Oda reveals the true inspiration for Luffy's Gear 5

Luffy has shown tremendous growth in One piece recently, and the Wano arc was the most significant for him in that regard. Here, Luffy learned to use some of the most prominent forms of this power. Not only did Luffy learn how to use Ryuo's power, but he also used the power of Supreme King Haki in the battle against Kaido. To take things a step further, he also awakened his Devil Fruit, giving him access to the true power of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, or in other words, what Luffy calls Gear 5.

Related

One Piece: The Yonko Level Members of The Slam Hats, Explained

The Slam Hat Pirates are now a Yonko crew. Here are its Yonko level members in One Piece.

Clearly, the Gear 5 is one of the most unique abilities that fans have seen not only in One Piece, but in the manga as a whole, and Oda has now officially revealed to fans the inspiration for this incredible power.

How Luffy awakened Gear 5 and all of his abilities

• Luffy tapped into Gear 5 after almost dying

• Gear 5 is what Luffy calls Devil Fruit Awakening

Luffy awakened Gear 5 during his fight against Kaido on the roof of Onigashima in the Wano Arc. Here, Luffy upgraded all of his Haki types. While his Observation Haki was already great, Luffy gained further mastery over this power while taking his other forms of Haki to the next level. But despite Luffy having these Haki enhancements, especially the color of the Supreme King, he was unable to defeat Kaid, and this only proves that it was not easy for him to take down the Beast King. Still, this was one wall that Luffy wanted to overcome at any cost, and thus he didn't mind pushing himself beyond all limits. This eventually led to Luffy awakening his Devil Fruit.

In order to truly awaken your Devil Fruit, the body and mind must catch up with this ability. With his ingenious creativity, Luffy has taken his Devil Fruit abilities to the next level. However, he needed to truly understand the core of his devil fruit abilities, and his body needed to catch up with those abilities as well. Luffy took his power to the next level, all the while understanding the true core of his Devil Fruit abilities, and ended up awakening his fruit, giving rise to Gear 5. With the power of Gear 5, Luffy's body was much more rubbery than ever and at the same time much stronger. He transformed into a liberation warrior and brought laughter and joy wherever he went. Luffy could also pretty much do anything he wanted as he was only limited by his imagination. Such was the power of the Gear 5.

Luffy can basically break any law of physics or do things that are seemingly impossible if he himself thinks it is possible. The Gear 5 is one of the most ridiculous abilities to ever exist, and the ability is one that even the Five Elders have been wanting for about 800 years. In the battle against Kaido, Gear 5 and Oda's creativity shined quite a lot. Fans could see Luffy do things like turn Kaido into a jump rope, turn into a huge giant, grab lightning bolts from the sky, run in the air, and create fists the size of an island, among others. Clearly, this upgrade is absolutely stunning and makes Luffy a fighter like no other One piece.

An ode to Gear 5 inspiration

Oda reveals that Tom and Jerry will be the inspiration for Gear 5

Considering how unique the Gear 5 is, fans have been wondering what inspired Oda to introduce this transformation in the story. After all, no other transformation inside One piece or other Shonen have come close to it. Usually Shonen transformations are fueled by rage and basically see how a serious tone is set in any battle. However, the Gear 5 did the exact opposite. For some fans, it was a deal breaker. However, for the vast majority One piece For fans and those who understand the essence of Luffy's character, gear 5 is quite easily the biggest upgrade Oda could have come up with. Now Oda has revealed the inspiration behind this power-up as well.

Related

One Piece: Zoro's Upcoming Challenge In The Land Of The Dead Explained

The land of the dead could be very significant for Zoro and Brook in one piece. Here is the tutorial.

It should come as no surprise to fans that the Gear 5 is inspired by Tom and Jerry. During the battle against Kaido, fans could easily see many similar comedic scenarios taking place, and this was certainly Oda's nod towards this popular cartoon. At the core of Luffy's character, Oda envisions a childlike personality who never obeys any rules and does whatever he wants. Luffy is childish, funny, and at the same time an individual with a big heart. As such, it's a performance for him that sees him make full use of these qualities. Whether it's running on air, turning people into rubber pizzas, catching lightning, or running through the air by flipping his legs into wheels, Luffy can do it all, simply because that's how he sees the world around him.

Is Gear 5 Luffy's best power-up?

Gear 5 is the best performance of one piece

Gear 5 is undoubtedly Luffy's best power-up and one that Oda couldn't have handled better. There is no power-up that complements Luffy's character better than the Gear 5, and no other power-up has been able to enhance Luffy's personality as much as this power-up. This was made quite evident to fans throughout the battle against Kaid, and if that wasn't enough, fans got more glimpses of this power throughout the Egghead Arc as well. Of course, there are some fans who wish Geat 5 was more serious. Against stronger enemies, Luffy will also have to put on a serious face, but that shouldn't be a problem as fans have clearly seen Luffy do just that in his battle against Kizaru and the Elders.

Luffy will goof around in battles whenever possible, but he can also be serious when the situation calls for it, despite having the power of Gear 5. It's all about how Oda wants to use this incredible ability in the face of the danger that it matters After all, he is a master writer and can balance things properly. For Luffy, this form, where he is the most free, is truly the pinnacle of his entire character and may be the best transformation not only in One piecebut the whole manga as a whole.

One Piece is available to read through Viz Media. Fans can officially read the series for free on the Shonen Jump and Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next One Piece chapter, One Piece 1136, is set for January 19, 2025.

Your changes have been saved

Release date

October 20, 1999

Creator

Eiichiro Oda

Number of episodes

1122