This article contains spoilers from One Piece's Final Saga.
When it comes to shonen series, transformations are a big part of what gets the fans excited, and One Piece is no exception in that regard. The author of the series, Eiichiro Oda, recognizes that as well, and that is precisely why, over the years, he has drawn countless exciting transformations to excite all his fan base. The most iconic, and quite easily the most powerful, transformation up until recently was drawn by Oda in the Wano arc, and that is Luffy's iconic Gear 5. After the awakening of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, Luffy's power reached sky-high levels as he unlocked Gear 5.
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This transformation allowed him to do things that were seemingly impossible, and make full use of his power of imagination. The results of Luffy's incredible new power were quite clear to see as he managed to defeat Kaido in Wano. Up until now, it could've been said that Luffy's Gear 5 was the strongest transformation in One Piece, but now, in the Elbaf arc, a new monstrously powerful transformation has emerged that leaves even Gear 5 in the dust, and this transformation belongs to the Accursed Prince of Elbaf, Loki.
Gear 5 Was The Ultimate Transformation In One Piece Until Elbaf
- Luffy Achieved Gear 5 In The Wano Arc
- Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika Is The Most Ridiculous Ability
As far as mighty transformations go, fans absolutely cannot deny that Gear 5 was the strongest in the entirety of the series until recently. Luffy's initial transformations, called the Gears, paved the way for Gear 5 to eventually come up. In the Enies Lobby Arc, Luffy first tapped into the power of Gear 2nd and Gear 3rd, and these offered a significant boost to him to counter the threats of the Grand Line. Luffy went on to create Gear 4, with its multiple forms, during the timeskip, and it is safe to say that this power allowed him to fight monsters as well.
But despite all that Luffy had learned, it was not enough to defeat the top tiers of the One Piece world, which is where Gear 5 comes in. To achieve the power of Gear 5, Luffy essentially had to face death itself. In the battle against Kaido, Luffy actually ended up dying, and that is when his Devil Fruit awakened and Gear 5 was triggered.
Gear 5 is Luffy's awakening of the Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika, and it is safe to say that this power is on a completely different level from all of the transformations seen in One Piece to date. Gear 5 allows Luffy to perform even greater feats of physical strength and, on top of that, gives him an advanced recovery rate as well. On top of everything else, it gives him an even more rubbery body and the most freewheeling combat of all.
Above all, Luffy can do just about anything that he wants, and the only thing he is bound by is his own imagination, which was quite clear to see in the battle against Kaido. As Luffy beat Kaido, it was quite clear to see that no one in the One Piece world would be able to stop his freewheeling combat and that he was truly now worthy of the Yonko title.
Loki's Mythical Zoan Transformation Has Appeared In One Piece
All that said, Luffy is still not the strongest in the One Piece world, and fans know of many characters who are above his power level so far. As such, it truly was not a surprise when Oda revealed an even stronger character in the Elbaf in the form of Loki. When Loki first appeared, fans weren't really sure what to make of his power level. On the one hand, Oda made it clear that Loki was a monster strong enough to destroy not just Elbaf but the entire world of One Piece. On the other hand, Luffy himself said that if Loki were to rampage, he would beat him and put him back in chains. This gave the fans a certain level of confidence that Luffy was already stronger than Loki.
All this was shattered in One Piece Chapter 1170, where Loki's strength was revealed, and it is quite clear that his transformation far eclipses even Gear 5 in terms of raw power.
Loki's Mythical Zoan Transformation Surpasses Gear 5 in Raw Power
In One Piece Chapter 1170, Oda gave the fans a proper look at Loki's Mythical Zoan transformation. This transformation came after Loki ate the legendary Devil Fruit of Elbaf, which was kept safe in the country for centuries. For starters, this Devil Fruit was untouched, not because Elbaf was waiting for the right person to eat it, but because no one could actually get to it due to Ragnir, the hammer defending it. Ragnir is essentially a warhammer that has eaten a squirrel Zoan Devil Fruit. Even Harald himself was not able to consume this legendary Devil Fruit, and that truly goes to show that Loki was already a monster before even eating this fruit.
I am the Sun God enshrined in the legends of this land. You will not speak to me without permission, human. I consider myself the strongest alive in the Lands. This is the Warland, Elbaf's Kingdom of Violence. The most powerful nation in the world which once lived and breathed warfare. And I'm the Sun God who brings the world to an end, Loki! — Loki introducing himself in the Elbaf Arc.
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Eventually, Loki did manage to get his hands on this power, and he immediately transformed into a creature that Oda kept in a silhouette. That said, the silhouette itself matters little. It is the power of the creature that is important here, and Oda made sure to demonstrate that to the fullest. Loki, with the power of his Devil Fruit, was able to beat King Harald of Elbaf, and even kill him.
Loki Was Able To Defeat Imu-buffed Harald
- Loki's Powers Are Greater Than Harald's
- Luffy Is Not On This Level Yet
One thing that fans need to keep in mind here is Harald's own strength. At this point in the series, Harald was buffed by using his Deep Sea Covenant. Before the Covenant, Harald was as strong as rocks. After the Covenant, he had reached a level even greater than Rocks, and yet Loki was easily able to overpower him and beat him up repeatedly. Of course, in the end, Harald allowed Loki to kill him, but it cannot be denied that Loki was easily able to overpower the King of Elbaf like it was absolutely nothing.
King Harald passed after a vicious battle with Loki. What you are seeing are the scars of that fight. Loki is strong for sure but King Harald was also known to be a Great Warrior in his own right. All this destruction was inevitable. The only surviving members in the castle were Chief Jarul and Loki that day. — Rodo on the Battle in Aurust Castle, 14 Years Ago
As such, in terms of raw power, fans know for a fact that Loki’s new transformation is even above Luffy's Gear 5. What's even crazier is that Loki achieved all this before even reaching the state of Devil Fruit Awakening. Perhaps in the eight years that followed, right up until the time that Loki fought against Shanks, he even managed to awaken his Devil Fruit, and if that is the case, then Luffy, even with his Gear 5, cannot hold a candle to Loki's power level right now. For Luffy to be stronger than Loki, he must reach the level of Roger, Rocks, and Harald. Quite clearly, Luffy’s Gear 5 is not on that level yet, and Loki’s new Zoan transformation remains on top as one of the strongest in the One Piece world.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail the seas to lay claim to the grand treasure known as the One Piece. The manga is currently in its Final Saga. One Piece will be featured in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1171 is January 18, 2026. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday, which is 11:00 AM EST, or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps. Doing so will ensure that fans always support the author.