One Piece Officially Introduces A Yonko Killing Weapon

One Piece Chapter 1188 was officially released on July 12, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #33 and showcased the long-awaited battle between Nerona Imu and Monkey D. Luffy. This clash was absolutely immense and, if anything, showcased the inferiority of the Emperor and the current Sun God Nika compared to the King of the World, Nerona Imu.

While most of us expected this battle to last over a couple of chapters, Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the series, shocked us all by ending it in just one. The end to this battle came about when Nerona Imu, the main antagonist of the entire series, unleashed what could potentially be the strongest blade in the entire world, stemming directly from the powers of the Akuma no Mi, called the Blade of Nothingness: Vohu. This sword is incredibly overpowered and strong enough to kill even a Yonko in a single strike without any named attack.

One Piece Chapter 1188 Officially Introduces Sword Of Nothingness: Vohu

One Piece Chapter 1188 Sword Of Nothingness Vofu

One Piece Chapter 1188 showcased the battle between Nerona Imu and Monkey D. Luffy, and right from the get-go, it was incredibly clear to us that Imu was the dominant one in the battle. In fact, Luffy was not even able to land a single blow on Imu despite being in his strongest state. What makes this even more shocking is that in One Piece Chapter 1186, released on June 28, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, Luffy officially stated that he was overflowing with energy and could not imagine himself losing to anyone in his current state. This message was incredibly ominous, and One Piece Chapter 1188 showed us exactly why that was the case. In this chapter, Nerona Imu shocked us all by declaring Luffy way too weak to truly be Joy Boy and ending the battle in one fell swoop.

"Of course I know that thou art not Joy Boy! Joy Boy was not this weak!!" — Nerona Imu declares Luffy weak, One Piece Chapter #1188

While Imu fought the majority of the battle with his polearm, at the end of One Piece chapter 1188, Imu utilized the power of Omen and then created the Blade of Nothingness: Wohu, which is a glaive. This blade proved to be immensely powerful, as it cleared the surrounding forest in the blink of an eye and then allowed Nerona Imu to completely impale the Yonko, Monkey D. Luffy, leaving him in a near-death state almost immediately. With its powers, even Luffy, who is the current Sun God of the world, has been slain, and that does come as a major surprise to us all.

Why Even Yonko Can't Withstand The Sword of Nothingness: Vohu

The Yonko are the four most powerful pirates to exist in the world of One Piece, as confirmed by Garp himself in One Piece Chapter 432, released officially on October 30, 2006. These are the Emperors who rule the New World like Kings and are so strong that even the World Government and the Navy do not dare to mess with them directly because of the fear of an all-out war that could be detrimental to them as well. For Nerona Imu to stand up to such a Yonko and completely take them out without even a single named strike of the Sword of Nothingness: Vohu, showcases the immense power of this blade.

Imu: Blade of Nothingness: Vohu!

Luffy: What? The forest withered away!

Imu: The view is far clearer now.

Luffy: Same from up here!

— Exchange showing the power of the Blade of Nothingness: Vohu, One Piece Chapter #1188

The reason why the Sword of Nothingness: Vohu, is so strong is because of its ability to drain life or vitality. When Imu created the Sword of Nothingness at the end of One Piece Chapter 1188, it was clear to see that Vohu was able to suck up life and vitality from the surroundings immediately. The branches of the Adam Tree withered away completely and, in the end, shriveled and disappeared. Clearly, Imu's blade gave off the power of death or completely sucked up life energy upon its conception.

Similarly, when Nerona Imu struck Monkey D. Luffy's Gear 5 with this immensely powerful blade, life started being drained from his body almost immediately, and Luffy was left white-eyed, completely passed out. The reason as to why even a Yonko cannot withstand this sword is thus related to its power to completely suck up life and leave behind nothing, which is brilliantly reflected in the name, the Sword of Nothingness. The name itself refers to a time period where, before God created the world, there existed absolutely nothing, which means Imu's blade has the power to restore anything to nothingness or total void.

Test your knowledge.

Why Vohu Doesn't Fall Under The Category Of The Regular Blades In The One Piece World

While incredibly powerful, Nerona Imu's Sword of Nothingness: Vohu, doesn't particularly fall under any sword class. In the world of One Piece, swords fall under three grades: the Skillful Grade Blade, the Great Grade Blade, and the Supreme Grade Blade. Vohu or other blades of Nerona Imu don't fall under any category because they are not technically “real” blades. They are created using the power of Omen, which Imu can use to forge various weapons almost immediately. In fact, Imu doesn't have just one legendary blade. There are multiple swords that the King of the World possesses at his disposal:

The sword that Nerona Imu showcased first was the Blade of Judgment: Nemesis in One Piece chapter 1181 on April 27, 2026.
Nerona Imu then unleashed the Blade of Wrath: Gram in One Piece chapter 1183 on May 24, 2026.
In chapter 1187, on July 5, 2026, Nerona Imu unleashed the Blade of Hatred: Stigma.
In chapter 1188, Imu finally unleashed the fourth blade, the Blade of Nothingness: Vohu.

"Among the countless weapons (swords, spears, etc.), these are the ones forged by the celebrated masters of the art. The 12 Supreme Grades, the 21 Great Grades, and the 50 Fine-Grade Weapons.” — Hitetsu Explains Grades Blades, One Piece chapter #912

This incredibly powerful blade has proven to be the strongest at Imu's disposal so far, but the others are strong enough to one-shot the vast majority of the Yonko or any other top tiers of the One Piece world as well. Truly, upon looking at Imu's Akuma no Mi powers, this individual stands at the top of the world, with no one even remotely close to him in terms of strength. Hopefully, the upcoming chapters of One Piece, starting with One Piece 1189, which is set for a release on July 26, 2026, will showcase more of Imu's powers, and we absolutely cannot wait to see that.

All the latest One Piece manga chapters by Eiichiro Oda are available to read for fans via Manga Plus and Viz Media.