The first major fight of the Egghead Arc proved to be a spectacle on par with the One Piece anime’s best moments, signaling exciting things to come.

HIGHLIGHTS

 Luffy’s rematch with Lucci in Egghead showcased both character’s growth since their Enies Lobby battle.
 Episode 1100 of One Piece set a new standard with Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation and epic fight scene.
 Toei Animation’s attention to detail and animation quality in this episode hints at a promising Final Saga.

Monkey D. Luffy’s rematch with Rob Lucci in Egghead was 17 years in the making for the One Piece anime, which is enough pressure on its own. To add to this, the battle between the two old rivals is the first major fight of the Egghead Arc, which kicks off the Final Saga of Eiichiro Oda’s long-running manga. Whereas the manga version of the fight effectively demonstrated how far both Luffy and Lucci had come since their bout in Enies Lobby, Toei Animation clearly understood the potential this fight held when adapted to anime.

Needless to say, their retelling did not disappoint in the slightest. Currently placed as the highest rated One Piece episode on IMDb, Episode 1100, titled: “Powers on a Different Level! Luffy vs. Lucci!” presented a spectacular interpretation of its source material, delivering arguably one of the best fights in the entire One Piece anime. Continuing the trend of extended anime fight scenes that began with Law vs. Blackbeard, this is a promising sign of how Toei Animation is really stepping up their game to cover the Final Saga.

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.

The Prelude To Egghead’s First Fight

Building up to the fight, the previous episode had ended on a massive cliffhanger, where Luffy was struggling to rein in his rage upon seeing the damage that Lucci had inflicted on Atlas, one of Vegapunk’s satellites. While Jinbe and Chopper tried to convince him to retreat with the injured Bonney and Atlas, Kaku and Stussy were urging Lucci to think rationally and avoid engaging in a fight against Luffy, since CP0 was not authorized to take on an Emperor of the Sea.

Unsurprisingly, neither Luffy nor Lucci heeded their comrades’ words, since they were far too fixated on fighting one another. As Luffy commanded Jinbe and Chopper to go ahead without him, Lucci ignored his fellow CP0 agents’ pleas, indicating that he had no intention of backing off, since the prospect of fighting Luffy was far too enticing to turn down. The shots here were initially centered mainly on frames of the two combatants facing off, with a few reactions from their allies thrown into the mix.

As the tension escalated, the focus shifted to Luffy and Lucci, through a series of quick cuts that visually conveyed the intensity of their rivalry and mutual animosity. With the anticipation having built up to a point of no return, Luffy finally told his comrades that he was leaving the task of saving Bonney and Atlas to them, as he charged towards Lucci, who intercepted him with an equal degree of momentum.

Following a few cleverly choreographed exchanges in their base forms and a reference to Luffy’s iconic Gear 2 pose — an anime-only addition — the two backed away as Lucci inquired about Luffy’s altered appearance in his latest bounty poster. Once again, all this was all unique to the anime, illustrating how Toei Animation went above and beyond to make the anime version of this long-awaited rematch hit even harder than the source material.

A Scintillating Gear 5 Transformation

One other department in which this episode really excelled was Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation, which actually took place off-screen in the manga. By contrast, Episode 1100 featured a lengthy transformation sequence which included callbacks to Luffy’s first Devil Fruit Awakening against Kaido in Onigashima.

Focusing heavily on the Drums of Liberation alongside references to Joy Boy as well as Sun God Nika, it cleverly portrayed Luff’s mental state when accessing Gear 5. Upon tapping into his first out with Gear 5, waves of power rushed out from him, astounding everyone in the vicinity.

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

Capped off by an explosion of cartoon physics and maniacal laughter — all signature features of Gear 5 — this transformation illustrated the studio’s attention to detail, spearheaded by the episode director, Nozomu Shishido. Having worked on titles such as Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball Super: Broly, among other projects, Shishido is no stranger to One Piece, as he directed Episode 1089, which featured the destruction of the Lulusia Kingdom — a sequence that also surpassed its depiction in the manga.

Expanding The Scale Of Luffy And Lucci’s Battle

Seeing the truly absurd power that Luffy now wielded, Lucci was left dumbstruck for a moment, until his shock turned into a sneer of excitement. However, before he could even move a muscle, Luffy had closed the distance between them in a single bound to deliver a punch that sent him flying backwards into a building. Again, this entire anime-only sequence was a breathtaking sight to behold, highlighting how much of a menace Gear 5 really is.

In response, Lucci pulled out his own Awakened Zoan form, in another transformation that evoked the first appearance of his Leopard form in Water 7. What ensued was the kind of pure, unadulterated chaos the series has become known for in its best moments, but ten times as grand in scale. Luffy’s flippant and crude taunts, coupled with his insane new abilities, only fueled Lucci’s anger even more, as the pair tore through the Fabiriophase and wreaked havoc. Supplementing this was the episode’s impeccable soundtrack, which combined pieces from the series’ regular score with newer, more modern sounding tracks to align with Egghead’s futuristic setting.

As Luffy bounced around and comically evaded everything thrown at him, Lucci’s frustration reached a breaking point, making his hulking predatory figure more frightening and inhuman each time Luffy escaped his clutches. These sequences were cleverly juxtaposed with Vegapunk’s exposition regarding Luffy’s Devil Fruit and Sun God Nika, which added more context to the near-divine power he now had at his disposal.

Surpassing even the closing act of the Wano Country Arc, this episode had some of the most fluid and dynamic animation the series has put out in recent years. Luffy and Lucci’s appearances morphed and twisted in accordance with the divergent extremes on the emotional spectrum they embodied — the former a manifestion of unbridled joy, and the latter, a picture of unhinged fury . With regard to Gear 5’s depiction, it is clear that Toei Animation has refined it to a degree where the cartoon physics is still just as surreal but not as outlandish as in the Wano Country Arc, which was the reason behind some of the criticism it initially received.

Could This Be A Sign Of Better Things To Come?

From this fight alone, it seems clear that Toei is no longer content with the standards it had been maintaining prior to the Raid of Onigashima. With the pressure of delivering on One Piece’s Final Saga, the quality of this fight is almost a declaration of sorts, inviting viewers to keep their eyes on the anime, which is now gradually experiencing a resurgence in popularity with a new art style, a streaming deal with Netflix, and the buzz surrounding the Final Saga. If this is an indication of how the anime will be produced from now on, anime-only fans can be assured that the best of the Egghead Arc is still yet to come.