One Piece Chapter 1189: Luffy vs. Imu Finally Begins – Release Date & What to Expect

After one of the most brutal cliffhangers in recent memory, One Piece is finally ready to deliver the fight fans have been theorizing about for years: Luffy versus Imu. Chapter 1188 ended with Imu turning on Luffy directly, and Chapter 1189 picks up right where that left off.

When Does Chapter 1189 Drop?

Chapter 1189 is set to release on July 26, 2026, with the chapter going live for readers in Japan at 12 AM JST on Monday, July 27. As always, you can read it legally the moment it drops on Shueisha’s MANGA Plus, Viz Media, or Shonen Jump+.

Where the Story Left Off

Chapter 1188 pulled back the curtain on one of the series’ biggest mysteries by putting Imu, the shadowy figure who has loomed over the entire World Government since the story’s earliest arcs, face to face with Luffy. The chapter closed on Imu making a direct move against him, which means 1189 isn’t just another setup chapter — it’s the start of an actual confrontation between two of the most powerful figures in the series.

A Break Might Be Coming

Before anyone gets too deep into theory-crafting, it’s worth flagging that Oda and the Shonen Jump team are reportedly planning another short break in the release schedule after Chapter 1188’s momentum. The exact reason hasn’t been officially confirmed, but the timing lines up with production on Season 3 of the live-action Netflix adaptation, which is a plausible explanation given Oda’s heavy involvement in that project. Take it as speculation for now rather than confirmed fact.

What This Means for the Story

Imu has been built up since the Reverie arc as something closer to a myth than a character — a name whispered by the Five Elders, blamed for the erasure of an entire kingdom from history, and never fully seen or explained. Putting Luffy in direct conflict with that figure is about as high-stakes as One Piece gets, and it suggests Oda is finally ready to start connecting the dots between the “Void Century,” the ancient weapons, and Luffy’s own destiny as the one who’ll “become the sea.”

Whatever happens in Chapter 1189, expect it to shape everything that follows for the rest of the series’ endgame. We’ll keep this updated as more details drop.