Warning: contains spoilers for One Piece chapter 1046!
Monkey D. Luffy has a history of using his rubbery powers in unorthodox ways, most notably with the evolution of his “Gears,” but he may have taken it a step further in One Piece chapter 1046. Though fans have waited with bated breath for the reveal of Gear Fifth, it seems as if mangaka Eichiro Oda has even more planned for Luffy’s new power up. With a cliffhanger ending, Oda reveals that Luffy may be following in the footsteps of the God of Thunder, Thor thanks to his Awakening.
Luffy first revealed the ability to amplify the natural rubbery state of his body in Enies Lobby. His first attempt resulted in the creation of Gear Second, an ability which uses the ability to stretch and compress his veins in order to maximize blood flow to his limbs, granting a superhuman level of speed. Additionally within that arc, Luffy unveiled Gear Third; a technique in which Luffy blows air directly into his bones, also known as his “Bone Balloon.” This technique, as stated by Luffy, allowed him to fight with the fist of a giant. Gear Fourth, which appeared in the Dressrosa Arc, applied the “Bone Balloon” technique to Luffy’s muscles, effectively creating a “Muscle Balloon” that combined the strengths of Gear Second and Third. Finally, in the fight versus Kaido atop Onigashima, Luffy’s Devil Fruit Awakened, revealing the powers of Gear Fifth, a full Zoan transformation into the Sun God Nika. This power was stated to exponentially increase every aspect of his rubber-based powers, and may have come with a surprising side effect.
Related: One Piece: Luffy's New Power Completely Eliminates His Biggest Weakness
At the very end of chapter 1046, Luffy, while in his Gear Fifth form, leaps
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