30 Years After His Debut, Luffy Is Officially Ready To Become One Piece’s God Of Destruction

Published Nov 15, 2026, 8:30 AM EST

The Elbaph arc has escalated in gigantic ways after the World Government's secret ruler, Saint Nerona Imu, arrived on the island. However, his and his super-powered Holy Knights' actions have only helped the series' Monster Trio of Straw Hats evolve, but Luffy's battle has pushed the capabilities of his legendary Zoan Devil Fruit too far. In chapter #1198, he transformed into something very different than his white-clad Gear Five form and into something that could be downright scary to friends and enemies alike.

Zoan Devil Fruit users run the risk of losing themselves to the fruit's animalistic nature if they push it's awakening too far. And since Luffy's fruit is modeled after the legendary Sun God, Nika, his Devil Fruit’s awakening has showcased a new transformation that has changed him into something far more chaotic. Now, the form has given Straw Hat Luffy even more freedom on the battlefield, and its uncontrollable power may shed light on the God of Destruction moniker Nika had earned.

Nika Was Both A Liberator And A Destroyer

The Legend of Nika as a liberator has been a pillar of hope for slaves living in One Piece's world, and other ancient races like the Buccaneers and Elbaph's Giants. But not all mentions of the Sun God have been described as a holy figure determined to do good. Possibly the world's most ancient mural, hidden on the Giants' homeland, The Harley, depicts events of the old world, the current one, and even prophesied events of the future. And it provides more information about Nika's legacy than the series has ever before.

An extremely large and shadowy figure reminiscent of Nerona Imu appears in the mural and is assumed to represent the Earth God, who once battled the Sun God for control of the planet. Much like Luffy's Gear Five powers that give him freedom on the battlefield, Nika's unrestrained nature once personified freedom but was also capable of incredible destruction. And chapter #1198 provided a peek into the overwhelming might that Nika held.

Sanji and Zoro were trusted to deal with Imu's Holy Knights and were doing a great job of handling the situation, but that didn't stop Luffy's Nika form from betraying the Straw Hats' plan. The chapter ends with their captain looking and sounding more like an actual monkey than a Pirate Emperor while he easily dispatched the Water God construct summoned by the enemy. If Luffy has really lost control to the Nika fruit, his reality-bending abilities may end up being more of a threat to Elbaph in the hands of such a carefree but chaotic figure.

History Is Written By The Winners, But Nika Was Undoubtedly A Danger

While Nika is known as a symbol of freedom to the oppressed, those in power would have a different interpretation of the figure. After the agent of chaos shakes up the status quo for those in power, it makes sense that Nika would also be known as a God of Destruction for the way that he disrupts the establishment. The way that the World Government and Big News Morgan have controlled information, they have been able to fool the general public with censorship, misinformation, and dramatic exaggerations. Still, I have a feeling that Nika’s a character who deserves caution.

Because history is often written by the winners of a conflict, prophecies or information about Nika could have been exaggerated, but the Nika form in One Piece chapter #1198 teased that the transformation may care even less about property damage or the safety of his allies than Luffy. While the way he dispatched the Rain God could have arguably been executed with the Gear Five transformation, Luffy's new form will likely cause more mayhem on Elbaph that will deserve Nika’s reputation as One Piece's God of Destruction. Hopefully, he comes to his senses before he does something he’ll regret.