Monkey D Luffy is the main lead of the popular manga and anime series, One Piece. He is a pirate captain who dreams of finding the legendary One Piece and becoming the Pirate King. The Pirate King has a unique ability to stretch his body like rubber and can use this power to great effect in battles. He is a great leader, and always inspires his crewmates to fight for what they believe in. He is also a very loyal friend and will always be there to help out his crew in times of need.
He is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and is known for his unique ability, which is the power of the Gum-Gum Fruit. This power gives Luffy the ability to stretch his body like rubber, making him a powerful fighter. He also has superhuman strength and endurance. His other abilities include Gear Second, Gear Third, and the ability to use Haki, which is an ancient power that allows him to sense and overpower his opponents.
Let’s take a look at all his Gears and find out how they help the Pirate King during combat.
One Piece: Luffy’s Gears & Their Powers
Gear 2
During One Piece‘s Enies Lobby Arc, Luffy was first introduced to Gear 2. This mode caused his body to move faster and become more resilient, as the flexible properties of his blood vessels and organs allowed for increased circulation of oxygen and nutrients. Moreover, it heightened his physical strength, speed, and defensive capabilities.
He could activate Gear 2 by pumping blood through his legs, although later he could apply it to individual body parts. By combining his Haki and Gear 2, Luffy could deliver powerful punches with blazing speed, nicknamed the Red Hawk. This attack was so strong that it even wounded Kaido during their fight in Onigashima.
Gear 3
During the Enies Lobby Arc, Gear 3 was introduced. When the Straw Hat Captain places his thumb in his mouth and blows, he can inflate specific body parts to a large size, allowing him to cause huge destruction, even demolishing buildings. Combining this with Busoshoku Haki and later Haoshoku Haki increases his power even more.
In the past, after using this mode, Luffy would become a child and his combat abilities were weakened temporarily. Following two years of training, the Pirate King managed to avoid this side effect.
Gear 4
The Dressrosa arc of One Piece is well-remembered due to Luffy’s Gear 4 transformation. This transformation debuted during his battle against Donquixote Doflamingo and was the result of the two years of training he had undergone with Silvers Rayleigh at Rusukaina. It was a substantial upgrade compared to his third gear, which involved Luffy blowing air into his limbs and increasing the size of his muscles. This Gear further has its subform:
Boundman
This form causes Luffy’s skin to become similar to that of a rubber ball, making him able to bounce around constantly. He can also retract his arms and legs to launch powerful assaults that can even alter their trajectories. His defense gets heightened, and most attacks don’t have any effect on him.
Tankman
This form enables the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates to expand to a much larger size, enhancing his defensive capabilities. Additionally, he can use his body as a weapon to repel his enemies’ assaults and send them flying.
Snakeman
In the final form of Gear 4, he is more slender and concentrates on offense as opposed to defense. He has a great deal of increased attack velocity and can alter the course of his attacks, making it possible for him to harm his adversaries from all angles.
Nevertheless, Gear 4 disables Luffy from employing Haki for 10 minutes, and using it often takes a great deal out of him.
Gear 5
Gear 5 is the newest technique that Luffy has used, only seen in the manga so far. This was achieved after he tapped into his Devil Fruit powers for the first time since the days of the Void Century. The anticipation was worth it as fans finally got to see the Pirate King use his Gear 5 technique.
