One Piece Chapter 1191 was officially released in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #39 for 2026 on August 23. This chapter was extremely significant for the character of Nerona Imu, who serves the role of the primary antagonist of the entire series. Imu made his presence known in the ongoing Elbaf arc in One Piece Chapter 1179 and has since then been on a roll, beating one main character after another. He has already defeated the likes of Loki and Luffy once, and as the battle continues, Eiichiro Oda is highlighting more of Nerona Imu's abilities, all of which stem from the powerful Devil Fruit Akuma no Mi.
In One Piece Chapter 1191, Nerona Imu surprised all of us by unveiling a completely new Devil Fruit transformation after being hit by Scopper Gaban's Kamudo and Yachitakeru. This showcased that he still has more surprises up his sleeve that he hasn't utilized in battle yet and excited us even more for what's to come in the future of One Piece.
One Piece Chapter 1191 was officially released on August 23, 2026, and picks up right from where the last chapter left off. In this chapter, Nerona Imu was shown following his clash with Scopper Gaban, which, despite being short, was his most deadly challenge yet. Even though Imu fought against the likes of Loki and Luffy previously, Gaban was the one who pushed him the most, despite being old and injured. Scopper Gaban utilized the power of his immense Haki and Axeplay to unleash a strong attack known as Kamudo. This powerful bolt of Supreme King Haki drew quite a lot of blood from Nerona Imu. Immediately after, Gaban followed up with a technique known as Yachitakeru, which was a 100x stronger version of Yasotakeru, which he first utilized against Luffy at the beginning of Elbaf in One Piece Chapter 1140.
"Sorry about this one, Jewel Tree Adam! It wasn't my intent to eat you! Damn these creaky joints!! It sucks to get old! Gate of God!!" — Scopper Gaban unleashes his attack on Imu, One Piece Chapter #1190
Yachitakeru proved to have such immense strength that it chopped off a portion of the Adam Tree and sent it crashing to the Underworld of Elbaf, where it crushed several mountain ranges at once. This further goes to show why Scopper Gaban is the Mountain Eater of the One Piece world. More than that, the power of this technique was such that it forced Nerona Imu to transform and utilize a new form in One Piece Chapter 1191. Nerona Imu's upgraded Devil Fruit transformation makes him stronger than ever before, but it is highly likely that, since he is putting out more power, he is losing out on the time that he can stay in the outside world due to his nerf.
“Even though you're old, still the Pirate King's Crew!” — Nerona Imu pays respect to Gaban, One Piece Chapter #1190
It is unknown as to what classification Imu's Akuma no Mi is. As things stand, Eiichiro Oda has only told us that Imu has a unique Devil Fruit called the Akuma no Mi, or “The Devil's Fruit.” This fruit does not have the standard Devil Fruit naming pattern, nor does it fit in any standard category yet. It does have a select few qualities of the Zoan types in that it allows the user to transform into unique forms. If that is the case, then the new transformation that Imu has showcased could very well be his awakened Devil Fruit form and thus his strongest.
"Awakening is what happens when your mind and body catch up with your ability. And those certainly are ridiculous powers!" — Kaido explains Devil Fruit Awakening, One Piece Chapter #1046
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://gamerant.com/one-piece-imu-new-transformation/
