One Piece’s Elbaph Arc Sets Up The Next Level Of God Devil Fruit Awakenings

Devil Fruits formed the primary power system of the One Piece world that Eiichiro Oda, the author of the series, introduced in the very first chapter of the story through Luffy’s Gomu Gomu no Mi. However, we have seen these Devil Fruits evolve drastically over the years, both in terms of classes and subclasses, and in terms of direct evolution through a concept known as Devil Fruit Awakening. To put it simply, Devil Fruit Awakening is what happens when a Devil Fruit is taken beyond all its limits and when the mind and body of the user catch up to the ability.

Devil Fruit Awakening in itself is a very powerful concept that only a handful have tapped into. Now, in the climax of the Elbaph arc, specifically across chapters 1179 to 1182, One Piece has introduced a concept of taking God-level Devil Fruit Awakenings to the next level, which opens up an opportunity for a major Monkey D. Luffy upgrade in the Final Saga.

One Piece Chapters 1180 And 1182 Open The Doors To An Upgraded God Devil Fruit Awakening For Luffy

The Final Saga of One Piece’s Elbaph Arc shocked all of us when Eiichiro Oda decided to throw Nerona Imu directly into the main conflict in chapter 1179, which was officially released in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19 on April 5, 2026. In this particular chapter, Nerona Imu’s face, as well as his Devil Fruit abilities, were shown to us for the very first time by the author, and it did not disappoint. Not only was this a massive reveal that all of us had been waiting patiently for about seven years, but at the same time, it also served to expand the concept of Devil Fruit powers.

“Domination is the only true bliss in this world.” — Nerona Imu, One Piece Chapter 1181

When Nerona Imu’s Akuma no Mi power was first unleashed in chapter 1179, Eiichiro Oda showed us fans some unique traits, such as black wings, horns, tanned skin, and the demonic powers that came with Imu’s ability. Most of all, what stood out to a select few in the One Piece community was the presence of a ring of black flames behind Imu’s back. Unlike usual awakened abilities, Imu did not have a cloud around his neck and arms. Instead, he had a ring of black flames, and what’s even more surprising is that this ring of flames could easily be manipulated by him.

At first, the assumption was that this ring was simply unique to Imu; however, when Eiichiro Oda introduced the Rain God Zaza in One Piece Chapter 1182 on May 10, 2026, in WSJ Issue #24, this godly entity could also be seen with a unique ring of its own. Unlike Imu, it did not have the ring of black flames but instead a ring of water, which pertains to its ability.

“Appearing to the rhythm of the prayers for rain…Rain God Zaza!” — Saint Rimoshifu Killingham in One Piece Chapter 1182

These two deities with rings of their own essentially tell us that the godly beings of the One Piece world, once awakened, can gain access to a ring that floats behind their back. With Imu, this is the power of Omen, which he calls his military might, as seen officially in One Piece Chapter 1180. In the case of the Rain God Zaza, this is a ring of rainwater and floods, as shown in Chapter 1182.

Most interestingly, Luffy has not awakened his ring just yet, despite having access to Gear 5. This means that his Devil Fruit Awakening can be strengthened even further in the Final Saga, which is something that excites us even more, especially as the Elbaph arc heads towards its climax with the impending release of Chapter 1183 on May 24, 2026.

How The Rings Of Gods Will Shape The Final Saga

With the rings of gods being teased as a concept by Eiichiro Oda, a lot of exciting abilities could be unveiled in the Final Saga. With Nerona Imu, we have already seen the existence of the manipulation of Omen, especially in chapter 1182, with the technique known as Rising Eclipse. With Rain God Zaza, we have seen the ability to flood the Western Elbaph Village and destroy the landscape.

In the case of Luffy, this ring is likely to be a ring of fire, or, in other words, the power of the sun. Curiously enough, Luffy has shown no sun abilities despite being the Sun God, and awakening this ring could finally give him the boost that finally solves this mystery once and for all for the One Piece community.

“Possessing a body with the powers of rubber, and fighting in whatever way he fancies, bringing smiles to the faces of people, the Warrior of Liberation…also known as the Sun God, Nika!” — The Gorosei in One Piece Chapter 1044

Moving forward, One Piece is sure to introduce more Gods, especially those mentioned in chapter 287 of the Skypiea arc, and 1138 of the Elbaph arc. Both these chapters mention specific Gods that Eiichiro Oda has not introduced us to yet, and the ones that stand out the most are the Forest God, the Earth God, and potentially also the Sea God, along with the Serpent of Hellfire. These godly individuals could have a ring behind their backs as well, which would open up the room for exciting abilities to be utilized in the final saga.

Monkey D. Luffy’s Sun God Nika Form Can Be Evolved Like Rain God Zaza And Nerona Imu

Among all the God abilities that could evolve even further in the Final Saga and gain a ring behind their backs, the one that fans want to see evolve the most is, of course, the protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy’s Gear 5 is strong enough to see him defeat the likes of Kaido and overwhelm the likes of Kizaru, as evident from the battles in Wano and Egghead arcs. However, based on his performances against these two, we know for a fact that he cannot compete against Imu as he is. Luffy needs to gain even more power, and by evolving his Gear 5 and gaining a ring of his own, he could take his overall skill to the next level.

Luffy could then manipulate flames to a certain degree, and interestingly enough, this could also tie directly into his usage of techniques such as Red Hawk and Red Roc, both of which produce flames upon impact. If Oda were to tie these flames directly to the ring of awakening and make Red Hawk and Red Roc foreshadowing for the awakening of this special ring, then fans won’t be able to help but applaud this genius move. In either case, Luffy needs to strengthen himself further, and this special ring of fire behind his back could take him to the required level where he can fight on even footing with Nerona Imu, and any other enemy that stands in his path to the One Piece in the Final Saga.

The latest chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga can be read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.