Introduced in One Piece Chapter 1 on July 18, 1997, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 34, the Pirate King was once the loftiest of titles in this legendary world crafted by Eiichiro Oda. The Pirate King is the one who completes the circumnavigation of the entire world of One Piece and eventually reaches the final island, Laugh Tale, claiming the legendary treasure left behind.
For years, Monkey D. Luffy and, alongside him, the vast majority of the pirates who set out to the seas have attempted to claim this legendary treasure. In doing so, they have strengthened themselves to tremendous degrees and achieved lofty titles such as the Emperors of the Sea, among others. However, after almost three decades, Luffy has now surpassed the Pirate King. While Luffy doesn’t have the same fame or wealth as the former Pirate King, he has surpassed him in terms of strength, a revelation that was made to us with the release of One Piece Chapter 1198 on November 8, 2026. After holding his Devil Fruit powers for three long decades, Monkey D. Luffy has now brought out its full power and paved the way for the spirit of the legendary Sun God Nika, an entity that existed 3,000 years ago, to take over. With the power of this new Monkey God Nika, Luffy has left the vast majority of the fighters in the dust, with Nerona Imu being his only true rival.
One Piece Chapter 1198 Gives Luffy The Form Of A 3000-Year-Old God
Monkey D. Luffy was always destined to reach great heights in terms of power, and that was clear to see from the very first chapter of One Piece, released back on July 18, 1997, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue 34. The moment Shanks entrusted Luffy with the straw hat, it was clear that he was going to reach a very high level of strength, and through his progress on the high seas over the years, this was quite clear to see. Luffy developed the powers of Gears over the years and reached his peak with the release of chapter 1044 on March 28, 2022, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue 17, where he officially tapped into Gear 5, labeling it his peak.
“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!” — Elders explain Nika, One Piece Chapter #1044
With Gear 5, Luffy was more or less on the same level as the strongest Emperors of the One Piece world. With his newfound powers, he was able to defeat Kaido in One Piece chapter 1049 and then, in the subsequent arc, overwhelm the likes of Kizaru and even the Five Elders. However, Luffy’s weakness was laid bare for the fans to see in the Elbaf arc, specifically in One Piece chapter 1188, which was released on July 13, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue 33. In this chapter, Imu made quick work of Luffy, using his powerful Blade of Nothingness: Vohu. Had it not been for Scopper Gaban, the left arm of the late Pirate King, Luffy would most certainly have died.
“Of course I know that thou art not Joy Boy! Joy Boy was not this weak!!” — Imu beats Luffy, One Piece Chapter #1188
This chapter exposed Luffy’s shortcomings to us, but it also paved the way for Luffy to grow even stronger and surpass all his limits. One Piece chapter 1198, released on November 8, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 50, saw to it that Luffy did just that by activating a new Monkey God form that brings to life a 3,000-year-old deity whose strength is practically unparalleled. This god is the Monkey God Nika, whose true form has been revealed to us for the first time since the series began.
“What happened to Luffy? He clearly turned into something and just ran off? Where did he go?” — Usopp comments on Luffy’s New Form, One Piece Chapter #1198
Luffy’s Full Form Nika Power Surpasses Gol D. Roger
In One Piece chapter 1198, Luffy officially lost control over his Devil Fruit powers, and thus the spirit of Nika completely took over his body. By allowing Nika to take over, the full manifestation of the Sun God was witnessed, and this new Monkey God was proved to be incredibly powerful. Immediately upon activating the power of the Monkey God Nika, Luffy was seen heading to the Western Village of Elbaf, where he fought against Rain God Zaza and essentially dismantled her in a single blow. This very same Rain God overwhelmed the entirety of the warrior giants of Elbaf, including Dorry and Brogy, who have a cumulative bounty of 3.6 billion berries on their heads. The fact that the Monkey God Nika was able to take care of it effortlessly goes to show that he operates on a completely different level of strength.
Sanji: Hey, Luffy! That’s…not you? Who is this guy?
Nika: Kikikiki!
Giants: Is that a monkey? No wait, that form is!!
— Elbaf Giants recognize Monkey God Luffy, One Piece Chapter #1198
Furthermore, Nerona Imu, the King of the World himself, who effortlessly defeated Luffy in chapter 1188, was wary of Nika’s strength. It has also been revealed that Nika was a rival to Imu in the past, and Imu’s respectful words towards Joy Boy further go on to show that they were neck and neck in terms of strength. For Luffy to reach such a level of power in the Elbaf arc climax goes to show that he is now on the same level as Imu and far above all the other characters in the world of One Piece, including the Pirate King himself.
When it comes to the mortals of the One Piece world, or those who don’t wield the abilities of Gods, Roger is the strongest there is. His strength, stature, and just about everything else about him are enigmatic, and the power of his Haki is truly immense. That said, Roger cannot compete in the domain of Gods. The likes of Nerona Imu, Joy Boy, and all the others who wield godly abilities operate on a completely different level of strength, and Luffy has now reached the very same level by attaining the full powers of the Sun God Nika. Luffy has become a monstrously powerful fighter whose full strength surpasses even that of the Pirate King, and that is truly brilliant to see.
Why Luffy Is The Strongest Pirate Alive in One Piece Right Now
As things stand, Monkey D. Luffy, with his full Monkey God Nika form, is the strongest pirate in the world of One Piece. This is in line with Joy Boy being the first and the strongest pirate long ago in the Void Century, as he held the same ability at his disposal. The only caveat is that Luffy does not have full control over the power of the Monkey God Nika just yet.
Nika was able to overwhelm Luffy due to having its own strong presence and the protagonist of the series being at death’s door. For Luffy to gain full control over this power and manifest it in whichever way he wants, he needs to fight the spirit of Nika and rein it in. Once Luffy reins the spirit in, he will then become the true strongest in the world of One Piece, rivaling and potentially even surpassing Nerona Imu by the end.
The latest manga chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece series are available for fans to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.