Four years ago, on March 28, 2022, in One Piece Chapter 1044, published in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17, series creator Eiichiro Oda unleashed the strongest transformation for Monkey D. Luffy with the Awakening of his Mythical Zoan Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. This transformation is Luffy's Gear 5 or Sun God Nika form. Immediately after Nika's descent into the world after 800 years, Eiichiro Oda confirmed that he was the warrior of liberation who brought laughter and joy to the faces of everyone around him. While the power Nika Awakening offered Luffy was absolutely immense, it greatly simplified Luffy's tendency to joke around in battle. Gear 5 took this character trait to the absolute max level and at times resulted in all tension being eradicated from combat.
However, One Piece's The Elbaf arc has addressed this issue once and for all by giving Luffy's Gear 5 a whole new edge and making him fight seriously for the first time. IN One Piece Officially released on July 5, 2026, Chapter 1187 gave Eiichiro Oda Luffy's Gear 5 a whole new look by making him much more serious than ever before.
One Piece Chapter 1187 officially erases Luffy's flaws by making Gear 5 serious
Luffy's character has always been silly from the beginning One Piece. Whether it's his fight against the likes of Crocodile, where he used Water Luffy, or Enel, where he harnessed the power of Gomu Gomu no Boh, Luffy has always been somewhat ridiculous in battle. Even in his fight against Rob Lucci, where crewmate Nico Robin's life was at stake, Luffy didn't let go of his comedic nature. However, when Luffy harnessed the power of Gear 5 on March 28, 2022, this comical aspect of his nature was taken to the absolute highest level, which some fans did not like.
“What's going on? How can I still stand? I just lost, but I feel like I'm having a blast! Ahahahahaha! I feel like anything is possible now. I can keep fighting a little longer.” — Monkey D. Luffy shows the funny side of Gear 5, One Piece Chapter #1044
In a 2022 interview, Eiichiro Oda himself stated that he wanted his manga to be something that would make people laugh no matter what. In today's world, more manga that are serious are coming out one by one, and Oda is not a fan of it. Basically, manga is something to Oda that exists to make children smile, and to personify it to the absolute highest level, he created Gear 5 to be a fun transformation. Even though people hate Gear 5, Eiichiro Oda knows that this transformation is what represents Luffy's character in the very best way.
“I drew Gear 5 as a big joke, knowing that not all of my readers would be happy with it. Battle manga become more serious when they follow readers' expectations. I hated that. I didn't want my manga to be too serious, so I had fun achieving that with the fight against Kaido.” — Eiichiro Oda explains how Gear 5 was made, interview with Aoyama
That said, sometimes Oda has overused the laughing move for Monkey D. Luffy when using Gear 5. Thankfully, in the Elbaf Arc climax, this flaw in Monkey D. Luffy's Gear 5 has been officially addressed. In One Piece Chapter 1187, officially released on July 5, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shounen Jump Issue #32, Monkey D. Luffy's Gear 5 was once again put in the spotlight. It was clear to see that for the first time, with Gear 5, Luffy immediately jumped into serious mode when entering the battle. Against the biggest enemies like Nerona Imu, Eiichiro Oda has to maintain high stakes tension and as such limit how much Luffy plays his pranks in battle.
Imu: So you've finally shown yourself, Joy Boy!
Luffy: Don't call me what you want. I am Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will become the King of Pirates.
— Luffy Vs Imu Begins, One Piece Chapter #1187
Why Luffy's Gear 5 needed a serious edge after Wano
Luffy's Gear 5 is perfect as Eiichiro Oda has created it. As Monkey D. Luffy is the warrior of liberation and the individual who brings laughter and joy to the oppressed people of the world, Monkey D. Luffy's ultimate power-up is the absolute personification of his personality, and that should never change. Luffy's ability to make people smile and laugh himself all the time is an important part of his character, and no fan who understands Luffy's character would ask for that to change.
But what Eiichiro Oda needs to do is find a perfect balance between the two. When the tension in the story is at a high level, the Gear 5 has to adapt to this scenario, as has been the case in One Piece Chapter 1187. Likewise, when Luffy arrives in the Solar World with Loki in One Piece Chapter 1175, Eiichiro Oda once again brought out his serious and deadly nature with Gear 5, showing that this flaw he once struggled to balance no longer exists. With the Gear 5 being highlighted a lot more in the upcoming One Piece Chapter 1188, scheduled for release on July 12, 2026, and the chapters thereafter, it's highly likely that we'll get more glimpses of Eiichiro Oda's new portrayal of Luffy's Gear 5.
“A strong Devil Fruit is not enough to conquer the seas. Look at Roger! He didn't have a Devil Fruit, but he still made the world turn upside down. Haki surpasses everything!” — Kaido explains the greatest power in One Piece
How Luffy's Gear 5 can be developed even further in the final saga
While Eiichiro Oda has practically mastered the balance between Gear 5's fun nature and serious side, he can make this power even more deadly in Final Saga by upgrading its overall abilities. IN One Piece Chapter 1179, officially released on April 5, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19, Eiichiro Oda introduced the idea of awakening rings.
This was shown again with Rain God Zaza in One Piece Chapter 1182 on May 10, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #24. Monkey D. Luffy, despite being a god of the world, does not have this awakening ring yet, and perhaps Gear 5 can be upgraded with the inclusion of this powerful awakening ring. Be it this way or otherwise, the Gear 5 will likely be upgraded in the final saga before the Great War begins, and we certainly can't wait to see what Luffy's upgraded form looks like in the future.
All chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
