One Piece Author Eiichiro Oda Reveals Luffy’s New Gear Transformation In Latest Work

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This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Final Saga.

I’ve been following One Piece for a while now, and it’s clear that Monkey D. Luffy is the main character and a seriously powerful fighter. In a world packed with strong Marines, pirates, and all sorts of groups, Luffy really sets himself apart. What’s especially interesting is how he’s constantly developing and improving his Gum-Gum Fruit powers over time.

Luffy has developed four major power-ups, which he calls “Gears.” He first unlocked Gear Second and then Gear Third during the Enies Lobby arc. After training for two years, he revealed Gear Fourth, which included several different variations. Most recently, in the Wano arc, Luffy unveiled Gear 5, calling it his strongest form yet. Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, has also shared sketches of potential future Gears, hinting at even more transformations to come for Luffy.

Luffy’s Gear 4: Snakeman Has A Unique Hidden Version In Oda’s Drafts

  • Snakeman Debuted In Whole Cake Island Vs Katakuri
  • Snakeman Has A New, Darker Form That Oda Recently Revealed

Along with the release of One Piece Chapter 1169 last weekend, creator Eiichiro Oda shared a special idea book with fans. This book contained a lot of official details, including early sketches of Luffy’s different “Gear” forms. Fans were particularly excited to see even more variations of Gear 4, hinting at the unique ways Luffy can transform.

Oda shared that Luffy’s Snakeman transformations were a key inspiration for developing his Gear 5 ability.

Luffy initially demonstrated Snakeman during the Whole Cake Island arc. This form was comparable to Bounceman, but with a more streamlined build and larger forearms, and it featured hair that resembled flames. Recently, Oda revealed a new iteration of Snakeman. This version shows a significantly leaner Luffy, lacking the bouncy physique of previous forms. It gives Luffy a much cooler and more charismatic appearance, almost like a darker, edgier version of himself.

Luffy, Haki is a power that everyone possesses, a hidden potential within us all. It’s the ability to sense the energy of others and even overpower opponents, but most people never awaken it. True strength comes from unwavering confidence. Let me show you – Haki generally manifests in two distinct forms. – Silvers Rayleigh to Luffy in Ruskaina

Oda shared an early design of Luffy’s Gear 5, Snakeman, that he ultimately didn’t include in the manga. This version also had spiky hair. Interestingly, it showed Luffy covering his entire body in Armament Haki, maximizing its power and combining it with his Devil Fruit abilities in a new way.

Because this transformation dramatically changes Luffy’s appearance, it’s clear he would also gain special powers in One Piece.

It was immediately obvious that Oda intended for Luffy’s transformation to be much more intense and serious. Oda has stated that this initial Snakeman form heavily influenced the eventual development of Gear 5 in unexpected ways.

Snakeman Set The Basis For Gear 5 According To Eiichiro Oda

  • Gear 5 And Snakeman Share Many Similarities
  • Gear 5 Might Have Subtypes Later Down The Line

Although Eiichiro Oda didn’t ultimately include this early design of Snakeman in One Piece – at least not yet – it heavily influenced the creation of Gear 5. Oda explored many different versions of Snakeman in his sketches, some of which were quite playful, and these ideas eventually evolved into Gear 5. A clear example of this is Luffy’s flame-like hair in Gear 5, which originated from this earlier Snakeman concept.

This isn’t my second or third form—this is Gear 4! From now on, everything I do is on a whole new level. You won’t even be able to react—just watch. —Luffy activating Gear 4 against Doflamingo

During the fight as Snakeman, the markings around Luffy’s neck – which were more visible than when he was in Bounceman form – also activated with Gear 5. It seems likely that powers originally intended for Luffy’s ‘Dark’ form ended up being incorporated into Gear 5 instead, and that’s a fascinating development.

As many fans are aware, Gear 5 has become a truly legendary transformation in the world of anime and manga. Luffy unlocked this incredible power during his fight with Kaido in the Wano Country Arc, and it was a remarkably impressive moment.

This version of Luffy’s Snakeman form was completely different from the dark one, appearing all in white and showing a much more cheerful side of his personality. Many fans consider it one of the best transformations in One Piece, as it truly captures Luffy’s core character. However, some have noted that Gear 5 can occasionally be too silly. It’s possible the author, Eiichiro Oda, will address this by introducing another Gear in the future to create a better balance.

Luffy’s Unused Gears Could Show Up Later Down The Line In The Final Saga

I’ve noticed Oda had a lot of ideas he didn’t use when he was perfecting Luffy’s Gear abilities. For example, a darker version of Snakeman never actually appeared in the manga, but it seems like it played a role in how he eventually created Gear 5. Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve seen the last of it – it could always show up later on.

Even though Luffy didn’t use his dark transformation with Snakeman, that doesn’t rule out the possibility of it appearing as a different Gear later on. Luffy will likely continue to grow stronger and unlock new abilities. Currently, he isn’t powerful enough to defeat Imu or Blackbeard, so he still needs to improve, and that leaves the door open for future Gear developments.

Even if Luffy doesn’t unlock any new Gears beyond Gear 5, we might still see the Dark Luffy version of Snakeman appear as a variation within either Gear 4 or Gear 5. This would give him more options during fights and keep things interesting in the final arc, as Gear 5 has been his main fighting style for a while now.

As a huge One Piece fan, I’m really excited to see all the things Oda has planned for Luffy! He’s constantly finding new ways to develop this character, which is amazing. I’m especially hyped for what’s coming as the Elbaf arc wraps up and we get closer to the end of the series. I have a feeling Luffy’s got some incredible new forms and powers up his sleeve to blow us all away, though we’ll have to be patient – it’s still a ways off!

Right now, fans can enjoy watching Luffy develop his Gear 5 abilities. As the story of One Piece comes to a close, we might see even more powers emerge, particularly as Luffy gets better at using and advancing his Conqueror’s Haki.

Eiichiro Oda’s popular manga, One Piece, follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, on their adventure to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece. The story is currently in its final arc. A new chapter will appear in this week’s Weekly Shonen Jump. Chapter 1169 is officially scheduled for release on December 21, 2025. In Japan, it will be available at midnight on Monday, which translates to 11:00 AM Eastern Time or 8:00 AM Pacific Time. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump app, and by doing so, they directly support the creator.

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2025-12-24 14:35