This article contains spoilers from One Piece's Elbaf Arc.
One Piece fans are absolutely delighted whenever Luffy receives a new power-up. After the two-year timeskip, Luffy showcased the incredible ways in which he could use Haki and take his overall arsenal to the next level. In the Dressrosa arc, Luffy unveiled the trump card that he learned during the timeskip, and that was Gear 4. In Wano, Luffy took his Haki to the next level and, at the same time, tapped into the ultimate power-up, which will forever define his fighting style from here onwards, and that is Gear 5.
One Piece: Oda Confirms The Next Strongest Pirate In History After Joy Boy And Davy Jones
Joy Boy and Davy Jones were the strongest of their era, but this new Pirate has risen as the strongest in the current timeline of One Piece.
Of course, most One Piece fans are under the impression that Luffy won't go beyond Gear 5, and to a certain degree that is true, but Oda has quietly established in the story what Luffy's next transformation is going to be. Needless to say, it is going to be very exciting, especially as the upcoming battles require him to be at a very high level of power that he currently does not possess.
Luffy Has Confirmed Gear 5 As His Peak
- Gear 5 is the height of Luffy's Devil Fruit ability
- His overall power can still grow beyond Gear 5
Before discussing the future transformations of Luffy, fans need to understand the important fact that Luffy will most likely not go beyond Gear 5. In other words, the base transformation for whatever comes next will still have to be Gear 5. This is because in the Wano Country Arc, Luffy himself confirmed that Gear 5 is his peak as far as his Devil Fruit powers go. It also makes sense given the nature of how Devil Fruits work. Once a Devil Fruit power is awakened, it has already surpassed all limitations of what it can truly offer. In other words, Devil Fruit Awakening is as high as things go.
This is my peak! This is Gear 5! — Monkey D. Luffy
An individual cannot take their powers any further, and that also applies to Luffy, even though he is the main protagonist of the story. However, that doesn't mean that Luffy cannot grow even further in the final saga. In fact, one look at Luffy, and it is quite clear for the fans to conclude that he is not at the required power level to take down Imu. In fact, even Rocks and quite a few other powerful individuals who took on Imu alongside him could not even make a dent in him. Yet, Luffy must do the unthinkable and somehow fight on even footing with this monster and even go on to defeat him . Quite clearly, Luffy needs something much greater than just Gear 5, and that is where his next transformation comes in as well.
Luffy's Haki Can Still Improve Further In One Piece
- Luffy's Haki is far from its peak
- The Elbaf arc will focus deeply on Luffy's Haki
The basis for Luffy's next transformation is quite clearly going to be his Haki. As is quite clear in the series already, Luffy's Haki needs to grow much further than what it is right now. Specifically, Luffy needs to work on his Conqueror's Haki and take it to the next level.
Listen, Straw Hat! Bear in mind how you use your Conqueror's Haki! These guys are not Immortal. — Scopper Gaban
When Joy Boy unleashed his Conqueror's Haki on Egghead, not only was he able to do a solo sky split, but he was also able to knock out all the Vice-Admirals on the island, as well as nullify all the Yokai abilities of the Five Elders, cancel out the Abyss, and even cause Imu immense pain. This is something that Luffy cannot achieve right now with his current power level, and it paints a clear picture of what he must do next. Luffy needs to work on his Haki tremendously hard, and by the end of the Elbaf arc, he must be a master of Conqueror's Haki. By taking his power beyond all limitations, Luffy will go on to become a character with Joy Boy-level Haki, and that, when combined with Gear 5, could give him his new transformation.
Higher Haki Application Can Create A New Gear 5 Form
It has already been established here that Luffy cannot go beyond Gear 5, but at the same time, it is clear that his Haki must develop further. The combination of these two things is what could give Luffy his next, unique transformation. To truly understand that, one needs to look at how Gear 4 works.
In essence, Gear 4 sees Luffy utilize the highest level of Haki with his Devil Fruit powers, creating a ton of tension in his rubbery body and utilizing the power of elasticity to the absolute maximum. This power has a short time limit because of the amount of Haki Luffy is exuding, but at the same time, it gives him much more firepower. The air that Luffy blows into his muscles is held by his powerful Haki, and this creates a tremendous amount of tension in the rubber. Essentially, Luffy utilizes a property of his rubber body to the absolute maximum level using Gear 4.
It's Time To Welcome Not 1 But 2 New Straw Hats In The Elbaf Arc
Elbaf will be major, and will see two new characters join the Straw Hat pirates in One Piece.
Then again, Gear 4 itself has multiple forms. There is Bounce Man, which gives Luffy the most balanced offense and defense, but there is also Snake Man, which gives him a higher level of speed, and of course, Tank Man gives him the highest level of defense. In a similar way, Luffy will most likely have multiple transformations within Gear 5 as well.
Once he masters his Conqueror's Haki, Luffy could potentially go on to utilize maximum-level Conqueror's Haki along with a property of rubber that gives him a unique transformation, allowing him to fight at a much higher level. This isn't just wishful thinking, but something that Luffy must acquire if he is to fight enemies at a much higher level that even the likes of Rocks, Roger, Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, and Garp together could not put a dent in.
Luffy Has Unlimited Imagination With Gear 5
- Luffy's imagination can also carve the path for his next transformation
It must also be remembered that with Gear 5, Luffy gains the ultimate ability to do just about anything. As long as he can imagine it, Luffy can do the impossible, because there is truly nothing limiting him in this form, be it conjuring things out of nowhere, or running in mid-air, or setting fire to his feet as he runs. Luffy can do anything in Gear 5, and as such, if he wants to, he can easily create a new transformation within the framework of Gear 5 itself.
Quite clearly, there is enough room to establish the fact that Gear 5 isn't Luffy's end. His newest transformation could be based on Gear 5 itself and could be something even greater, and that is very exciting both for Luffy and fans of One Piece.
As the Elbaf arc continues, Luffy will most likely go on to do what is required of him next, and that is to take his Haki to the next level. Once he has all the basics to create a new form of Gear 5, he will most likely go on to do so once he fights someone truly formidable, such as Shanks, or perhaps even Imu in the Great War that is to come.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail the seas to lay claim to the grand treasure known as the One Piece. The manga is currently in its Final Saga. One Piece will be featured in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1172 is February 1, 2026. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday, which is 11:00 AM EST, or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps. Doing so will ensure that fans always support the author.