Should Oda have made Gear 5 less goofy in One Piece?

Towards the end of the Wano Country arc, Luffy gained extraordinary power in his fight against Kaido. Finally, his Devil Fruit awakened and this gave him access to the true power of his Devil Fruit. The incredible power of his Devil Fruit was showcased through Gear 5, which has manifested itself as Luffy’s strongest transformation.

Gear 5 boosts Luffy in terms of power considerably, and, at the same time, it makes sure that Luffy is in his most free state. This free nature of his has often manifested as him doing comedic things, and many fans of the series do not appreciate this aspect of his character, especially in serious fights. There is a lot about Gear 5 that needs to be discussed and that is precisely why this power-up can be divisive among some fans.

The Concept Of Gear 5

Luffy awakened the power of Gear 5 towards the end of the Wano Country arc. When Kaido finally beat him, his heart stopped beating, however, moments later, his Devil Fruit awakened, giving him enough power to fight against Kaido once again. It was then revealed that Luffy’s Devil Fruit was actually the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, and that this Devil Fruit was a legendary one that the World Government had hidden the true name of. The true classification of this Devil Fruit was also revealed to be Mythical Zoan, instead of Paramecia. As soon as Luffy awakened this legendary Devil Fruit, he entered a unique all-white transformation, called Gear 5. This transformation saw Luffy at his very best, both in terms of power, and freedom. Gear 5 is essentially a power that is tied to his free nature. Luffy becomes the Sun God, Nika, in this Gear 5f state and that is why he is truly dangerous.

As explained by the Five Elders, the Sun God is the warrior of liberation who goes from place to place spreading laughter and joy wherever he goes, and brings smiles to the faces of those in need. At the same time, he fights freely without any limitations and that is truly the essence of Nika. Now, Luffy has embodied this character, and his powers are truly immense, as has been seen in the many fights in One Piece already.

When Luffy manifested Gear 5 against Kaido, it was quite clear for the fans to see that he had powered up quite a lot. In fact, Luffy went from being the underdog in the fight against Kaido to fighting on an even footing against him. Even Kaido was surprised at what Luffy was capable of pulling off in combat and in fact, it can even be said that Luffy overwhelmed Kaido in certain instances in this amazing fight.

Why Gear 5 Is The Most Ridiculous Ability

In Luffy’s fight against Kaido, it was quite clear for the fans to see that this ability is the most ridiculous one of all to have a very existed. The Five Elders even believed it to be the most ridiculous ability, not in the sense that it is the strongest, but simply because it can often be quite ludicrous. Gear 5 is an ability that lets Luffy transfer his rubber powers to his surroundings, turning entire islands into rubber, but that is not all. He can also transfer his rubber powers to his enemy’s body, piercing through their tough defenses and dealing great damage to them.

Furthermore, Luffy’s comedic nature often bamboozles his enemies, who are left confused about what to think of the fight. In the fight against Kaido, Luffy did things such as turning him into a giant balloon, to using him as a skipping rope, among other things. Similarly, in the fight against Lucci, Luffy also utilized some bizarre techniques, and in the fight against Kizaru, he took things up a notch and showcased some of the most hilarious abilities in the entirety of One Piece. At the very least, fans can say that Luffy gives them quite a laugh when he utilizes the power of Gear 5 and turns even the most serious situations into comedic ones. However, that is precisely what some people take an issue with. While Luffy’s comedic nature is fun in itself, it often overwhelms the serious nature of battle, and that has become a problem to certain fans.

Is Gear 5 Too Unserious?

Regardless of what one thinks of Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation, there is no denying the fact that it is quite hilarious and that it often takes the sting out of the series situations. However, saying that Gear 5 is too comedic is not quite accurate. Gear 5 embodies Luffy’s character perfectly. Luffy has always fought his battles with incredible creativity and with a smile on his face. Be it the battle against Arlong, or even Crocodile, Luffy has always fought his battles in a goofy manner. Even his fight against Rob Lucci emboldened these aspects of his character, and as the fights got harder, this aspect of Luffy always remained there.

As such, it would be disingenuous to say that Luffy used to fight his battles very seriously and that Gear 5 has completely changed that for this character. That said, Gear 5 certainly has taken this aspect of his character and taken it to the absolute maximum degree. Gear 5 fights often look quite funny and that is simply the essence of Luffy’s character. Gear 5 is tied to Luffy’s character and his role as a liberator, and one can actually find joy in his fights. Furthermore, Luffy’s fights are quite creative, and see him explore his abilities in ways that fans cannot even imagine.

Above all, it is also incorrect to say that Luffy doesn’t fight serious battles at all now. In his fight against Kaido, Luffy clearly proved that he can be serious when the time is right, and goofy, when there is space for it. For instance, Luffy certainly showcased his rubber powers to the full extent when he took on Kaido in battle and even utilized some of the most ridiculous abilities to take him down, however, when the tone of the class was set to more serious, such as when Luffy utilized the power of Bajrang Gun, it was clear for the fans to see that he was serious as well.

At this point, the tone of this character shifted entirely. As such, it isn’t a stretch to say that Gear 5 only elevates Luffy’s character further by making him a liberator who brings laughter and joy too wherever he goes. Luffy doesn’t only affect the people in his own manga, but also the readers themselves. If Oda makes the readers laugh, then he has already accomplished his job as an accomplished mangaka and that is truly the essence of Gear 5. At the same time, when the time is right, Luffy will turn on a serious face and take down his enemies for the greater good. There is nothing better that could have happened to Luffy’s character than Gear 5 and, every single chapter that fans see this power just goes on to prove that.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1107, is set to be February 18, 2024.