Luffy's fifth gear has a huge weakness, and One Piece just proved it

While fifth gear may be Luffy's ultimate attack in One Piece, a subtle moment in the latest chapter suggests he might not have full control over it.

Warning! Contains spoilers for One Piece Chapter 1070!

Luffy unlocking Gear 5 in Wano is one of the most exciting developments for One Piece this year, but the latest chapter may show that it's not all a good thing. "One Piece" author Eiichiro Oda is good at using subtle details to hint at the main plot points behind. This is part of what makes Luffy's latest fight with Rob Lucci so fraught, because it has a moment that initially seems comic but has some very dark undertones.

In Chapter 1070, Luffy uses the Gear 5 to fight Lucci, deploying the same type of stupidly creative attack he unleashes on Kaido. At one point, he spins his body into a mini-tornado, like the Tasmanian Devil in Looney Tunes. However, when Lucci managed to evade Luffy, instead of stopping his attack, Luffy showed that he couldn't control it and burrowed into the ground as a result. This was largely taken as a joke, but if Luffy's inability to rein in his fifth power becomes an ongoing trend, it could have disastrous consequences.

Luffy's battle with Kaido in Wano shows how powerful his fifth gear mode is. exist In this mode, Luffy can use the full power of his legendary Nikanika fruit to fight in any way he likes. This allows him to warp reality around him and harness the full power of cartoony physics against his enemies. This is not only one of the most powerful abilities in One Piece, but also one of the most powerful abilities in shonen manga. This also makes it one of the most dangerous.

If Luffy Can't Control Gear Fifth, It Could Mean Dark Arcs Ahead

If Luffy was fighting the enemy in a populated area when he lost control of the fifth power, he could cause massive destruction and death. If some of his more morally reprehensible enemies (such as Blackbeard) find out, they might even actively use it against Luffy, engineering fight conditions that could hurt a lot of people if he goes all out. But even if his enemies aren't specifically trying to exploit his lack of control against him, it's still a dangerous weakness. Considering the sheer number of enemies Luffy has to fight, any weakness in battle could lead to his defeat or even death.

Given that One Piece is an overall light-hearted series, unlikely Oda would actually cause Luffy's death or be responsible for the suffering of innocent civilians. But Oda is also a very intentional author, so it's unlikely this detail is just for fun. If Luffy's lack of control is really foreshadowing, One Piece could be setting up some incredibly dark arcs.

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