Luffy’s fight with Imu just hit its lowest point yet, and One Piece Chapter 1189 spoilers suggest the Straw Hat captain is out of answers against the self-proclaimed ruler of the world.
The Elbaph arc has been building toward this moment for weeks, with Imu cycling through ancient weapons pulled from the arsenals of the 19 Kings who ruled 800 years ago.
Chapter 1189, titled “King of the World,” picks up with Imu pulling out yet another blade and using it to pin Luffy down for good, leaving the Straw Hats without their strongest fighter just as the battle escalates on every front.
Imu Traps Luffy As The Fight Widens
According to the latest spoilers for chapter 1189, Imu draws a second weapon called the Sea God Sword and stabs Luffy again, using both blades together to pin him to a tree. Elsewhere, Usopp senses that something has gone badly wrong with his captain, even from a distance.
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BRIEF SPOILERS FOR ONEPIECE CHAPTER 1189 BY ME pic.twitter.com/v5IrC57IDz
The chapter also cuts back to Gunko, whose ice has finally melted, though she still hasn’t regained consciousness. In a flashback, Loki remembers a conversation with Shanks from the day Harald died, where Shanks warned him the World Government had been quietly preparing for a coming war, and named the true enemy as the “King of the World.”
Imu then arms two more fighters for the fight ahead, handing Sommers the Sword of Wrath to face Zoro and giving Killingham the Spear of Holy Command to take on Sanji.
The chapter ends on its sharpest cliffhanger yet: Imu draws the Xingtian Axe and moves in to finish Luffy off, only for Gaban to appear out of nowhere and block the strike.
One Piece will be on break next week, meaning fans have an extra week to sit with the fallout before Chapter 1189 drops on Sunday.