4 years ago, March 28, 2022, in One piece Chapter 1044, which was published in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17, series creator Eiichiro Oda unleashed the most powerful transformation for Monkey D. Luffy with the awakening of his mythical Zoan Hito Hito no Mi, model: Nika. This transformation is Luffy's Gear 5 form, or Sun God Niko. Immediately after Nika's descent into the world after 800 years, Eiichiro Oda confirmed that he was a liberation fighter who brought laughter and joy to the faces of everyone around him. While the power that Nik's awakening offered Luffy was absolutely overwhelming, it greatly simplified Luffy's tendency to joke around in battle. Gear 5 took this character trait to the absolute max level and at times resulted in all tension being drained from the battle.
However, One Piece's The Elbaf arc solved this problem once and for all by giving Luffy's Gear 5 a whole new edge and making him fight seriously for the first time. IN One piece In Chapter 1187, which was officially released on July 5, 2026, Eiichiro Oda gave Luffy's Gear 5 a brand new look by making it much more serious than ever before.
One Piece Chapter 1187 officially erases Luffy's flaws by making Gear 5 serious
Luffy's character has always been goofy from the very beginning One piece. Whether it was his battle against people like Crocodile, where he used Water Luffy, or Enel, where he used the power of Gomu Gomu no Boh, Luffy was always somewhat ridiculous in battle. Even in his battle against Rob Lucci, where crew member Nico Robin's life was in danger, Luffy did not abandon his comedic nature. However, when Luffy tapped into Gear 5's power on March 28, 2022, this comedic aspect of his nature was pushed to the absolute maximum level, which some fans did not like.
“What's going on? How can I still stand? I just lost, but I feel like I'm having fun! Ahahahahaha! I feel like anything is possible now. I can fight a little longer.” — Monkey D. Luffy shows the funny side of Gear 5, One Piece Chapter #1044
Eiichiro Oda himself stated in an interview in 2022 that he wanted his manga to be something that would make people laugh no matter what. In today's world, one serious manga is being released one after another, and Oda is not a fan of it. Basically, the manga for Oda is something that exists to make kids smile, and to personify it to the absolute maximum level, he created Gear 5 as a fun transformation. Even though people hate Gear 5, Eiichiro Oda knows that this transformation represents Luffy's character in the best way.
“I drew Gear 5 as a big joke because I knew all my readers wouldn't be happy with it. A fighting manga becomes more serious when it follows readers' expectations. I hated it. I didn't want my manga to be too serious, so I had fun achieving that in the fight against Kaido.” — Eiichiro Oda explains how Gear 5 was made, Interview With Aoyama
That said, at times Oda overused the laugh trait for Monkey D. Luffy when he uses Gear 5. Fortunately, in the climax of the Elbaf Arc, this lack of Monkey D. Luffy Gear 5 was officially resolved. In One Piece Chapter 1187, officially released on July 5, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shounen Jump Issue #32, Monkey D. Luffy's Gear 5 was once again put in the spotlight. It was clear to see that for the very first time Luffy with Gear 5 immediately jumped into serious mode when he entered the battle. Against the biggest enemies like Nerona Imu, Eiichiro Oda has to keep the tension high and as such limit how much Luffy plays his jokes in battle.
Imu: So you finally showed up, Joy Boy!
Luffy: Don't tell me what you want. I am Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will become the king of the pirates.
— Luffy vs Imu begins, One Piece Chapter #1187
Why Luffy's Gear 5 needed a serious edge after Wano
Luffy's Gear 5 is perfect as Eiichiro Oda made it. As a freedom fighter and an individual who brings laughter and joy to the oppressed people of the world, Monkey D. Luffy's ultimate performance is the absolute epitome of his personality, and that should never change. Luffy's ability to make people smile and laugh all the time is a key part of his character and no fan who understands Luffy's character would ask for that to change.
However, what Eiichiro Oda needs to do is strike a perfect balance between the two. When the tension in the story is at a high level, the Gear 5 has to adapt to the scenario, as it did in this case One piece Chapter 1187. Similarly, when Luffy arrives in the Solar World with Loki in One Piece Chapter 1175, Eiichiro Oda re-emphasizes his serious and deadly nature with Gear 5, showing that this flaw he once tried to balance is no longer there. With the Gear 5 being highlighted much more in the upcoming One Piece Chapter 1188, scheduled for release on July 12, 2026, and the chapters following, it's highly likely that we'll get more looks at Eiichiro Oda's new depiction of Luffy's Gear 5.
“A powerful devil fruit is not enough to conquer the seas. Look at Roger! He had no devil fruit, yet he brought the world to heel. Haki transcends everything!” — Kaido explains the greatest power in One Piece
How Luffy's Gear 5 can evolve even further in the Final Saga
While Eiichiro Oda has practically mastered the balance between Gear 5's humorous nature and serious side, he can make this power even more deadly in Final Saga by improving its overall abilities. IN One piece Chapter 1179, which was officially released on April 5, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19, Eiichiro Oda introduced the idea of awakening rings.
This was shown again with Rain God Zaza in One Piece Chapter 1182 on May 10, 2026 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump #24. Monkey D. Luffy, despite being the god of the world, does not yet have this awakening ring, and perhaps Gear 5 could be improved by including this powerful awakening ring. Be it this way or any other way, the Gear 5 will likely be upgraded in the final saga before the Great War begins, and we absolutely cannot wait to see what Luffy's upgraded form will look like in the future.
All chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga are available to read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.
