On May 11, 2015, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue 24, Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, officially introduced the concept of Devil Fruit Awakenings through Doflamingo in the Dressrosa arc. Back then, Doflamingo unleashed the powers of his awakened Ito Ito no Mi in the battle against Luffy. Since then, 11 years have passed, and One Piece has delivered one powerful Awakened Devil Fruit after another.
Now, the climax of the Elbaf arc has officially confirmed to us that the strongest awakened Devil Fruit in the story so far remains Monkey D. Luffy’s Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. This fruit was officially awakened on March 28, 2022, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17 with the release of chapter 1044 of the story. In Elbaf, as Luffy goes up against Nerona Imu, this Devil Fruit awakening could further evolve and herald the return of the true Sun God.
One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Climax Confirms Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika As The Strongest Devil Fruit Awakening
Devil Fruit Awakening is a unique concept that was properly explained by Kaido in One Piece Chapter 1046, which was officially released on April 11, 2022, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19. In this chapter, Kaido stated that Devil Fruit awakenings happen when the mind and the body of the user finally catch up with the ability.
“Awakening is what happens when your mind and body catch up with your ability. And those certainly are ridiculous powers!” — Kaido explains Devil Fruit Awakening, One Piece Chapter #1046
When this happened for Monkey D. Luffy, it led to the return of the Sun God Nika, granting Luffy the full powers of the Warrior of Liberation and paving the way for Gear 5 to emerge. As explained by the Five Elders themselves, the awakening of the Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika grants Luffy even greater strength, resilience, and far more powerful rubbery powers. Most importantly, it gives Luffy the ability to turn anything he imagines into reality, making it the most ridiculous power to ever exist. Luffy’s Devil Fruit, being a God ability, automatically qualifies it as one of the most overpowered fruits of all time. Naturally, given that the true power of the Nika Fruit only comes through its Devil Fruit Awakening, it is no surprise to know that this fruit has a big shout for when it comes to the strongest Awakenings of all time. In the climax of the Elbaf arc, Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the series, pitted Luffy against Nerona Imu, the King of the World. It is this battle that confirmed to us that Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, is by far the strongest Devil Fruit awakening that we have in the story.
“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!” — Gorosei explain Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika Awakening, One Piece Chapter #1044
In One Piece Chapter 1179, released officially on April 5, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue #19, Nerona Imu’s Akuma no Mi powers were shown to us properly. However, this fruit was not confirmed to have been Awakened. In other words, Luffy’s fruit still has the advantage of Awakening, and as far as Awakenings go, it still maintains its position at the very top.
Nerona Imu’s Akuma no Mi Awakening Could Surpass Luffy’s Nika Fruit
It is unclear if Imu’s fruit is awakened yet or not. However, Eiichiro Oda has not stated it to be an awakened Devil Fruit. In comparison, when Rob Lucci and Kaku utilized their Devil Fruit powers in the Egghead arc, Oda made sure to put the “Awakened” label in their introduction box, signifying to us that their abilities had been taken to the next level. The fact that Nerona Imu’s introduction box in One Piece Chapter 1179 only showed his Devil Fruit ability in its standard form suggests that it has not yet been Awakened, or that his power nerf prevents him from accessing his Awakening in one way or another.
Creator of the World Government (One of the First 20)
Power: Akuma no Mi (The Devil’s Fruit)
King of the World St. Nerona Imu
— Imu’s introduction box, One Piece Chapter #1179
That said, the possibility of Imu awakening his Devil Fruit at some point when the Great War officially begins is real. When that happens, it is highly likely that this Devil Fruit awakening will surpass the powers of even Luffy’s Nika form. While the awakened Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika is truly overpowered, as we have seen repeatedly across various One Piece arcs including the climax of Elbaf, the Akuma no Mi operates on a completely different level, especially with the Omen manipulation that it has showcased over various chapters, such as One Piece 1180, 1183, 1188, and most recently, Chapter 1190 on August 9, 2026. If this Devil Fruit power is taken to the next level, Nerona Imu will become the undisputed strongest Awakening user in the entire series, and that’s something that all the fans of the series would also love to see.
Why Imu’s Awakening Could Follow In The Great War
As things stand, Nerona Imu has not tapped into his Devil Fruit Awakening just yet. A big reason behind that is also the fact that Imu’s body is currently nerfed and in tremendous pain. In One Piece Chapter 1179, when Imu descended upon the warland Elbaf, he was seen coughing up blood immediately. Later on, in One Piece Chapter 1182, which was officially released on May 10, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #24, Saint Sommers confirmed to us that Imu’s body was not made to handle the outside world.
“Great Imu’s body isn’t meant to sustain the outside. But even pushing past that, the strength we need and the strength we ought to destroy are both right here.” — Saint Sommers mentions Imu’s weak body, One Piece Chapter #1182
In One Piece Chapter 1190, which was released on August 9, Nerona Imu was seen conversing with Gaban while coughing up blood due to his body weakening. Clearly, Imu’s body is severely limited for some reason, and as explained by Kaido, Awakening can only be used when the mind and body catch up with the ability. Given that Imu does not have the perfect body yet, his Devil Fruit Awakening cannot be used, but in the Great War, Nerona Imu’s nerfs could finally be lifted, and we might get to see him at the peak of his powers. If this power were to be achieved by Imu, then it goes without saying that he will easily become the strongest character in the entirety of One Piece, as well as the character with the most broken Awakening of all time. As to how Luffy will ever hope to manage to defeat him, only time can tell.
All the new One Piece manga chapters by creator Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.