One Piece: Every Power-Up Unlocked By Luffy Yet to Be Featured in Games

One Piece: Every Power-Up Unlocked By Luffy Yet to Be Featured in Games

As a long-time fan of One Piece and someone who’s been following this incredible manga since its early days, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia when thinking about some of the lesser-known characters like Afro Luffy and Nightmare Luffy. These fun and quirky characters were a big part of the pre-timeskip arc, adding a touch of humor and excitement to the storyline.


Through his relentless training towards achieving his dream as Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy has significantly enhanced himself in various manners. However, video games based on One Piece have yet to fully embody all of Luffy’s abilities for gamers. With the series spanning over two and a half decades, there is an abundance of content for developers to draw upon. It is crucial that Luffy receives these power-ups in future installments to stay true to the source material.

Any fan of One Piece is familiar with Luffy’s devil fruit ability, which he acquired by consuming the Gum Gum Fruit (Gomu Gomu no Mi), and has since expanded his elastic power with the creation of Gears. Essentially, these Gears function as a progression system in the storyline as Luffy has grown. However, certain aspects of Luffy’s powers, particularly Haki, have proven challenging to incorporate into video games like One Piece: Pirate Warriors or One Piece: Unlimited World Red.

In the realm of anime and manga, Luffy is a well-known and cherished character. He’s made an appearance in numerous games beyond the One Piece series, such as Shonen titles like Jump Force, Jump Super Stars, and Jump Ultimate Stars. Yet, this article concentrates on his roles in primary One Piece games, which include:

  • One Piece: Grand Battle! Series
  • One Piece: Unlimited Series
  • One Piece: Pirate Warriors Series
  • One Piece: World Seeker
  • One Piece Odyssey
  • And many, many more

Moreover, the game titled “One Piece: Bounty Rush” – a free-to-play mobile multiplayer team action game with 4v4 format, showcases certain abilities discussed in this write-up. Notably, as one of the few ongoing mainline “One Piece” games that frequently introduces new characters and skills, “Bounty Rush” maintains a competitive edge by incorporating recent franchise developments. It is worth mentioning that these specific abilities may not be found in most PC and console versions of the mainline “One Piece” games.

Spoilers for
One Piece
’s Long Ring Long Land, Thriller Bark, and the Wano arc

Luffy’s Gear 5 Changes the Battlefield

One of the franchise’s most memorable episodes sees Monkey D. Luffy reach his peak by employing Gear 5. In this transformed state, Luffy’s already exaggerated stretchy combat style becomes even more unconventional, turning intense battles into what feels like scenes from a Looney Tunes cartoon.

According to lore, the true name of the Gomu Gomu no Mi is Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, derived from the legendary sun god Nika. This divine being was said to have granted Luffy his rubber-like abilities, who previously held the title as the first pirate in the world of One Piece after consuming this unique Devil Fruit. The union of Nika’s power, Joy Boy’s reputation, and Luffy’s fame makes adversaries tremble when Luffy employs this new power scaling method. At present, it is the strongest form that Luffy can sustain.

Hey there, fellow gamers! I’ve got some exciting news for One Piece fans like us. In One Piece: Bounty Rush, I, Luffy, am playable in my Gear 5 form, which is a first for any game. However, you might have noticed that I didn’t get to use this form in other games yet. The latest mainline One Piece game, One Piece Odyssey, saw me reaching up to Gear 4. Now, let me tell you, the Gum-Gum King Kong Gun in my Gear 4 was a real crowd pleaser in One Piece Odyssey, but just wait until you see what I can do with Gear 5! Trust me, it’s going to take that ability and send it soaring through the rooftops. Can’t wait to show you all what’s in store!

Beyond his Joy Boy form, Luffy has taken on numerous memorable character transformations over time. Just like Sanji’s Soba Mask form is playable in One Piece: Bounty Rush, several alternate forms of Luffy can be played in various One Piece mobile games and lesser-known titles, but not in mainstream PC and console editions that are more widely recognized.

Luffy’s Old Character Designs Make for Great New Characters

One Piece: Every Power-Up Unlocked By Luffy Yet to Be Featured in Games

Afro Luffy

After his appearance during the Long Ring Long Land arc prior to the time skip, Afro Luffy was a humorous character introduced as an adversary for Foxy the Silver Fox. As Luffy prepared for this fight, Usopp provided him with an afro wig, suggesting that it would enhance his abilities in combat. Alongside the afro, Luffy wore boxing shorts and gloves during the bout.

As a diehard One Piece fan, I’ve always found Afro Luffy to be a hilarious addition, even though he didn’t gain any new powers. In the next major game release, it would be a riot to see them bring back that humor by offering an Afro Luffy skin or making him the strongest character in the game – talk about over-the-top fun! This comical twist is right up One Piece’s alley, given their penchant for sticking with their characters’ quirks, like how Sanji in Jump Force maintains his unique trait of not dealing damage to female opponents.

In the mobile game “One Piece: Treasure Cruise” and console game “One Piece: Burning Blood”, introduced in 2016, the character Afro Luffy is playable. Since then, he hasn’t had any major roles. At a minimum, it would be exciting to have an Afro Luffy DLC costume as an addition.

Nightmare Luffy

In much the same vein as Nightmare Luffy, during the Thriller Bark Saga, the Rolling Pirates augmented Luffy by incorporating the power of a hundred shadows that were detached from their original owners by Gecko Moria. These shadows bestowed upon Luffy enough might to vanquish both Moria and Oars, as well as abilities he hadn’t possessed before. For instance, one of these shadows conferred swordsmanship upon him. As a result, Luffy was able to engage in sword fights against opponents without prior familiarity with the fighting style. Furthermore, this Nightmare form boosted Luffy’s agility and speed.

In a noticeable change, Luffy’s appearance alters dramatically into this form, resembling Chopper’s Heavy Point in size. It boasts massive, bulging muscles and an unusual blue hue in its skin. Unlike his usual self, Nightmare Luffy adopts a grave demeanor, deviating significantly from the cheerful tone we typically associate with him as Afro Luffy. In fact, one might argue that Nightmare Luffy represents the opposite of Joy Boy, embodying a somber and serious persona instead.

In the game “One Piece: Bounty Rush,” you’ll find Nightmare Luffy as one of its characters. Interestingly, he also appeared in the Wii game “One Piece: Unlimited Cruise” which was released in 2009, a year after the Thriller Bark arc started in the anime series. The fact that Nightmare Luffy was included in “Unlimited Cruise” was quite relevant at the time. Unlike many main series “One Piece” games, “Bounty Rush” seems to make an effort to include even the lesser-known characters in its roster, as Nightmare Luffy hasn’t been seen in any mainline console titles since “Unlimited Cruise.

Instead of sticking to the original storyline, the creators of Unlimited Cruise introduced a distinct twist with Nightmare Luffy. Unlike the standard portrayal, this version of Luffy displayed archery abilities and the power to shoot fireballs from his mouth after drinking sake. This innovative change underscores the freedom developers have in exploring the diverse characters within the One Piece universe. If Afro and Nightmare Luffy are incorporated into future games, it would be beneficial to continue experimenting with their unique characteristics.

In the upcoming mainline One Piece game, Gear 5 is definitely included. As for Afro and Nightmare Luffy, they might not be part of it yet. Still, if they’re reintroduced in the next series installment, it could attract long-time fans of One Piece who fondly remember the pre-time skip era.

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2024-10-19 14:05