Call it Gear 5 or just the awakening of his devil fruit, but Luffy’s new form has turned the whole One Piece community upside down.
Be it the billions of theories that have been proven wrong or the millions that have been proven correct, and the One Piece community feels more alive than ever.
Because, with the clearance of previous doubts, several new ones have emerged. And the theorists are going haywire over topics like the real name of Gum-Gum Fruit, the Void Century, Sun God Nika, Gear 5, and gears beyond it, Zunesha being Joy Boy’s companion, and so much more.
And in this article, I’m going to answer several of those questions that emerged after the debut of Luffy’s Gear 5.
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One Piece: Luffy’s Gear 5 Debut
Luffy’s Gear 5 (Gear Fifth) debuts in One Piece Chapter 1044. Technically, the beginning of the Gear 5 is on the last page of Chapter 1043.
What Is Luffy’s Real Devil Fruit?
Luffy’s real Devil Fruit is the Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit. A Mythical Zoan Type based on Model Nika. It is said to possess the properties of rubber.
The one who inherits this fruit brings smiles to people’s faces with its ridiculousness during a battle and is referred to as The Warrior of Liberation, also known as The Sun God Nika.
“The other name of the Gum-Gum Fruit is… The Zoan-Type Human-Human Fruit…Mythical type, Model…Nika.” - Gorosei (Five Elders) (One Piece Chapter 1044: Page 4,5)
“It is said that in all the world…there is no power more ridiculous!!” - Gorosei (Five Elders) (One Piece Chapter 1044: Page 5,6)
Luffy’s Gear 5 Explained
In reality, the Gear 5 of Luffy is the awakening of his devil fruit Hito Hito no Mi, Model Nika, of which Luffy is unaware. For him, the fruit is still Gomu Gomu no Mi.
Even Kaido thought Luffy’s transformation was the awakening of his Paramecia devil fruit at first. However, Kaido soon realized that this type of transformation can only be done by a Zoan devil fruit.
“Given that you’re transferring your rubber power to other things…I suppose I can interpret this as the awakening of your Paramethia powers.” - Kaido (One Piece Chapter 1045: Page 3)
But giving a second thought, he said this,
“But something doesn’t add up. Body transformations like that are the trademark of Zoan powers!!!” - Kaido (One Piece Chapter 1045: Page 3)
Luffy’s Appearance in Gear 5
In his Gear Fifth form, Luffy’s hair and clothes turn white, and his pupils have taken a ring-shaped structure. Unlike the steam that used to surround him in Gear 4, In Gear 5, Luffy is surrounded by white clouds.
His appearance is so different that Momonosuke and Yamato do not recognize him at first.
“It really is Luffy!! It just didn’t look like him, because his hair and clothes turned white…” - Yamato (One Piece Chapter 1045: Page 15)
Luffy’s Gear 5 Techniques
There is a handful of Gear 5 techniques revealed as of now. But the one thing that connects all of these techniques is their ridiculousness & cartoonish way of drawing.
And these cartoon vibes fit perfectly with Luffy’s Gear 5. It is like Oda has been planning this for years.
● Gum-Gum Balloon
In this Gear 5 technique, Luffy’s body blows up like a balloon. However, unlike his other forms that took the balloon shape, this form can float like a balloon. The Gear 5 gives Luffy incredible buoyancy.
He used the Gum-Gum Balloon (Gomu Gomu no Fusen) when he entered Kaido’s body. And it was not just him, Kaido’s body expanded like a balloon as well.
And it was surprising to Kaido as well Yamato and Momonuske to see Kaido expand like that.
“Curses!! What’s wrong with me?! My body isn’t made of rubber!!” - Kaido (One Piece Chapter 1045: Page 6)
● Gum-Gum Escape Rocket
Here, Luffy uses his arms and stretches them out through Kaido’s eyes to grab the nose and launch himself out of Kaido’s body.
Gum-Gum Escape Rocket (Gomu Gomu no Dasshutsu Rocket) is a technique he used according to the situation.
● Gum-Gum Giant
As you can guess, Luffy’s whole body expands to the size of a giant. This technique resembles the Gear 3 technique, Gum-Gum Giant Pistol.
However, instead of just an arm or a leg, in Gear 5’s Gum-Gum Giant (Gomu Gomu no Gigant) his whole body is expanded into a gigantic size.
● Gum-Gum Jump Rope
Luffy uses Kaido as a skipping rope while still in his Gum-Gum Giant form. Gum-Gum Jump Rope (Gomu Gomu no Nawatobi) is another situational technique.
● Gum-Gum Lightning
In this technique, Luffy grabs lightning and throws it toward Kaido. Gum-Gum Lightning (Gomu Gomu no Kaminari) is a technique with many mysteries.
● Gum-Gum Bajrang Gun
In this technique, Luffy stretches his right arm similar to his Gear 3. However, this time it is huge like Onigashima and is clad with Ryuo, which is the name of Haki in Wano.
Hyogoro taught Luffy Ryuo so that he could destroy an enemy without touching the enemy.
