Luffy — Gear 5

When Luffy "dies" against Kaido on the rooftop of Onigashima, his Devil Fruit awakens for the first time in 800 years. The result is not a hulking, rage-filled monster. It is the .

It paid off.

Here are a few ways to review Gear 5, depending on the perspective you want to take: 1. The "Peak Fiction" Fan (Positive) luffy gear 5

Reviews for generally fall into two categories: praise for the creative "freedom" it brings to the story and criticism regarding the loss of tension in major battles . When Luffy "dies" against Kaido on the rooftop

It is the awakening of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. In this state, Luffy is no longer bound by the laws of physics. He fights not with the rigidity of muscle, but with the fluidity of a cartoon come to life. He is "Drums of Liberation," a force of pure, unadulterated freedom. With a grin that stretches from ear to ear, he defies reality itself—turning the ground into rubber to bounce back enemy attacks, inflating his limbs like balloons without needing to blow air, and warping the very environment to his whims. It paid off

"The design is iconic and the concept of 'Freedom' is poetic, but the execution can be jarring. By making Luffy a literal God who laughs through every encounter, the tension feels sucked out of the story. It’s hard to feel the weight of a punch when the recipient is just bouncing around like a cartoon. The Nika retcon also feels a bit rushed compared to years of established lore. It’s creative, but it might have gone a bit too far into the 'unserious'." 3. The Action Figure Collector (S.H. Figuarts Review)