This article contains spoilers from the Elbaf arc of One Piece.
One piece is currently in the Elbaf arc, marking the beginning of the most exciting battles of the Final Saga. It is in this part of the story that Luffy and the straw pirates first encounter the forces of Imu and the World Government, making it an exciting phase in Oda's story.
Say hello to the new legendary devil fruit user The Slam Hat Pirates in One Piece
The Straw Hat Pirates are strong and the new member has the legendary Devil Fruit in One Piece.
At the same time, fans are very much aware that the strongest characters are finally making their moves across all seas, something they've been waiting years to properly see. Of course, given that this is the peak One piece that Oda wanted to illustrate from the moment he started writing the story, the strongest characters finally make their presence known. Lately Oda even showcased the appearance of a legendary individual whose strength still surpasses that of Yonko Monkey D. Luffy, and that character is none other than the Cursed Prince of Elbaf, Loki..
Luffy became one of the Yonko after the Wano Arc of One Piece
-
Luffy awakened his devil fruit in Wano
-
Gained Advanced Haki vs Kaido
As for the strongest characters in the world One piece go, fans almost always come to Yonko. The Yonks are the four most powerful pirates in the world who rule the New World like kings. Their influence is such that even the world government dare not touch them directly unless they have absolutely no other choice. Yonko crews are made up of powerful pirates led by characters so powerful they can pose a direct threat to the government itself. Their strength far exceeds that of their pirate crews, as Yonko tend to have large alliances and affiliations that make them a force to be reckoned with.
Over the years, fans have seen quite a lot of the mighty Yonko, and while some have fallen, others have risen to take that position. One of the most recent additions to the Yonko ranks was the main character of the series, Monkey D. Luffy. After the events of the Wano arc, both Kaido and Big Mom were removed from their position as Yonko, and instead Luffy became the Emperor along with Buggy. Luffy clearly deserved the title of Yonko, especially after he managed to awaken his Devil Fruit and gain all three types of Advanced Haki.
It was no surprise to see Luffy become a fearsome warrior who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the other emperors of the One Piece world. he said that Yonko aren't necessarily the strongest characters in all of One Piece. The fans, for example, know this well Imu's powers are far greater than any Yonko's. Similarly, there are other individuals whose powers can exceed that of the Yonks, and Loki appears to be one of them.
Of course, Loki was defeated by Shanks six years ago, but compared to the average Yonk, Loki definitely seems stronger and his powers seem to be much greater than Luffy's at this point.
Loki has already surpassed Luffy in terms of strength
-
Loki is above the level of Rocks D. Xebec
-
Loki himself defeated Harald 14 years ago
Fans have seen Luffy fight and grow in battles for many years, and that makes it pretty easy for them to see what Luffy's limits are currently. Luffy used the power of Gear 5 in Wano and also managed to awaken the Advanced Conqueror's Haki. All of these things combined made Luffy a fearsome fighter, but he still struggled in the battle against Kaido. Later in the series in Egghead, Luffy fought against Kizaru, and while he was completely dominant in the fight, despite not going all out, it was clear that Luffy was not at his peak. Pretty dear, Luffy still has room to grow and the likes of Shanks and Blackbeard should still be much stronger than him.
I consider myself the strongest living in the Lands. This is Warland, Elbaf's kingdom of violence. The most powerful nation in the world that once lived and breathed warfare. And I am the Sun God who brings the world to an end, Loki! — Loki introduces himself in the Arc of Elbaf.
One Piece: Why Monkey D. Luffy will be declared the strongest in the world at the end of the series
Luffy will be the strongest in One Piece at the end of the story. Here's why.
So considering Luffy's level, the comparison to Loki is pretty easy. In the Elbaf flashback, fans got to see a real glimpse of Loki's power and it's safe to say that he left Luffy completely in the dust. Loki was so strong that he was able to kill King Harald despite being immortal. So far, he is the only person in One Piece who can kill an immortal and burden someone like Imu. With all these crucial details, fans can say for sure Loki is stronger than Luffy at this particular moment.
Loki had a brief stint as a pirate
Some fans might argue that Loki isn't even a pirate, but that's actually not true at all. 14 years ago King Harald died in Elbaf and fans know that Loki decided to set sail shortly after. Loki took a skeleton crew with him and it consisted of guards who were loyal to King Harald. In his quest for revenge, Loki acted like a pirate and wreaked havoc on the seas. He remained active on the seas for many years, and therefore at one particular point he received a very high reward of 2.6 billion berries. In fact, his reward was even called “peculiar.” Since Loki went rogue on the seas, he was also most certainly considered a pirate by the world government, regardless of what the fans thought of him.
Luffy needs great strength to match Loki
-
Luffy masters his Haki in Elbaf
-
Loki and Luffy should be close in power at the end of the arc
Going back to Luffy and his strength compared to Loki, fans know very well that at this point the battle between them wouldn't even be that close. Although Luffy is a Yonko, Loki is a level upconsidering he was able to defeat someone stronger than even Rocks D. Xebec. In order to reach this level, Luffy must master his Haki properly and also get rid of the time limit he has on Gear 5.. Once Luffy can master all these things, he will be strong enough to fight Loki in battle.
quite clearly Luffy needs massive upgrades before he can reach the level of Shanks, Loki and others.. This is exactly what the Elbaf Arch is for. For now, fans just have to sit back and watch Luffy grow as he battles Imo and the demon army that has been unleashed on the Warland, Elbaf. This arc will certainly be significant for Luffy, both in terms of his character growth and his upgrades.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the straw pirates who sail the seas to claim the great treasure known as One Piece. The manga is currently in its Final Saga. One Piece will be featured in Weekly Shonen Jump this week. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1171 is January 18, 2026. In Japan, One Piece drops on Monday at 12:00 PM JST, which is 11:00 AM EST or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read this chapter for free on Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps. This ensures that fans will always support the author.
