Warning: Contains spoilers for One Piece chapter #1188.As great a protagonist as Luffy may be, one constant criticism over the years has been that One Piece gives Luffy too much “plot armor”. While Luffy usually does have to work for his victories and will often get beaten down in the process, there are many times when the story almost hands him a win or keeps a loss from being as bad as it should have been, a practice that’s arguably been happening since Luffy’s first fight with Crocodile, and it can make his fights hard to get invested in as a result.
Luffy’s alleged plot armor has always been a divisive issue in One Piece, and with how much Gear 5 had leaned into that, both with its powers and how Luffy achieved it in the first place, it seemed like the issue would never truly go away. That, of course, is what makes One Piece chapter #1188 all the more surprising, as not only did it deal away with any notions of Luffy having plot armor, but it did so by giving him his most brutal beating in years, decades even.
Imu Just Gave Luffy His Most Brutal Beating In One Piece History
One-Piece-Chapter-1188-Luffy-Imu-Stab
One Piece chapter #1188 was the long-awaited fight between Luffy and Imu, but calling it a “fight” might be too generous. Not only did Imu effortlessly counter Luffy’s toon force-fueled attacks with his own brand of toon force, but Imu spent the entire fight constantly wailing on Luffy and taking no hits of his own, all before ending the chapter by skewering Luffy on his sword and drenching him in shadows and blood.
After Luffy punched Imu in his base form, it seemed like their proper fight would be fairly even, especially since Imu isn’t fighting at full strength and Luffy then evaded an attack that took out Loki in an instant. One Piece chapter #1188 completely changed that idea, though; chapter #1188 established that Imu, even in his weakened state, is far above Luffy and can only be hurt under extreme circumstances, and having Luffy suffer his most brutal and bloody defeat in ages does wonders to bring that point home.
Luffy’s Brutal Loss Is Perfect For One Piece
Luffy crying after losing his crew to Kuma.
One Piece hasn’t given Luffy this brutal a loss in decades, and it’s exactly what the story needs right now. With One Piece now in its final saga, both the cast and the readers need a good understanding of just how powerful the biggest villains will be. As such, if a weakened Imu can do so much damage to Luffy, who often feels invincible in Gear 5, then that makes it clear that the Straw Hats and their allies need to become even stronger for the final battle, and hopefully, the story will treat that seriously.
That idea is even more apparent when looking at Imu’s dialogue with Luffy. After years of Luffy vehemently denying any connection to Joy Boy, Imu actually went along with it by stating that Joy Boy wouldn’t be so weak, so if Luffy wants to truly fulfill Joy Boy’s legacy, then he needs to get even stronger. Imu’s powers already give a good idea of how high Luffy’s can go, and it will be great to see what the manga does with that.
Grand Line · Pirate Adventure Edition The One Piece Anime Quiz
⚓CrewNakama
⚡PowersDevil Fruit
🌊ArcsAdventure
☠VillainsEnemies
🌎WorldBlue Sea
01
Monkey D. Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and dreams of becoming King of the Pirates. He gained his signature stretching abilities by eating a Devil Fruit as a child. What was this fruit originally believed to be called?
✓ Correct! The Gomu Gomu no Mi (Gum-Gum Fruit) was what Luffy’s Devil Fruit was believed to be — a Paramecia-type fruit that turned his body into rubber. Luffy accidentally ate it from the treasure chest of the Red Hair Pirates when he was a child in Foosha Village.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Gomu Gomu no Mi. The Mera Mera no Mi is the Flame-Flame Fruit eaten by Ace, the Bara Bara no Mi is Buggy’s Chop-Chop Fruit, and the Hana Hana no Mi is Robin’s Flower-Flower Fruit.
02
The One Piece world is divided by a massive geological formation that runs around the entire globe, separating the oceans. What is this continent-like structure called?
✓ Correct! The Red Line is a massive continent that circles the globe vertically, dividing the world’s oceans into four seas: North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, and West Blue. It intersects with the Grand Line at two points, including the holy land of Mary Geoise.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Red Line. The Grand Line is the ocean route where pirates compete, the Calm Belt is a windless sea surrounding it full of Sea Kings, and Reverse Mountain is the entry point to the Grand Line. The Red Line is the massive continent dividing the world.