Luffy clads Gum-Gum Bajrang Gun with Ryuo to protect his hand from getting meltdown from Kaido’s latest attack, Flame Dragon Torch.
While other Gear 5 techniques are exclusive for this form, Gum-Gum Lightning is something that he can use in his regular form too. Clad in Haki or not. After all, he has a rubber body.
Luffy withstood Enel’s 100-200 million volt lightning attacks without a single scratch. In the Sky Island Arc, Luffy never tried to grab lightning. So, if he tried, he might have grabbed the lightning back in Sky Island Arc.
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The Ridiculousness of Gear 5
Gear 5 is the most ridiculous power in this world. And that fact has been spoken by none other than the Five Elders who know most of the secrets of the One Piece world that exists.
And Luffy proves that when the straw hat uses his imagination to do whatever he wants and however he wants to do using the properties of rubber.
He is stretching his legs, making the ground rubbery so that he absorbs less damage from Kaido’s attacks. He is expanding himself inside Kaido’s body to the extent that it almost feels like his awakening powers can affect a living being and not just inanimate objects. When hit by Kaido’s Bagua, his body turns into the shape of the Bagua.
The ridiculousness remains throughout his battle. And it will be a crime, not to mention how everything feels like a cartoon fight, just like Tom & Jerry.
The theme song “It’s The Tom & Jerry Show” will be a perfect background for the whole battle sequence between Kaido and Luffy in Gear 5.
And this line by Kaido shows how serious Oda is with flaunting the ridiculousness of Luffy’s Gear Five.
“It’s like something from a comic strip…” - Kaido (One Piece Chapter 1045: Page 13)
Drawbacks of Luffy’s Gear 5
Just like his other gears, Luffy’s Gear 5 follows the same pattern of the heart beating at a higher rate.
The rate of heartbeat increases with the number of gears. The higher the number of gears, the higher the heart rate.
So, with Gear Five, Luffy’s heart is beating abnormally faster than usual, which his body isn’t used to at all. And we could see Luffy struggling in between battles due to that.
Will this have long-lasting effects? Who knows, but we all know about the term equivalent exchange.
Maybe in exchange for great powers Luffy’s life shortens every time he uses a gear.
“Ah’m all tuckered out.” - Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece Chapter 1045: Page 14)
But we all know Luffy. He would rather die than give up on his dream to become the King of Pirates.
“You actually think…I’m afraid of that?” - Monkey D. Luffy to Kaido when the latter asked Luffy to be careful or he might die. (One Piece Chapter 1045: Page 15)
However, Luffy is seen covering his mouth and coughing. Again.
“Hmm?! Koff!! Koff!!” - Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece Chapter 1046: Page 6)
FAQs
What Is Luffy’s Fifth Gear?
Luffy’s Gear Fifth is the awakening of his Zoan type Human-Human Fruit. Luffy is still unaware that Gum-Gum Fruit is a Mythical Zoan Type Fruit and that he has awakened the powers of that devil fruit.
He felt that he could do everything in this form, and that is why he named it Gear Five, as it was nothing like his previous gears.
“Oooh, I can do everything I wanted to do!! I think I can fight a bit longer…My heartbeat sounds so funny!!” - Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece Chapter 1044: Page 10)
“This is the pinnacle of what I can do!! This is…Gear Five!!!” - Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece Chapter 1044: Page 10)
What Episode Does Luffy Use Gear 5?
The One Piece anime will take nearly a year’s worth of episodes. i.e. 52 episodes for Luffy to use Gear 5.
One Piece Episode 1015 adapted Chapter 1000 of the One Piece Manga. That indicates that for the anime to adapt Chapter 1044, it will take nearly 40 to 50 episodes depending on the number of chapters they adapt each episode for the rooftop sequence.
You can expect Luffy’s Gear 5 to debut somewhere between Episode 1055 & Episode 1060.
Is There a Gear 6 Luffy?
Yes, there is a possibility for Luffy’s Gear 6 (Gear Sixth). The reason is simple. Gear 2 and Gear 3 do very little change to his form, unlike Gear 4 and Gear 5, which completely change his form.
In Gear 2, Luffy increases his blood circulation throughout his body, while in Gear 3, he stretches one of his limbs to a gigantic size.
So, Gear 6 might be another minute upgrade to his Gear 5. And Luffy isn’t the brightest one when it comes to naming gears. Using logic isn’t his forte.
I might even go as far as saying that there might be even a Gear 7. The awakening of his power means that the only thing that can stop him from getting powerful is his imagination.
What Is Luffy’s Strongest Gear?
Gear 5 is Luffy’s strongest gear because it is the awakening of his Human-Human Devil Fruit. The Gorosei themselves have said the same.
“Awakening brings his rubbery body greater physical strength and freedom. It is said that in all the world……there is no power more ridiculous!!” - Gorosei (Five Elders) (One Piece Chapter 1044: Page 5, 6)
And, it is not just them, Luffy himself has realized the strength of the Mythical Zoan Type Human-Human Fruit.
“Oooh, I can do everything I wanted to do!!” - Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece Chapter 1044: Page 10)
“This is the pinnacle of what I can do!! This is…Gear Five!!!” - Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece Chapter 1044: Page 10)
Is Luffy The Reincarnation of Joy Boy?
Luffy is neither the reincarnation nor Joy Boy himself. The fact is that Joy Boy was the previous wielder (owner) of Human-Human Fruit.
And Joy Boy’s companion Zunesha clearly states that Luffy’s heartbeat sounds just like that of Joy Boy. Zunesha uses the word Drums of Liberation to describe Luffy’s heartbeat sound.
“How long it’s been. I hear the Drums of Liberation. For the first time in 800 years…He is here!! Joy Boy!!! Has returned!!!” - Zunesha (One Piece Chapter 1043: Page 17)
While this might have misled many into believing that Luffy is Joy Boy. With the release of the next chapters, it is made clear that he is not Joy Boy.
“How long it’s been…since I heard this rhythm…Joy Boy. Oh, Joy Boy…it’s as though you’re right there…my heart is dancing. I cannot help but feel that fate is at work. I cannot help…but put my hopes in him…” - Zunesha (One Piece Chapter 1046: Page 2, 3)
This statement by Zunesha proves that Luffy is simply the wielder of Human-Human Fruit, which Joy Boy used to wield 800 years ago. The rhythm of the heartbeat is just like Joy Boy, which indicates that Luffy is the one fate has chosen to liberate the rotten world.
Did Luffy Unlock Gear 5?
Yes, Luffy has unlocked the Gear 5. But instead of using the word unlocking, the appropriate word for Gear 5 is awakening.
In reality, Gear 5 is the awakening of his Human-Human Fruit, a Mythical Zoan type devil fruit. Luffy is not aware of the fact, and he is not someone to care about such stuff.
Luffy being Luffy is seen enjoying the freedom with the powers, laughing around during his fight with Kaido.
Is Luffy a Sun God?
Luffy isn’t a Sun God. But he is being referred to as one just because he is the wielder of the Zoan-Type Human-Human Fruit (Hito Hito no Mi). A Mythical Type Devil Fruit modelled after The Sun God Nika.
Legend has it that Nika was referred to as Sun God by the slaves. They believed that Nika would come to free them from all their miseries.
This legend also hints that Luffy might be the one to free the slaves in The Holy Land Mariejois (Mary Geoise/ Marijoa).
The awakening of this fruit leads the wielder to the most ridiculous power in the world. It brings smiles to people’s faces. He fights in whichever way he wants. And that is also why the wielder is also called the Warrior of Liberation.
Who Is Joyboy in One Piece?
Joy Boy is a historical figure who existed during the Void Century. Not only is Joy Boy mentioned in Poneglyph, but he is also described as someone who broke a promise made with the Fish-Man Island.
Joy Boy is also the one who found the island and hid his treasure, which is now known as Laugh Tale. It was named Laugh Tale by the Pirate King Gol D. Roger after he found Joy Boy’s Treasure.
“Oh, Joy Boy…I wish I’d been born in your time!!” - Gol D. Roger (The Pirate King) (One Piece Chapter 967: Page 19)
Most importantly, it is mentioned in one of the Poneglyphs that Joy Boy would return nearly 800 years after the Void Century, which came to be true as Luffy is now the Joy Boy, as in the inheritor of his will.
When Luffy awakened the Human-Human Fruit, his heartbeat was similar to Joy Boy’s heartbeat, and Zunesha, Joy Boy’s companion is the one to say that.
This refers to the fact that Joy Boy was the previous wielder of the Human-Human Fruit.
Because the World Government mentioned that they tried to get a hold of the Human-Human Fruit for 800 years but never got their hands on it.
“In every era, the world government has attempted to recover the Gum-Gum Fruit……and not once has it ever succeeded. For 800 years!!” - Gorosei (Five Elders) (One Piece Chapter 1044: Page 4)
“I hear the Drums of Liberation. For the first time in 800 years…He is here!! Joy Boy…!!!” - Zunesha (One Piece Chapter 1043: Page 17)
Has Luffy Awakened Devil Fruit?
Yes, Luffy has finally awakened his devil fruit powers. The real name of Gum-Gum Fruit is The Human-Human Fruit, which Luffy is unaware of, and that’s why he keeps on naming his attacks as Gum-Gum, which I think will remain like that even if he uncovers the fruit’s true name in the future.
Luffy has named the awakening Gear 5.
“This is the pinnacle of what I can do!! This is…Gear Five!!!” - Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece Chapter 1044: Page 10)
Overall Conclusion On Luffy’s Gear 5
With all that said, Gear 5 is the awakening of the devil fruit that carries the will of the predecessor Joy Boy.
And the fact that terms like “Drums of Liberation” and “Sun God Nika” are associated with the Human-Human Fruit proves that Luffy is the chosen one who will free this world from its misery.
However, the question remains, will Luffy be able to do that? And why was Joy Boy unable to do that if he had the same devil fruit 800 years ago?
I hope I was able to answer your questions regarding Luffy’s Gear 5. But, if you still haven’t got your question answered, reach out to us on our Instagram handle. And we will update that answer for you.
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