Summary
WhileGear Fiveis surely Luffy’s most powerful transformation inOne Pieceuntil now, the Straw Hat captain could keep evolving his powers, especially now that he needs to face the strongest villains he has ever encountered, the Five Elders. Recent developments in the story tease exactly how Luffy will evolve his Gear Five, and this could take inspiration from a Hindu epic that was already referenced once inOne Piece.
At this point of the story, Luffy’s Gear Five, supposedly the peak of his abilities, isstruggling against the formidable Five Elders. In contrast, Luffy’s other forms seem ineffective against them. In chapter #1112 ofOne Piece, “Hard Aspects,” Luffy’s Red Roc attack couldn’t even hurt Warcury at all.
While it is evident thatLuffy will have to exceed his limits once again, even in his peak form, to defeat the Five Elders, the enemies he will face going forward, such as Imu, are only going to get stronger. Gear Five might not be enough for him to prevail against these formidable foes. Thus, it seems likely that Luffy will undergo another transformation. The hints laid out in the series, especiallythe appearance of the Mother Flame, strongly suggest Luffy’s next evolution.
Luffy Will Eat the Mother Flame Just Like the Hindu God Hanuman Ate the Sun
Eiichiro Oda might once again draw inspiration from Hanuman’s legendary feats
Eiichiro Oda previously drew inspiration from the legendary Hindu God Hanuman for Luffy, as seen inLuffy’s most powerful attack in Gear Five, the Gomu Gomu no Bajrang Gun. In chapter #1049 ofOne Piece, “The World That Should Be,” Luffy uses this formidable move, named after one of Hanuman’s aliases, to defeat Kaido, the strongest beast inOne Piece. This connection also explainsOda’s inspiration for making Luffy as huge as a giant, mirroring the abilities of the Monkey God, Hanuman.
One of the popular feats of Hanuman includesthe tale where the Monkey God attempted to eat the sun, depriving the universe of its source of light. According to the legend, Hanuman woke up one morning, mistook the sun for ripe fruit, and decided to eat it because he was hungry. Similarly,One Piecehas consistently featured Luffy’s gluttonous personality, which can be seen as a parallel to Hanuman’s legendary appetite.
The Mother Flame, as revealed by Dr. Vegapunk in chapter #1114, is a source of infinite energy, akin to the sun. Luffy might consume the Mother Flame, which would grant him a new evolution and the power needed to face the formidable foes ahead. It should be remembered that Luffy’s name is, after all, Monkey, another point of contact with Hanuman, who was a divine Vanara, a race of monkey people in Hinduism.
What Could Luffy’s Next Evolution Look Like?
One Piece May Have Already Dropped Hints
Considering Luffy may get a power-up, this may even come with a new appearance, even if it’s unlikely considering that Gear Five has been around for a short time. Though speculation about Luffy’s new transformation is already arising on the internet, Oda may have actually already teased Luffy’s new look after eating Mother Flame. On the cover page ofOne Piecechapter #1028, Luffy is depicted with his hair and fists engulfed in flames.
Indeed, incorporating a flame-like effect into Luffy’s hair for his new form would effectively blend the themes of Gear Five and the Mother Flame. Eating what is essentially a nuclear fusion would not even be beyondGear Five’s absurd powers of imaginationthat make everything possible. While this is mostly speculation, at the moment, the repeated references to Hanuman seem to imply that Oda is, at least, aware of the connection, and he could use it to giveLuffyandGear Fivethe boost they need now inOne Piece.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
