Monkey D. Luffy’s mysterious Devil Fruit, which gives his body the elastic properties of rubber, enables his iconic Gear forms to take shape in One Piece. The Straw Hat Captain discovers five versions of his physical form by pushing beyond his limits to win the race against other pirates to uncover the legendary One Piece treasure.

Although Luffy’s Devil Fruit was originally introduced as the Paramecia-type Gum-Gum Fruit, its true identity as a Mythical Zoan Model of the Human-Human Fruit has finally been revealed. Now that the Straw Hat’s Devil Fruit is fully awakened as of the groundbreaking premiere of Gear 5, his newest form may be the last to debut in the show’s Final Saga. Regardless of any other form Luffy may take before the finale, he will no doubt continue to refine his Gear transformations while traveling the Grand Line.

How Do Zoan-Type Devil Fruits Work?

 

Zoan-type Devil Fruits allow their user to transform into other beings, making their functionality significantly different from Paramecia- and Logia-type Devil Fruits. For this reason, Zoans are the only type of Devil Fruit type that can be artificially manufactured and used by inanimate objects.

Special incarnations of these Devil Fruits, known as Ancient and Mythical models, can turn users into extraordinary beasts like dinosaurs and dragons. Zoan-type Devil Fruits generally manifest three physical forms: the user’s original appearance, their creature form, and a hybrid of both. However, users like Tony Tony Chopper and Monkey D. Luffy have developed even more — the former through scientific experimentation and the latter through sheer will.

What Is Luffy’s Devil Fruit?

When One Piece begins, Monkey D. Luffy’s Devil Fruit is referred to as the Gum-Gum Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. However, during the Wano Country Saga, Who’s Who reveals that Luffy’s Devil Fruit is actually a Mythical Zoan-type known as the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika. The mysterious Devil Fruit isn’t intended for Luffy when he mistakenly eats it as a child; despite this, the Straw Hat Pirate masters his body’s elastic properties by developing five separate forms that use its abilities.

Monkey D. Luffy imbues his body with elasticity to create distinct versions of his physical form, known as Gears. His abilities become more powerful as he gears up, culminating in his pinnacle form as Sun God Nika in Gear 5. The Straw Hat’s Gear forms require him to manipulate his body intensely, resulting in an enormous physical toll if used excessively. These consequences once implied that the pirate shortens his lifespan by some unknown measure with each use of his Gears, clearly demonstrating that they’re a vital part of his character.

Gear 1 Is Luffy’s Basic Elastic Form

 

Anime Debut
Manga Debut
First Used Against

Episode 1: “I’m Luffy! The Man Who Will Become the Pirate King!”
Chapter 1: “Romance Dawn – The Dawn of Adventure”
Alvida

From the very first episode of One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy’s rubber body is as hilarious as it is fascinating. Gear 1 refers to the Straw Hat Pirate’s regular physical form and basic elastic abilities before developing his other Gears. In this form, Luffy’s unusual movements mostly consist of stretching his arms and legs to reach targets at a distance.

Although Luffy is limited in Gear 1, his uninhibited fighting style demonstrates his creativity when it comes to manipulating his Devil Fruit ability. His freethinking nature empowers the discovery of his arsenal of Gear transformations. The Straw Hat Captain’s body has no trouble maintaining itself in its base form, but each following Gear comes with enhanced strength at the cost of a greater physical toll.

Gear 2 Makes Luffy Stronger & Quicker by Speeding Up His Blood Flow

 

Anime Debut
Manga Debut
First Used Against

Episode 272: “Luffy is in Sight! Gather at the Courthouse Plaza”
Chapter 387: “Gear”
Blueno

It’s not until One Piece‘s Enies Lobby Arc that one of Monkey D. Luffy’s Gear transformations is introduced in the series. The Straw Hat Pirate discovers his Second Gear after he’s forced to overcome the limits of his Devil Fruit abilities during his clash with one of the World Government’s skilled CP9 assassins, Blueno. The strange technique to activate Gear 2 and Luffy’s altered appearance when he uses it, makes the transformation easy to recognize.

In Second Gear, Luffy uses his elastic properties to enhance his overall physical ability by manipulating the speed of his cardiovascular circulation. To activate Gear 2, the Straw Hat shapes his calves into spring-like pumps that increase the blood flow throughout his body. The transformation makes steam pour out of the pirate’s body through his shining pink skin. The overall effect of Second Gear increases Luffy’s strength and speed in exchange for a slightly more difficult recovery post-battle. As Luffy’s first enhanced form, Gear 2 sets the tone for the other transformations to follow.

Gear 3 Luffy Has Bigger Bones for Giant-Sized Attacks

 

Anime Debut
Manga Debut
First Used Against

Episode 288: “Fukurou’s Miscalculation! My Cola is the Water of Life!”
Chapter 403: “Mr. Chivalry”
Rob Lucci

The debut of Monkey D. Luffy’s Gear 3 comes shortly after the Second Gear manifests in his fight against CP9 agent Blueno during the Enies Lobby Arc. The mechanism for activating the Third Gear works by enlarging Luffy’s bones instead of manipulating his blood circulation. Developing a new Gear form tips the scales in the Straw Hat’s favor during his battle against the notorious assassin Rob Lucci, who is also equipped with a powerful Devil Fruit.

