Warning: SPOILERS for chapter #1070 of One Piece.
Luffy’s incredible transformation, Gear Fifth, is even stronger than One Piece fans think. When put to the test against one of the strongest opponents who ever appeared in the manga, Gear Fifth shows that it can surpass even the wildest expectations.
The debut of Luffy’s Gear Fifth, in One Piece chapter #1044, was one of the best manga moments of 2022. Fans of the series had been waiting for years to see Luffy reach a new level of power, but what transpired during the already-legendary battle against Kaido in Onigashima was a complete shock. Luffy awakened the powers of his Devil Fruit, delivering one of the biggest surprises in One Piece‘s history with the revelation about Nika. If that weren’t enough, Gear Fifth’s appearance and powers were absolutely unexpected, as they tap into series’ creator Eiichiro Oda’s desire to bring his manga back to its comedy roots, turning Luffy’s fights into cartoonish exchanges of ludicrous attacks.
However, despite its ridiculous appearance, the power of Gear Fifth is unrivaled. After beating Kaido, Luffy’s first chance to showcase his new powers came on Egghead Island, where he met an old rival, Rob Lucci. Lucci has also awakened his Zoan Devil Fruit, obtaining an incredible level of strength and speed, which he shows in chapter #1070 of One Piece by taking down in one hit Sentomaru, Dr.Vegapunk’s bodyguard, who boasts one of the strongest defenses in the world. However, Luffy has been effortlessly dodging Lucci’s attacks for two chapters, even mocking him while doing it, which shows just how fast Gear Fifth is. Speed is not the only quality of this new transformation, and one hit from Luffy’s new attack is powerful enough to put Lucci down.
Luffy’s Gear Fifth Is Faster And Stronger Than It Looks
While Lucci has been completely humiliated by Luffy in this exchange, it’s important to understand that the CP0 agent is actually incredibly strong. Sentomaru is an advanced user of Kenbunshoku Haki, a power that lets him predict his opponents’ moves. Despite clearly seeing Lucci’s attack in advance, Sentomaru was unable to dodge or defend against it, due to the unbelievable speed of Lucci’s awakened form. Meanwhile, Luffy has been dancing around Lucci for two chapters, meaning that the Straw Hat captain is even faster than that. The raw power of Gear Fifth is also impressive. Awakened Zoan users are renowned for their durability, but it only took three hits to put Lucci down.
Gear Fifth’s cartoonish shenanigans tend to make it look less effective than it actually is. Luffy’s giant head popping out of the ground to try to eat Lucci obviously monopolizes readers’ attention, but the more subtle feats displayed in this battle (such as dodging all of his opponent’s high-speed attacks) are what really stands out. The one-sided fight against Lucci’s awakened form proves that, in terms of power and speed, Luffy’s Gear Fifth is way more impressive than One Piece fans think.
The latest chapter of One Piece is available from Viz Media.