Silvers Rayleigh, One Piece Chapter #597

Next is Luffy’s Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. His overall Devil Fruit output is already massive. He can use Gear 5, which he obtained when Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika awakened in One Piece Chapter 1044 on March 28, 2022, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17.

However, Gear 5 isn’t necessarily capped. As Luffy learns Advanced Conqueror’s Haki, he could coat his body in even tougher Haki, potentially leading to a new transformation that comes with a time limit. The logic mirrors Gear 4: when Luffy pushes maximum output with Armament Haki, the same kind of escalation could apply to Gear 5. In other words, it could generate something beyond the standard Nika state.

At the same time, Gear 5’s power is portrayed as imaginative and adaptable—something that lets Luffy turn ideas into reality. The story frames it as a “God Fruit,” comparable to Imu’s Akuma no Mi ability, and to Rain God Zaza, which was introduced in One Piece Chapter #1182 on May 10, 2026. Since both Zaza and Imu have their own element-themed ring-like power behind them, the suggestion is that Luffy could gain a “Sun Ring” as well. At this stage, it appears Luffy doesn’t fully recognize this potential. Still, his energy has already been enough to activate the Iron Giant on Egghead. If Luffy can leverage this special ring power, it could allow him to develop what may be the true form of Gear 5—described here as his ultimate Devil Fruit transformation. That matters immediately for Chapter 1187 and beyond, because it would let him stand on more even ground against someone as strong as Imu.

Loki: What’s with those black flames?

Imu: Omen is my military might. It’s a power that dwells within all living beings!

— Exchange about Imu’s Black Flame Ring power, One Piece Chapter #1181

Luffy’s Ultimate Transformation Could Decide the Elbaf Climax vs Imu

Right now, Luffy is presented as nowhere near Imu’s match. Even Rocks couldn’t stand up to Imu, and Loki was overwhelmed quickly. So the story’s odds don’t look good for Luffy in the immediate moment. But the argument here is that Luffy could become a real rival if he pushes Conqueror’s Haki to a new tier—something closer to the power Shanks uses. Add that to Gear 5 being pushed to its absolute peak, with the possible arrival of a Sun Ring, and Luffy would finally have the tools to challenge Imu on more balanced terms.

“Was that Haki even stronger than Red Hair’s? There was no hostility to it!” — Dorry and Brogy reacting to Joy Boy’s level, One Piece Chapter #1123

It’s also emphasized that Luffy has already reached Joy Boy’s level. At the same time, he isn’t currently portrayed as stronger than Shanks. That means getting to Joy Boy’s full benchmark likely requires extra power-ups and more fighter growth. Eventually, Luffy is positioned as the one who should bring Imu down, and the fight has effectively begun with One Piece Chapter #1186 releasing on June 28, 2026 in WSJ Issue #31. With Elbaf’s climax unfolding, Oda should have plenty of chances to let Luffy develop Gear 5 further inside the arc, potentially turning it into a pathway for “unlimited” power later in the story.

Where to Read

All chapters of One Piece, created by Eiichiro Oda, are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.