One Piece: Why is Gear 5 so important?

❘ Published: 2023-08-06T05:22:17

Luffy’s Gear 5 officially makes its debut in One Piece Episode 1071 as it creates quite a buzz among fans. However, what makes this particular transformation so important?

One Piece has a knack for giving Luffy the most miraculous victories against powerful enemies. When all hope seems lost, Luffy’s plot armor somehow helps him achieve the impossible. Whether it is Rob Lucci, Doflamingo, or Katakuri, they were all way stronger than the aspiring Pirate King and yet faced the ultimate defeat.

However, no other antagonist pushed Luffy to the brink as much as Kaido did. Kaido, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, is notorious for someone being “unable to die.” He is also the strongest Emperor with the alias King of the Beasts.

Luffy takes several critical hits before putting up a real fight against the monster. His transformation completely changes the entire course of the story and has a lot of significance in the Final Saga. Here’s why Luffy’s Gear 5 is so important in One Piece.

Gear 5 helped Luffy defeat his strongest opponent in One Piece

An image featuring Gear 5 Luffy vs Kaido in One Piece

There’s no denying that Luffy never stood a chance against Kaido before awakening his devil fruit. He was beaten several times despite using his ultimate Gear 4 form. Furthermore, the CP0 agent really did a number on Luffy with a surprise attack.

In such a situation, liberating Wano was nothing more than a pipe dream. However, Luffy’s Gear 5 in One Piece allowed him to overpower the Yonko and play with him like a toy. After gaining such legendary power, defeating Kaido was a breeze. His victory brought a new dawn in Wano as the people rejoiced in the freedom they gained after two decades.

Gear 5 gave Luffy unprecedented powers in One Piece

Luffy’s powers so far have been nothing out of the ordinary. Every Shonen protagonist has something that makes them unique. However, Luffy only had a Paramecia-type devil fruit and a very strong Haki. Even his Conqueror’s Haki is something that many characters possess. Therefore, despite being crazy strong, Luffy was simply a normal pirate.

However, his Gear 5 transformation changed all that. Luffy is the only character in the entire series to have a devil fruit that can change its properties after awakening. What was believed to be an ordinary devil fruit turned out to be a Mythical Zoan. Gorosei referred to this fruit as the “world’s most ridiculous” power and removed it from the annals of history.

Gear 5 connected Luffy with the Void Century’s Joy Boy

After Luffy’s awakening, fans learn that some devil fruits have enough consciousness to avoid those they want. Despite hunting for this fruit for over 800 years, the World Government never once claimed it for themselves. Therefore, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the fruit chose Luffy as its next user. As for its previous user, it’s likely the Void Century’s Joy Boy.

As Luffy awakens his power, Zunesha announces the return of Joy Boy. Before this, Joy Boy was believed to be a name, but it turns out to be a title. Luffy is the second Joy Boy who is born after over 800 years to liberate the world from the tyranny of the World Government.

Gear 5 hinted something major about Yonko Shanks

An Image of Red-Haired Shanks From One Piece

One of the most mysterious characters is Shanks, a Yonko. He is Luffy’s role model but holds many secrets. Luffy accidentally ate his devil fruit which belonged to the Red Hair Pirates. However, no one knew that Shanks actually stole it from the World Government.

This led to them being chased by CP9 agents. While the crew may be confused, it’s highly unlikely that Shanks stole this power without being aware of its true nature. The introduction of Luffy’s Gear 5 in One Piece brings fans one step closer to finding Shanks’ true motives.

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