User blog comment:JapaneseOPfan/Luffy vs Smoker,Coby/@comment-3242083-20110121172445/@comment-3242083-20110121185004

@LuffyPirateKing Well, Smoker was talking about "rank is everything now" so it is likely that he stepped up. But even if not, the rank is not necessarily an indicator for power.

@Marijuanna Well, my guess is that the "anti-haki" doesn't work if the haki attack is strong enough, especially when powered by fierce emotions (like Whitebeard breaking Akainus rips after he killed Ace). Imagine it something like this:

Step 1. A simple logia is fair game for haki imbued attacks. Logia defense is gone.

Step 2. A logia user with haki can "nullify" other haki attacks, means it is back to full logia defense.

Step 3. A logia user with haki can still be overpowered if the haki attack is strong enough.

A more precise example with Luffy:

1. Luffy is unable to hit a haki-less logia user prior to the timeskip (smoker).

2. After the time skip, Luffy can hit haki-less logias with his newly learned haki.

3. Luffy can't hit logias that are proficient haki users themselves.

4. Luffy is able to hurt proficient logias when his haki is further enhanced by strong emotions

I envision Smoker at 3. after the time skip. He learned how to keep his logia defense against other haki users, like the admirals, and is thereby still untouchable for Luffy.

On the other hand, Luffy could still break logias when the time and emotion is right, like fighting the person that killed Ace, Akainu.