One Piece: The Only Character Stronger Than Luffy Destined to Defeat Imu

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Published Apr 20, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT

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After nearly 8 years of anticipation, the final villain of One Piece has finally stepped onto the battlefield, and its presence is absolutely menacing. Until now, Eiichiro Oda has only teased Imu's power by having him possess others, like Saturn in God Valley and Gunko in Elbaph. But it turns out that the King of the World is far more dangerous in person compared to controlling his servants from Pangea Castle.

Recent chapters finally put this shadowy ruler's actual strength on display, revealing a level of power way beyond anything readers have seen so far, potentially even greater than Kaido and Gear 5 combined.

While Luffy has overcome every challenge thrown at him since the beginning, the recent threat is far beyond his capabilities. It would take months of training for the Straw Hat captain just to put up a decent fight against this mysterious king. Unfortunately, the crew does not have the luxury of time. However, there is no need for concern, as Luffy isn't the one destined to defeat Imu. Instead, that responsibility belongs to a newly introduced character, a powerhouse who already outclasses the Straw Hat captain.

Loki’s Mythical Devil Fruit And Sentient Weapon Make Him Imu’s Perfect Match

The one that comes closest to standing up against Imu is none other than the Accursed Prince of Elbaph, Loki. One Piece chapter #1180 even sets up the two powerhouses in its final panel, leaving readers on a cliffhanger to speculate on how their fight will go down.

There is no doubt the King of the World currently sits at the top of the power hierarchy, but Loki's feats are not to be overlooked either.

After consuming one of the strongest Devil Fruits in One Piece, the ancient treasure of the Elbaph, Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Nidhöggr, and acquiring the sentient warhammer, Ragnir, the Giant Prince has grown exponentially in terms of strength. This Mythical Zoan gives Loki the destructive abilities of a mythical dragon. When he pairs that power with his living warhammer, his fighting skills jump to a completely different level.

The Ultimate · Straw Hat Challenge Set Sail for Trivia “I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!”

⚕CrewNakama!

🌊SeasEast Blue

🍋Devil FruitsGomu Gomu!

☠VillainsFear the sea

🏆DreamsOne Piece!

SET SAIL →

Monkey D. Luffy accidentally ate a Devil Fruit as a child, giving him rubber-like abilities. What is the name of that fruit?

AFlame-Flame Fruit BChop-Chop Fruit CGum-Gum Fruit DSmoke-Smoke Fruit

✓ Correct! The Gum-Gum Fruit (Gomu Gomu no Mi) turned Luffy’s body into rubber. He ate it from Shanks’ treasure chest as a kid, gaining stretchy powers but losing the ability to swim forever.

✗ Overboard! The answer is the Gum-Gum Fruit. The Chop-Chop Fruit belongs to Buggy, the Flame-Flame Fruit to Ace, and the Smoke-Smoke Fruit to Captain Smoker — but Luffy’s rubber powers come from the Gomu Gomu no Mi.

Luffy’s iconic straw hat was given to him as a child by a famous pirate who inspired his dream. Who gave Luffy the hat?

AGold Roger BMonkey D. Garp CDracule Mihawk DRed-Haired Shanks

✓ Correct! Red-Haired Shanks entrusted his straw hat to young Luffy in Foosha Village, telling him to return it when he becomes a great pirate. That promise drives Luffy’s entire journey.

✗ Overboard! The answer is Red-Haired Shanks. While Gold Roger originally wore the hat, it was Shanks who passed it down to Luffy after saving his life from a Sea King — a defining moment in the series.

Before joining the Straw Hats, Sanji works as a sous chef at a floating restaurant on the ocean. What is the name of this restaurant?

AThe Galley-La BThe Baratie CThe Sea Rat DMakino’s Tavern

✓ Correct! The Baratie is the ocean-going restaurant run by Chef Zeff, Sanji’s mentor. In the live-action series, it’s one of the most stunning sets — a fully realized ship-restaurant on the open sea.

✗ Overboard! The answer is The Baratie. Run by the legendary pirate-turned-chef “Red Leg” Zeff, this floating restaurant is where Luffy recruits Sanji as the Straw Hats’ cook.

Roronoa Zoro is famous for his unique sword-fighting technique. How many swords does he wield in his signature style?

AOne BTwo CThree DFour

✓ Correct! Zoro uses Three-Sword Style (Santoryu), wielding one sword in each hand and a third in his mouth. His dream is to become the world’s greatest swordsman by defeating Dracule Mihawk.