03
In the One Piece world, there is a spiritual power that allows users to sense others’ presence, predict attacks, and even exert their willpower over others. What is this power called?
✓ Correct! Haki is a mysterious power that exists in every living being in the One Piece world. It comes in three types: Observation Haki (sensing), Armament Haki (invisible armor), and the rare Conqueror’s Haki (dominating willpower), which only one in a million people possess.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Haki. Chakra is the energy system from Naruto, Nen is from Hunter x Hunter, and Ki is from Dragon Ball. Haki is One Piece’s unique power system with three distinct forms: Observation, Armament, and Conqueror’s.
04
The Seven Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai) were powerful pirates who worked for the World Government in exchange for pardons. Which of these characters was NOT one of the original Seven Warlords?
✓ Correct! Kaido was never a Warlord — he was one of the Four Emperors (Yonko), the most powerful pirates ruling the New World. Known as “the Strongest Creature in the World,” Kaido ruled over Wano Country with the Beast Pirates. Mihawk, Crocodile, and Doflamingo were all Warlords.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Kaido. Mihawk (the world’s greatest swordsman), Crocodile (the desert king of Alabasta), and Doflamingo (the Heavenly Demon) were all Warlords. Kaido was a Yonko — an Emperor of the Sea — a rank above the Warlords entirely.
05
The Marineford War arc is considered one of the most emotional and pivotal arcs in One Piece. Luffy desperately fought to save someone important to him from execution. Who was Luffy trying to save?
✓ Correct! Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s sworn older brother, was captured by the Marines and sentenced to public execution at Marineford. Luffy broke into Impel Down prison and then stormed Marineford itself in a desperate attempt to save Ace, leading to one of the most heartbreaking moments in anime history.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Portgas D. Ace. Nico Robin was rescued during the Enies Lobby arc, Zoro is rarely in that kind of danger, and Sabo was believed dead at the time. Ace’s execution at Marineford triggered an all-out war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines.
06
Roronoa Zoro is the first member to join Luffy’s crew and serves as the Straw Hats’ swordsman. He has a unique fighting style. How many swords does Zoro wield in his signature technique?
✓ Correct! Zoro is famous for his Santoryu (Three Sword Style), wielding one sword in each hand and a third in his mouth. This unique fighting style makes him one of the most distinctive swordsmen in all of anime. His dream is to become the world’s greatest swordsman by defeating Dracule Mihawk.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is three. Zoro’s signature Santoryu (Three Sword Style) involves wielding one sword in each hand and gripping the third in his mouth. While he can fight with one or two swords, his three-sword technique is his most iconic and powerful combat form.
07
The World Government in One Piece is controlled by a mysterious group of individuals who sit at the very top of its power structure, above even the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral. What are they called?
✓ Correct! The Five Elders (Gorosei) are the highest-ranking leaders of the World Government, residing in the holy land of Mary Geoise. They command all military and political power, including the authority to order a Buster Call. Their true nature and abilities have only recently been revealed in the series.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Five Elders (Gorosei). The Celestial Dragons are descendants of the founding kings but don’t rule directly, the Revolutionary Army opposes the government, and the Yonko are pirate emperors outside government control. The Gorosei sit at the absolute top.
08
It was revealed that Luffy’s Devil Fruit is not actually the Gomu Gomu no Mi, but a mythical Zoan-type fruit with a much more significant true name. What is the fruit’s real identity?
✓ Correct! The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika is a Mythical Zoan-type fruit that the World Government had been hunting for 800 years. When Luffy awakened it during the Wano arc, he unlocked Gear 5 — gaining the power of “the most ridiculous ability in the world” with limitless imagination-based combat.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika. The Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix belongs to Marco, the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu was Kaido’s dragon fruit, and the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami was Yamato’s fruit. Luffy’s true fruit is the legendary Sun God Nika.
Voyage Complete Your Pirate Bounty
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Are you King of the Pirates — or still swabbing the deck?
Whenever Luffy or the Straw Hats suffer a major loss, it’s always a big event that changes the story for years to come, and with just how brutal Luffy’s loss to Imu was at such a critical moment, everything is lined up perfectly for another instance of that. As bad as Luffy being decimated by Imu was, it’s arguably the most exciting turn in One Piece history, and with any luck, the immediate follow-up will be just as great to watch play out.
