Gear 5's biggest weakness in One Piece may be Luffy's own doing

The biggest contribution the Wano Arc made to One Piece’s overarching storyline was the introduction of Gear 5 and the revelations it brought. As the series has progressed through its final saga beyond the Wano Arc, the importance of this powerup and the significance of its meaning are continuously proven integral.

However, one major issue many One Piece fans have had with Gear 5 since its introduction is the state that Monkey D. Luffy enters after utilizing it. He becomes exhausted and his body withered and old, needing to at least take a brief respite from combat to fully recover. Many call it Gear 5’s biggest weakness, and there’s a chance that it’s a curse that Luffy imposes upon himself.

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Luffy’s prior powerups in One Piece may be clouding his mind and giving Gear 5 its biggest consequence

When Luffy first Awakened his Mythical Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika, the Gorosei revealed that its user can fight in whatever way they choose. It’s even said to be the most “ridiculous” power in the world, with the implication being that Luffy can fight in any way he imagines.

Likewise, this interpretation has been further supported by Luffy’s utilization of Gear 5 since first unlocking it, which can even alter reality to a certain degree.

It can be argued that the consequences for Luffy’s use of the form are tantamount to the abilities that Gear 5 grants him. This is further supported by the fact that each of Luffy’s earlier Gears had their own unique recoil on him.

Gear 2 shaved away at his life by nature of the strain it put on his body, while Gear 3 caused his body to shrink for an extended period of time. Gear 4 robbed him of his ability to use Haki for 10 minutes and left him immobile.

However, Luffy was able to overcome the weaknesses of both Gear 2 and Gear 3 during his time-skip training. Likewise, Luffy’s actions during the Elbaph Arc so far have suggested that he’s also eliminated the consequences of Gear 4’s transformation.

His “Mini Gear 4” technique allows him to use it in isolation, while One Piece chapter 1131 seemingly showed him going into and out of Gear 4 form immediately, without apparent consequences.

In other words, all of these flaws were able to be worked through and overcome, which suggests that this will also be the case for Gear 5’s blowback. Yet there’s a chance the true answer may be deeper, considering the form’s reality-altering powers.

Luffy is likely imposing Gear 5’s blowback on himself via the form’s powers, out of a placebo-like effect due to each of his prior forms having consequences at first.

Further supporting this interpretation are the varying ways in which Luffy has responded to this consequence so far. While the Egghead Arc saw him need food to recover his strength, the Wano Arc saw him regain the form before eating anything. It’s possible that the former could be mangaka Eiichiro Oda’s attempt at retconning the latter, but there aren’t enough examples in general to say for sure.

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Final thoughts

The only thing holding Gear 5 back may be Luffy himself (Image via Toei Animation)

The interpretation mentioned in this article is purely speculative, even if there are significant clues that suggest that the consequences of Gear 5 could be self-imposed.

However, Oda fixing future appearances of this form via food, rather than having Luffy power through, could support or contradict the above theory.

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Related links:

• One Piece chapter 1132: Release date and time, where to read, and more
• MangaPlus puts One Piece Manga's future release date in doubt
• One Piece Chapter 1131: Luffy learns about Loki's relationship with Shanks as all Straw Hats arrive at Elbaph