Gear 3 is generated when Luffy bites his thumb and blows up parts of his body to Giant-sized proportions. The toll of this transformation is even harder on the Straw Hat because his body shrinks to the size of a small child after it’s used, leaving him incredibly vulnerable during his recovery period. A flashy punch from Luffy’s giant fist quickly becomes one of his iconic fighting techniques and makes appearances throughout the rest of the series once introduced.

Gear 4 Is a Combination of Luffy’s Devil Fruit Abilities & Haki

Bounce-Man Has Inflated Muscles Fortified With Luffy’s Armament Haki

 

Anime Debut

Manga Debut
First Used Against

Episode 726: “Gear 4! The Phenomenal Bounce-man!”
Chapter 784: “Gear 4”
Donquixote Doflamingo

One Piece‘s exciting Dressrosa Saga reaches its pinnacle when Monkey D. Luffy unleashes Gear 4 on Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the series’ most heinous villains. The Straw Hat Pirate manifests two more versions of this Gear later in the series, each with its own unique techniques. Luffy’s Fourth Gear combines elements from his earlier transformations with Haki to enhance his strength in a new way.

Gear 4 is Luffy’s first enhanced form that combines Haki with the power of the pirate’s Devil Fruit. Luffy creates the first version of this form, Bounce-Man, by making his frame and muscles larger and using Armament Haki to reinforce his inflated arms and legs. The Straw Hat bounces around his target in this form, delivering strikes far more powerful than normal with his Haki-hardened body. Overusing Bounce-Man’s impressive strength wipes out Luffy’s stamina and leaves him with residual markings. Of Gear 4’s three versions, Bounce-Man is best suited for high-power fighting techniques in close-range battles.

Tank-Man Is Luffy’s Silliest Gear 4 Form

 

Anime Debut
Manga Debut
First Used Against

Episode 806: “The Power of a Full Stomach – New Gear 4 Tankman!”
Chapter 842: “The Power of a Full Stomach”
Charlotte Cracker

The second version of Monkey D. Luffy’s Fourth Gear, Tank-Man, debuts during a humorous clash between the Straw Hat Pirate and Charlotte Cracker in the Whole Cake Island Saga. All three versions of Gear 4 combine the elastic power of Luffy’s Devil Fruit with Armament Haki, but Tank-Man has a distinct appearance that sets it apart.

The Tank-Man form is the hilarious result of Luffy overeating while trying to recover from Cracker’s attacks. The Straw Hat’s body inflates like an enormous round balloon that absorbs and launches the Big Mom Pirate far enough to knock him unconscious to end their fight. Tank-Man proves useful for defense during the comedic battle by fully incapacitating Cracker. However, it’s not likely that Luffy will use this form much since it requires him to eat huge amounts of food while fighting.

Snake-Man is the Fastest of Luffy’s Gear 4 Forms

Anime Debut
Manga Debut
First Used Against

Episode 870: “A Fist of Divine Speed – Another Gear 4 Application Activated!”
Chapter 895: “Luffy the Pirate vs. Commander Katakuri”
Charlotte Katakuri

Snake-Man is the third version of Monkey D. Luffy’s Gear 4 which debuts shortly after the second version, Tank-Man, during the Whole Cake Island Saga. The Fourth Gear transformations are distinct from other Gears because they harness the power of Armament Haki in addition to Luffy’s Devil Fruit. The Straw Hat Captain unleashes Snake-Man during his battle against Big Mom Pirate Charlotte Katakuri to counter his special ability.

Katakuri uses an advanced Observation Haki technique called Future Sight to predict the movement of his targets, and Luffy’s third version of Gear 4 is a perfect counter. The Snake-Man form features inflated muscles similar to Bounce-Man, but Luffy’s body is leaner and his attacks are faster. The Straw Hat reaches such incredible speed in Snake-Man form that he can change the direction of his attacks midair faster than Future Sight can predict. This version of Gear 4 will remain a useful tool in Luffy’s arsenal to leverage his impressive speed over opponents in battle.

Gear 5 Luffy Alters Reality as the Reincarnation of Sun God Nika

 

Anime Debut
Manga Debut
First Used Against

Episode 1071: “Luffy’s Peak – Attained! Gear 5”
Chapter 1044: “Warrior of Liberation”
Kaido

Monkey D. Luffy’s Gear 5 debut is the most exciting transformation in the One Piece series. Gear 5 is Luffy’s awakened Devil Fruit form that manifests when he nearly dies in his fight against Kaido during the Wano Country Saga. The Devil Fruit’s power saves Luffy’s life by restarting his heart, and the Straw Hat awakens as the reincarnation of the legendary figure Sun God Nika.

Luffy’s Devil Fruit is originally introduced in the series as the Gum-Gum Fruit with rubber-like properties. However, it’s revealed as a Mythical Model of the Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit disguised by the World Government for unclear reasons. Although previous Gear forms have severely threatened the Straw Hat’s health, Fifth Gear could indefinitely extend Luffy’s lifespan since it miraculously saved his heart from stopping. The first use of Gear 5 immediately illustrates the disruptive nature of Luffy’s incredible new power, and this powerful form will almost certainly continue to make consistent appearances until the One Piece saga finally ends.