Monkey D. Luffy’s journey to become King of the Pirates has captivated One Piece fans for over two decades. His rubbery devil fruit and signature Gear techniques make him an unpredictable fighter.
But after years of anticipation, Luffy has finally attained a power-up of mythic proportions – the incredible Gear 5 form.
Luffy’s new transformation has smashed fandom records, with the One Piece manga chapter unveiling Gear 5 selling over 1.3 million copies in just weeks. It’s no surprise why fans are going absolutely nuts over this long-awaited power-up that will be animated in the anime soon.
Let’s break down the abilities of Luffy’s new form and why it has the fandom in a frenzy.
First Appearance of Gear 5
Luffy unveiled Gear 5 while pushed to his very limits against Kaido, the seemingly unstoppable leader of the Beasts Pirates. After being knocked out cold, Luffy’s Devil Fruit unexpectedly ‘awakened,’ granting him explosive new strength.
His body surged with mystical energy, eyes glowing red as he transformed into the legendary Warrior of Liberation – Nika, the Sun God.
This awakening sent shockwaves throughout the One Piece world. Luffy’s fruit was revealed to be the Mythical Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika, which the World Government had sought to erase from history. Now Luffy wields the full potential of this ancient power himself.
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Gear 5 Link With Joyboy
Luffy’s new form has deep ties to the lost history of One Piece. Nika, the Sun God was a legendary warrior who brought laughter and freedom to oppressed people long ago. According to rumor, Nika’s spirit reincarnates throughout history in the form of the Human-Human Fruit.
The World Government aimed to eliminate this powerful symbol of resistance. Interestingly, Nika’s characteristics closely align with the legendary Joyboy, who left his mark on the world during the Missing Century.
Both were great liberators beloved by people. Joyboy’s promise to return one day mirrors the cyclical reincarnation of Nika throughout time. Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation suggests he may be the latest rebirth of this iconic freedom fighter. By awakening the Nika Fruit, Luffy also inches closer to inheriting Joyboy’s monumental will himself.
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Gear 5 Abilities and Power
Gear 5 Luffy has a lean, muscular build with stark white hair and clothes. A writhing aura shaped like flames and wings emerges from his back, representing Nika’s symbol of freedom.
Luffy attains demi-god levels of power in this form. His rubber body can freely stretch, expand, and contort without limit. He morphs from his base form to Gear 3rd giant or Gear 4th modes instantly.
Luffy can toss lightning bolts, turn the environment into rubber, and even warp Kaido’s body like putty! Gear 5 matches Luffy’s cheerful personality perfectly. He still retains his signature smile and sense of fun even with demi-god power.
His new attacks, like Gum-Gum Bajrang Gun and Gum-Gum Escape Rocket, show off unlimited creativity. Luffy bounces around battles with such speed and unpredictability that he fights like a living cartoon character!
In fact, the creator of the series revealed that Tom and Jerry were the inspiration behind Luffy’s newly awakened form.
Why Fans Are Excited About Luffy Gear 5?
One Piece fans have eagerly anticipated Luffy’s next power-up for years as the manga continued. Luffy’s previous powerup, Gear 4, was revealed back in November 2014, so it has been almost a decade since Luffy got an immense powerup.
Gear 5 represents the full awakening of Luffy’s fruit after over 1,000 chapters, bringing his strength to demi-god levels befitting the future Pirate King. It also reveals intriguing lore about Luffy’s fruit being the legendary Nika fruit.
Moreover, Luffy has taken on Kaido numerous times and always got defeated up until now. It was made clear to the fans that Luffy needed a new power if he had to move forward to achieve his dream of becoming a Pirate King. Seeing Luffy attain new heights of power against Kaido will be immensely satisfying after years of build-up.
Toei Animation studio has reportedly hired an animator who worked on Looney Tunes. Fans theorize that the animator was hired to animate the cartoonish fight scenes of Gear 5.
Gear 5 Release Date In Anime
Anime fans have been on the edge of their seats waiting for Luffy’s Gear 5 to be animated. The fated episode will finally arrive on August 7, 2023 – chapter 1044 of the manga will be adapted for the small screen.
The anime is set to elevate the iconic events of the manga to another level with movie-quality production. An entirely new anime opening theme song will also debut, highlighting Luffy’s apotheosis. August 7th can’t come soon enough for fans dying to witness Gear 5 in all its glory.
Are you excited about Luffy’s Gear 5? Let us know your opinion in the comment section.
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