One Piece: How Toei Animation Nailed Luffy’s Gear 5 Transformation In Egghead

An anime-only sequence that is as captivating as it is narratively significant, Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation in Egghead is a must watch.

HIGHLIGHTS

 Toei Animation’s expanded and unique approach to depicting the Luffy vs. Lucci battle in One Piece Episode 1100 captivated fans.

Since it premiered, One Piece Episode 1100, titled “Powers on a Different Level! Luffy vs. Lucci!” has received almost universal acclaim for its depiction of the rematch between Monkey D. Luffy and Rob Lucci. Although the battle was an impressive spectacle on its own, there was perhaps one other aspect of the episode which Toei Animation deserved even more credit for.

Instead of going for a shot-for-shot adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga, Toei expanded the length and scope of the battle considerably, including several details which served to elevate the fight to a whole new level. At the center of this was Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation, which was built up and executed in a manner that was nothing short of immaculate, surpassing all expectations of what was predicted from this episode.

As an ability that weaponizes a user’s willpower, Haki is said to be the true judge of a pirate’s caliber in the New World.

Feeling The Drums Of Liberation

Unlike the manga, where the fight’s initial exchanges and Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation took place off-screen, the anime incorporated far more build up in the minutes preceding Lucci’s introduction to Gear 5. In fact, Luffy and Lucci actually battled one another in their base forms before pulling out their Devil Fruit Awakenings, which made the fight escalate at a better pace for the medium of anime.

It is important to note here that these early fight sequences, and the entire Gear 5 transformation itself are unique to the anime, which speaks volumes of the thought that Toei Animation put into making this episode live up to the hype of the manga. Once they engaged in a bit of casual sparring, the two combatants backed off from one another, at which point, Lucci inquired about Luffy’s altered appearance in his updated bounty poster.

Smirking at his opponent’s curiosity, Luffy readied himself and began to hone in on his own heartbeat, in a bid to recreate the emotions he experienced during his first foray with Gear 5 in Ongashima. This detail was a master stroke on Toei Animation’s part, as it served to enhance the anticipation before the transformation took form while also linking it to Luffy’s battle against Kaido, and the divine imagery surrounding the figure of Sun God Nika.

Becoming Joy Boy

Depicting Luffy’s heart as the Gomu Gomu no Mi (now revealed to be the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika), the scene focused on his heartbeat, portraying it as a muted drum which soon erupted into a thunderous gong. As this took place, frames from Onigashima flashed across the screen, including the now iconic silhouette of Gear 5 Luffy over the Moon, and close-up images of his Devil Fruit and his eyes while using Gear 5.

Of all the new forms that Luffy has taken on in critical fights throughout the series, which one among them eclipsed the rest?

Once again, these inclusions helped reinforce the divine aura surrounding this transformation, along with the parallels between Luffy, Joy Boy, and Sun God Nika. Just as the drums swelled in volume, the words “Joy Boy” flashed on screen, cutting immediately to Luffy opening his eyes and letting out a gasp.

In the blink of an eye, the Drums of Liberation erupted in all their cacophonous grandeur. Luffy then began to pound his chest and unleash a massive burst of Haki, which devastated the ground around him and left everyone — including Kaku, Stussy, Jinbe, and Chopper — too stunned to speak.

An Explosion Of Absurd Power

As the transformation reached its climax and Luffy’s hair and clothes turned white, he let out a burst of maniacal laughter, and the ground beneath him began to wobble and undulate like rubber. This surreal alteration of Egghead’s terrain did not go unnoticed, as Rob Lucci, his fellow CP0 agents, and the remaining Straw Hat Pirates in Egghead’s Labophase were left dumbstruck and unable to comprehend what was happening.

In fact, neither Jinbe nor Chopper could fathom what Luffy had turned into, as the laws of physics no longer seemed to constrain his movement. From cartoonishly inflating his body, to having his eyeballs pop out of his skull, the true extent of Gear 5’s power was laid bare for those watching, although they still struggled to process its utter ridiculousness.

With limbs flailing about and bursts of Haki randomly emanating from his body, Luffy rebounded back and forth off the ground, which had now assumed a texture akin to jelly. Amid all this, the Drums of Liberation continued to thunder in the background while a sped up version of One Piece’s iconic soundtrack piece “Overtaken,” complemented the rhythm beneath it.

This is another inclusion that Toei deserves praise for, since many fans have been awaiting a Gear 5 scene featuring “Overtaken,” especially since it has long been associated with One Piece’s most memorable moments, such as the legendary march to Arlong Park. However, just as the music reached its crescendo, Luffy’s grin came into focus, undercut with a more sinister tone than usual.

Cartoon Physics With A Menacing Edge

Right when the music cut away, and absolute silence flooded in, the frame shifted towards a spectating Lucci, whose expression of curiosity immediately turned to shock as a grave realization dawned upon him. Luffy’s absurd speed had closed the distance between them faster than he could even react, and the now demonic-looking Emperor of the Sea delivered a punch that sent Lucci flying backward until he crashed into a building behind him, which crumbled from the impact.

This cleverly executed sequence was a telling reminder that Gear 5 is a real menace that has to be taken very seriously, even though Luffy’s absurd antics in this form can lull anyone into a false sense of security. All in all, Toei Animation’s decision to conceptualize and implement this entire transformation segment is a signal of their intent to add more value to the anime and broaden its appeal beyond a bare-bones adaptation of the manga.

Where the One Piece anime had previously struggled to match the acclaim of the manga due to its lackluster pacing and average animation, it seems like Toei has turned over a new leaf with the Egghead Arc, which has continued to raise the standards set by the final act of the Wano Country Arc. If Episode 1100 — now the highest rated One Piece episode on IMDb — is anything to go by, there are a lot of things to look forward to for the rest of the Egghead Arc and the Final Saga as a whole.