This article contains spoilers from One Piece's Elbaf Arc.
One Piece is currently in the Elbaf arc, where Oda has thrown a lot of focus on the power of Haki. Fans always knew that Haki would gain tremendous importance in the final saga as its true powers were still somewhat of a mystery in the story, and Elbaf has given everyone just that. Before the Elbaf arc of One Piece entered the Loki flashback, it became clear that Luffy would have to upgrade his Haki greatly.
One Piece: Oda Sets Up The Next King Of The World After Imu
Imu is the current ruler of the One Piece world, but his throne will be taken over by this character.
According to Scopper Gaban, Luffy had to be careful about how to use his Conqueror's Haki. Finally, the Loki flashback elaborated upon that in great detail by showing the fans exactly what Gaban meant in regards to Haki usage. Oda showed the fans how to counter an undying body with Haki in God Valley, and it all comes down to the mass of Haki. Once the mass of Haki is great enough, it can bypass any powerful ability. In other words, to fight against the Domi Reversi monsters and Imu, Luffy will have to learn Haki mass manipulation and do it efficiently to stand a chance. This new Haki upgrade will push him to the next level in the story.
Luffy Will Learn To Manipulate Haki Mass And Critical Mass
It goes without saying that Luffy is one of the most powerful Haki users in One Piece at the moment, given that he knows all the types and has even learned all their subtypes. However, there's a big difference between knowing subtypes and mastering them.
Luffy is knowledgeable when it comes to all types of Haki, but he isn't a master in any of them. Oda has already confirmed to the fans that Luffy's proficiency is Conqueror's Haki, meaning this is the art that he can excel in the most. It also means that Luffy will gain more power-ups in Conqueror's Haki in the future since there is a lot of room to grow.
Listen, Garp, it all comes down to the mas sof Haki. — Roger to Garp
In Elbaf, Scopper Gaban told Luffy to be careful about how he uses his Haki as the Holy Knights aren't 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 fans to the concept of Haki mass.
To put it simply, the higher the mass of Haki, the greater the chances of it piercing through enemy defenses and doing more damage. Luffy is always using his Haki when he fights, but he needs to improve the mass of his Haki to truly damage the immortals. With more Haki used, they will be truly damaged and recovery won't be easy to accomplish.
Luffy's Haki Will Counter Immortality
In the Elbaf arc, Oda has given Luffy the biggest test that he will face and that's Conqueror's Haki mastery. Luffy will have to understand the concept of Haki mass. Knowing when to use how much Haki is important as that is the key to hurting the Holy Knights. Simple Conqueror's Haki attacks won't work on the Holy Knights. The key lies in Conqueror's Haki with more mass. This means heavy attacks with a higher concentration of Haki to nullify Imu's Abyssal powers to get through to the real body.
One Piece: Oda Drops A Big Hint About The Identity Of Imu's Son
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Listen, Straw Hat. Etch in your brain how to use Conqueror's Haki properly. These guys are not immortal! — Scopper Gaban to Luffy
Monkey D. Luffy Will Need Stronger Haki To Beat Imu
Right now, Luffy will have the Holy Knights in front of him. Based on how Elbaf is set up, it seems that Loki will be Domi Reversi'd to be made into Luffy's final enemy for the arc. However, Imu is a different beast altogether. It is highly unlikely that Luffy will fight against Imu in the Elbaf arc. He is strong, but his Haki needs to grow even further.
Even Rocks, Roger, and Garp, with their immense Haki mastery, couldn't hurt Imu since his Haki is far stronger. Luffy cannot beat him yet, and for that, he'll need more time to grow. Still, Luffy's Haki will get a major upgrade in the Elbaf arc, and that's a given at this point in the story. All fans need to do is sit back patiently and wait for the story to progress past the Loki flashback.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece will be featured in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1167 is December 1, 2025. 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.