This article contains spoilers from One Piece's Elbaf Arc.
One piece is currently in the Elbaf arc, where Oda focused a lot on Haki power. The fans always knew it Haki would gain immense importance in the final saga as his true powers were still somewhat of a mystery in the story and Elbaf gave everyone just that. In front of the Elbaf arch One piece entered Loki's flashback, it was clear that Luffy will need to improve his Haki significantly.
One Piece: Oda sets up the next king of the world after Ima
Imu is the current ruler of the One Piece world, but this character will take over his throne.
According to Scopper Gaban, Luffy had to be careful how to use his Conqueror's Haki. Finally, Loki's flashback elaborated on this in great detail and showed fans exactly what Gaban meant in regards to using Haki. Oda showed fans how to counter an immortal body with Haki in God Valley and that's it Haki mass. Once the Haki mass is large enough, it can bypass any powerful ability. In other words, to fight the monsters Domi Reversi and Imu, Luffy will have to learn mass manipulation Haki and do it effectively so you have a chance. This new Haki upgrade takes him to the next level in the story.
Luffy learns how to manipulate Haki matter and critical matter
That goes without saying Luffy is one of the most powerful users of Haki v One piece at this point, given that he knows all types and has even learned all of their subtypes. However, there is a big difference between knowing the subtypes and mastering them.
Luffy knows all types of Haki, but is not a master at any of them. Oda has already confirmed it to fans Luffy's skill is Conqueror's Hakiwhich means that this is the art in which he can excel the most. It also means that Luffy will get more upgrades in Conqueror's Haki in the future as there is plenty of room for growth.
Listen, Garp, it's all about Haki meat. — Roger to Garp
In Elbaf, Scopper Gaban told Luffy to be careful with how he uses his Haki, as holy knights are not truly immortal. in other words Conqueror's Haki can counter Immortality. But the key is how to use Conqueror's Haki. In God Valley, Oda introduced the concept of Haki mass to fans.
Simply put, the higher the weight of the Haki, the more chance it has to break through the enemy's defenses and do further damage. Luffy always uses his Haki when he fights but he needs to upgrade the weight of his Haki to really damage immortals. With more Haki use, they will actually be damaged and recovery won't be easy to achieve.
Luffy's Haki opposes immortality
In the arch of Elbaf, Oda gave Luffy the biggest test he would face and that was the Conqueror's Haki Mastery. Luffy will have to understand the concept of Haki mass. Knowing when to use how important Haki is is the key to hurting the Holy Knights. Simple Conqueror's Haki attacks will not work on Holy Knights. The key lies in Conqueror's Haki with more weight. That means heavy attacks with higher Haki concentration to nullify Imu's abysmal powers get into the real body.
One Piece: Oda Drops A Big Hint About The Identity Of Imu's Son
Imu could have a son and his identity was heavily hinted at in One Piece.
Listen, straw man. Drill into your brain how to properly use Conqueror's Haki. These guys aren't immortal! — Scopper Gaban to Luffy
Monkey D. Luffy will need stronger Haki to defeat Ima
Right now, Luffy will have the Holy Knights in front of him. Based on how Elbaf is set up, it looks like Loki will be Reversi'd by Domi, who will be Luffy's final enemy for the arc. The imu, however, is a completely different beast. This is highly unlikely Luffy will fight against Imo in the Elbaf Arc. He is strong, but his Haki needs to grow even more.
Even Rocks, Roger and Garp, with their immense mastery of Haki, could not hurt Ima because his Haki is much stronger. Luffy can't beat him yet, so he'll need more time to grow up. Still, Luffy's Haki will receive a major upgrade in the Elbaf Arc, and that's a given at this point in the story. All fans have to do is sit patiently and wait for the story to move past Loki's flashback.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece will be featured in the Weekly Shonen Jump Issue this week. The official release date for One Piece Chapter 1167 is December 1, 2025. 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.