✗ Overboard! The answer is three. Zoro’s iconic Three-Sword Style places one blade in each hand and a third clenched between his teeth — a fighting technique unique to him in the One Piece world.

Each Straw Hat crew member has a personal dream. What is Nami’s ultimate goal that drives her journey?

ATo find the One Piece treasure BTo become the greatest navigator CTo draw a complete map of the world DTo defeat every pirate on the Grand Line

✓ Correct! Nami’s dream is to draw a map of the entire world. Her cartography skills and navigation talent make her indispensable to the crew, and her passion for mapmaking was nurtured by her adoptive mother Bell-mère.

✗ Overboard! The answer is to draw a complete map of the world. Nami is a gifted cartographer whose dream goes beyond just sailing — she wants to chart every sea and island so no one is ever lost again.

A powerful Marine Vice Admiral is revealed to have a surprising family connection to Luffy. Who is this high-ranking Marine?

ACaptain Smoker BAdmiral Akainu CCaptain Morgan DVice Admiral Garp

✓ Correct! Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp is Luffy’s grandfather. Known as “Garp the Fist,” he’s a Marine hero who wanted Luffy to become a Marine — not a pirate. Their family dynamic is a major subplot in the live-action series.

✗ Overboard! The answer is Vice Admiral Garp. Monkey D. Garp is Luffy’s grandfather and one of the most legendary Marines alive. Despite being on opposite sides of the law, their bond runs deep.

Usopp is recruited into the Straw Hat crew after the pirates help defend his home village from Captain Kuro’s Black Cat Pirates. What is the name of Usopp’s village?

AFoosha Village BShells Town CSyrup Village DCoco Village

✓ Correct! Syrup Village is Usopp’s peaceful hometown where he was known for telling tall tales. It’s also where Kaya lives, and where the crew acquires the Going Merry from her estate.

✗ Overboard! The answer is Syrup Village. Foosha Village is Luffy’s hometown, Shells Town is where Zoro was held captive, and Coco Village (Cocoyasi) is Nami’s home — but Usopp hails from Syrup Village.

The Netflix live-action adaptation was praised for its casting. Which actor plays Monkey D. Luffy?

AMackenyu BTaz Skylar CIñaki Godoy DJacob Romero Gibson

✓ Correct! Mexican actor Iñaki Godoy won fans over with his infectious energy and earnest portrayal of Luffy. Mackenyu plays Zoro, Taz Skylar is Sanji, and Jacob Romero Gibson plays Usopp.

✗ Overboard! The answer is Iñaki Godoy. The young Mexican actor perfectly captured Luffy’s boundless enthusiasm. The other actors all play Straw Hat crew members — but Luffy is all Iñaki.

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Voyage Complete Your Pirate Record

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↻ SET SAIL AGAIN

Loki showed off this overwhelming strength during his brutal victory over Harald. Even though Harald was a legendary Ancient Giant known for his tough skin, the Accursed Prince took him down with a single massive blow from his hammer. This is a huge deal because the former King of Elbaph was just as strong as the infamous pirate, Rocks D. Xebec. Even though Harald took the direct hit on purpose, the hammer still tore right through his immortal body, proving the sheer power behind Loki's attack.

Loki's Conqueror's Haki Can Actually Bypass Imu's Immortality

What really makes Loki a total nightmare for the World Government is his Haki. His Conqueror's Haki is strong enough to bypass immortality granted by Imu, a feat that took both the Pirate King and the Hero of Marine to pull off. This makes him the perfect match against Imu's biggest advantage.

One Piece Elbaph Arc's New Pacing Is Not Helping the Anime at All

Toei brings movie-quality visuals to Elbaph, but stretching a single manga chapter per episode remains a looming hurdle.

Right before their big showdown in chapter #1180, Loki easily crushed every obstacle in his path. He tore through the nightmarish drawings and even managed to freeze Imu while he was possessing Gunko’s body using the Domi Reversi technique. This proves why the King of the World had no choice but to arrive in person to take him down. Between his mythical Devil Fruit, his living weapon, and his overwhelming Haki, the Accursed Prince is easily one of the strongest characters in One Piece.

While Luffy still struggles with his Devil Fruit powers, especially Gear 5, Loki has full control over both his fruit and his Haki. On top of that, the Accursed Prince mentioned that only Ragnir can unfreeze targets once they get hit by it. If that rule turns out to be true, Loki just needs to land a clean blow on Imu, just like he did on Harald. With the Elbaph Arc now at its climax, readers are about to witness one of the greatest fights in One Piece.

Release Date October 20, 1999

Network Fuji TV

Directors Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

Writers Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda