Episode 1,071 of One Piece finally debuted the latest transformation for the main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. This episode had been highly anticipated ever since this form was first shown in the pages of the manga last year.
Taking place during the Onigashima Raid against Kaido and his Beast Pirates, this climactic battle sees Luffy at the end of his rope, finally unlocking the full extent of his Devil Fruit. A few episodes earlier, it was revealed that the Human Human Fruit, Model: Nika, which grants Luffy’s rubber-based powers, have evolved even further.
Through the new Gear 5 transformation, Luffy can now manipulate the objects he touches and turn them into rubber. This new Awakened Form is an extension of his previous Gears; Gear 2 increases his speed, Gear 3 allows Luffy to grow his limbs to a gigantic size, and Gear 4 transforms his physique to gain further power.
Needless to say, this is an exciting time for One Piece fans, and among the many final forms of shonen protagonists throughout the years, we’re here to tell you why Gear 5 might just be one of the best transformations yet.
Harder, Faster, Stronger
The very idea of an anime or manga protagonist transforming into a whole new version of themselves can be typically traced back to Dragon Ball Z, with Son Goku’s iconic Super Saiyan transformation being achieved during his fight against Frieza.
Since then, it is almost expected that every new shonen franchise will have its own protagonists transforming into more powerful forms as they fight. This can be seen with the many different Bankai forms in Bleach, and even the Ultimate and Mega levels of Digimon.
What is different is how these different characters each gained their newfound powers, as there were different power systems in place. For Dragon Ball Z, Goku’s emotions were the key to unlocking the Super Saiyan transformation, which in turn provided a major boost in ki.
This also meant that different designs had to be employed to showcase this new level of power with each character, with the Super Saiyan change in hair colour being the mold that authors had to break. We’ve seen varied transformations, like Naruto’s Nine-Tails Chakra Mode turning the entire character orange, or Hunter X Hunter’s Gon turning into an adult when he transformed.
One Step Beyond
When it comes to One Piece, the series’ power system didn’t rely on complete boosts in power by way of increasing a character's ki or chakra. With a mix of varied Devil Fruits, character-specific skills, and the three Haki abilities, One Piece was free to show off different degrees of power between characters.
In the current Wano arc, for example, the aforementioned Beast Pirates have their strongest members like King or Queen possessing Devil Fruits that turn them into dinosaurs on top of their own genetic or bio-engineered enhancements.
Luffy on the other hand, with his rubber-based powers, always had to be more creative with his abilities. With how malleable his body composition was, Luffy could allow more blood to be pumped into his veins, increase his bone mass, or just inflate his muscles for more strength.
True to his character, each transformation was goofier than the last, not really commanding the sheer awe that Goku and Naruto would have. The Gear 5 transformation, where Luffy acts like an omnipotent Bugs Bunny, is the pinnacle of this evolution because he can now turn his environment and enemies into rubber with his mere touch.
New Sensation
Episode 1,071 of One Piece merely provided a taste of what Gear 5 has to offer, with Luffy laughing uncontrollably as he displays his new powers. He can easily control the size of his body while turning against Kaido and his formidable dragon powers.
From easily grabbing hold of Kaido to firing back Kaido’s flame breath with the rubberised terrain, Luffy’s abilities will only become more outlandish from here on out. What makes Gear 5 special isn’t how powerful it is, but how it allows Luffy to unleash his most creative attacks against his enemies without any limits.
Power creep has always been a problem within the world of shonen, with Dragon Ball Z itself struggling to portray believable and powerful villains in its later half. One Piece thankfully never has to face this problem, since the most powerful of Luffy’s enemies are as creative as him when it comes to utilising their skills in battle.
In the end, it is not about who can fire the bigger fireball or punch harder, as Luffy has demonstrated. Gear 5 shows that one’s imagination can be the edge one needs to win a battle, which also serves as a great way for One Piece to get even more imaginative with its major showdowns in the future.
