Among the array of formidable combatants vying for victory on Egghead, is Luffy’s Gear 5 the most powerful of them all?

With Chapter 1108 of One Piece, series creator Eiichiro Oda has issued a terrifying declaration of the true power held by an Emperor of the Sea. Upon witnessing Admiral Kizaru seemingly kill Dr. Vegapunk, it appears as if the Straw Hat Pirates’ Captain, Monkey D. Luffy, is now ready to go all out in order to make him and Saint Jaygarcia Saturn pay for their misdeeds.

After assuming his giant Gear 5 form, Luffy held both Saturn and Kizaru back while calmly inquiring whether they thought he would ever let them escape unscathed. With a malicious glint in his eye, Luffy might be ready to cut loose and show off the real strength of a Yonko in One Piece, which raises one pertinent question about how the outcome of this battle will be decided. Given that Luffy is now holding back two of the strongest people on Egghead, is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika’s Gear 5 form the most powerful ability on the island?

Who Are The Main Players On The Egghead?

The escalating situation on Egghead Island features a number of extremely powerful combatants with their own agendas, who are vying to gain control of the conflict and achieve their objectives. It has been said that the outcome of this battle will rock the world to its core, but the actual connotations held by this statement are not entirely clear at the moment. On one hand, the Straw Hat Pirates are attempting to escape with Dr. Vegapunk, his satellites, Jewelry Bonney, and the body of Bartholomew Kuma.

Standing in their way are dozens of Marine battleships, supported by the Vice-Admirals, with Admiral Kizaru and Saint Jaygarcia Saturn — one of the Five Elders — assuming command of this invading force. Additional players include the reformed Giant Warrior Pirates, who are supporting the Straw Hats’ escape by protecting them and stalling the Marines’ advance. Lastly, a faction of the Blackbeard Pirates led by Van Augur and Catarina Devon have also arrived on the island, but their goals have not been revealed.

The Greatest Threat To The Straw Hats’ Escape

In such tense circumstances, the tide of the battle could swing in either direction, and it is anyone’s guess as to who will emerge with the upper hand as things heat up even further. Currently, Saturn and Kizaru appear to be the greatest obstacle to the Straw Hats’ escape, especially since Jewelry Bonney was able to dispel the threat of the Buster Call on Egghead with the help of the Mark III Pacifista, who she now commands.

After his initial transformation, which resembled the Awakened state of a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, Saturn has taken on an even more inhuman appearance, entering a new, more deadly form. True to his demonic spider-like abilities, Saturn’s entire body is also coated in corrosive venom, and coming into contact with him effectively means certain death. Saturn is unlikely to let the Straw Hats off easily since they have seen his demonic transformation, and defeating him will not be easy because of his regenerative abilities.

How Gear 5 Gives Luffy An Edge

Ever since its first appearance during Luffy’s final face off against Kaido on the rooftop of Onigashima, it has been hinted that Gear 5 is an ability that could truly change the world, and give its user the power to stand up to the World Government. Luffy is still growing accustomed to his Devil Fruit Awakening and its limits, especially when looking at the incredible strain it puts on his body when used for long periods.

Nevertheless, Gear 5 is essentially a form fueled by the power of Luffy’s imagination, and at its most fundamental level, it allows him to alter the fabric of reality as he sees fit. For the most part, Luffy uses it to seamlessly switch between the various abilities he unlocks in his other Gear 2, Gear 3, and Gear 4 forms, without any repercussions or delays in moving between them. One of the most devastating applications of the form is his Gomu Gomu no Gigant state, where he enlarges his body to the size of an actual giant.

This is second only to the island-destroying Gomu Gomu no Bajrang Gun attack which defeated Kaido, where Luffy enlarged his fist to the size of Onigashima, and delivered a terrifyingly powerful punch coated in Advanced Armament Haki and infused with Conqueror’s Haki. Unfortunately, the execution of this attack is not really feasible on Egghead, due to how much collateral damage it would cause. This consideration could also be the root cause of why Luffy has not been able to conclude the Egghead battle in quicker fashion.

Could Luffy Beat Both Saturn And Kizaru?

With so many of his allies and crew members scattered across the various layers of Egghead, Luffy cannot conceivably fight with complete freedom, due to how it will endanger them, and wreck the infrastructure on the island. Fortunately, with Bonney, Kuma, Franky, and Atlas out of harm’s way, and Sanji en route to join them with a dying Vegapunk, Luffy now has a little more breathing room to expand the range and intensity of his attacks.

Among the two opponents he now faces, Kizaru appears to be the more subdued one, since he is likely wracked with guilt at potentially being the one responsible for Vegapunk’s demise. Hence, it might be safe to assume that he is not too much of a threat compared to Saturn. Even if Luffy can outmatch Saturn in terms of combat ability and strategic acumen, he still has to contend with the latter’s regeneration.

This is a tricky proposition for Luffy, as his fighting style is mainly focused on exerting brute force to beat opponents into submission. As a result, it may take some external intervention for Luffy to actually beat Saturn, even if he is forcing the Gorosei onto the back foot. While the strength of an Emperor is quite clearly above an Admiral and perhaps even the Five Elders, it remains to be seen whether Luffy will emerge unscathed from the circumstances he finds himself in, despite clearly having the upper hand. Rest assured, the Egghead Incident is now approaching the height of its climax, and the conclusion will almost certainly change the world of One Piece forever.