One Piece Reveals Its Greatest Power Yet, Luffy’s Gear 5 Form Explained
One Piece Episode 1701 finally dropped, and with it came the legendary Gear 5 power the fans wanted to see for so long. However, many fans of the One-Piece anime still have no idea what Gear 5 is and what it does. Here’s an explanation of Luffy’s Gear 5 form.
Luffy, the fearless leader of the Straw Hat pirates, has gone through numerous challenges that made him stronger—similar to Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise. And just like Goku’s ascension to Super Saiyan, and subsequent, more powerful forms, Luffy has also gone through a series of transformations in One Piece, with each being more impressive than the previous one. However, the recent revelation of Gear 5 in the anime has left One Piece fans in awe.
Luffy’s abilities stem from the Gomu Gomu no Mi devil fruit, which basically turns him into a man made of rubber. A seemingly weak power that One Piece‘s Luffy managed to take to the next level over and over again by inventing gears that significantly enhanced his battle prowess by applying his rubber powers in various ways.
For example, in Gear 2, he can increase the blood flow in his limbs, while Gear 3 allows him to increase his size and strength by inflating his bones.
What is Luffy’s Gear 5 Power?
These actually show Luffy’s imagination, ingenuity, and adaptability to play with his powers and find new and useful ways of putting them to work, which has proven paramount in countless battles. However, the awakening of Luffy’s Devil Fruit placed yet another Gear in his arsenal, and Gear 5 is Luffy’s newest and craziest power. More precisely, it grants Luffy unmatched strength and unparalleled freedom in combat, granting him the ability to fight in any way he wants.
The awakening of Luffy’s Devil Fruit, triggered by Luffy’s confrontation with Kaido at Onigashima, is a rare phenomenon in One Piece where the user’s mind and power synchronize, resulting in enhanced control, augmented power, and the release of previously inaccessible combat and situational abilities and skills.
So, Luffy’s Devil Fruit isn’t actually as weak as it originally seemed. The true nature of the Fruit was actually revealed in manga Chapter 1044, which stated that the World Government purposefully obscured the true nature of the Fruit.
World Government’s Cover-Up
The cover-up involved renaming and reclassifying the Devil Fruit, and only the enigmatic Emu and Five Elders were previously aware of the Fruit’s actual essence. However, the tremendous power the Fruit offers doesn’t come without cost, which isn’t surprising.
We already know from One Piece anime that each of Luffy’s Gears comes with limitations and repercussions, and Gear 5, being the most powerful Gear, also appears to be most taxing on Luffy. Its use, even brief, drains Luffy to such an extent that he begins showing visible signs of aging.
Luffy’s Joy Boy Connection
Joy Boy, the mysterious character who lived 800 years before Luffy, has a significant tie in with Luffy reaching Gear 5. Joy Boy is a name given to someone with power to liberate the world. With his new form, it looks like Luffy may just be the reincarnation of the enigmatic Joy Boy.
Nonetheless, achieving Gear 5 is a remarkable milestone in Luffy’s quest to become a Pirate King. Those interested in watching One Piece can do so at Crunchyroll; episode 1701 featuring Gear 5 was aired a few days back, and the upcoming episode is expected to drop on August 13.
