Gomu Gomu no Mi/Gear 5 Techniques

I can do everything I wanted to do!! I think I can fight a bit longer... My heartbeat sounds so funny!! This is the pinnacle of what I can do!! This is... Gear 5!!!

Gear 5 ("Gear Fifth") is a technique created as a result of Luffy awakening his Devil Fruit. It was first seen during Luffy's third battle with Kaidou on the Skull Dome rooftop.

Overview


The awakening of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, also known as the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, grants the user's rubber-like body increased strength and freedom, limited only by the user's imagination. It is for this reason that the user is said to become the "embodiment of freedom", able to bring joy to the people around them and making it "the most ridiculous power in the world". One of the most notable features of the awakened form is granting cartoon-like effects, not only to the user, but also to their opponent, an example being eye-popping effects, and cartoonish welts after a head injury; also, while in this state, the user displays a grand state of elation and confidence.

In this state, Luffy's heartbeat takes on a musical rhythm which has been described by Zunesha as the "Drums of Liberation" (解放のドラム). His hair and clothes turn white, his eyes glow with white rings, and white clouds float around his neck, similar to the clouds of steam that accompany him in Gear Fourth.



Luffy is able to utilize both the limb inflation of Gear 3 and the muscle inflation of Gear 4 without the need to pump air into his body first, which he first used against Kaidou. He was able to increase his arm to an enormous size in order to grab Kaidou's transformed body and yank him up out of the Skull Dome. With his enlarged limbs and muscles, Luffy could easily manhandle Kaidou despite his enormous size, swinging him from side to side. Luffy can also perform the inflation over his entire body at once, transforming himself into a giant of massive size.

Luffy's rubbery nature can be extended into the environment around him, as seen when Luffy stretched a section of roof and used it to bounce Kaidou's Boro Breath back at him. Interestingly, the altered terrain, while elastic, was neither burnt nor melted by the Boro Breath, even though the attack was shown to be scorching hot and had enough explosive power to destroy a castle and a mountain top. This, coupled with Luffy's own transformed state, has been pointed by Kaidou to be unusual, due to featuring elements of both Paramecia and Zoan awakenings.



Despite the strength of this form, it consumes plenty of energy to maintain, at which point Luffy will visibly age once detransformed. That said, Luffy can transform back by seemingly forcing his heart to beat in the rhythm of the Drums of Liberation.

Techniques Utilized

 * Gomu Gomu no Fusen (ゴムゴムの風船): A variant of Luffy's standard technique, he is now capable of entering someone else's body and expanding their body along with his own. This was first used against Kaidou in his dragon form. In the VIZ Manga, this is called Gum-Gum Balloon.
 * Gomu Gomu no Dasshutsu Rocket (ゴムゴムの脱出ロケット): A technique used by Luffy to escape from inside Kaidou's body after using "Gomu Gomu no Fusen". Luffy stretches his arms through his opponent's eyes and grabs onto their nose to launch himself out. In the VIZ Manga, this is called Gum-Gum Escape Rocket.
 * Gomu Gomu no Gigant (ゴムゴムの): A technique where Luffy expands himself to the size of a giant, as if activating Gear 3 on his entire body. The name of the technique follows the Gear 3 naming theme, but without anything after "Gigant". In the VIZ Manga, this is called Gum-Gum Giant.
 * Gomu Gomu no Nawatobi (ゴムゴムの縄跳び): The giant-sized Luffy grabs Kaidou in his dragon form and uses Kaidou's serpentine body as a skipping rope. In the VIZ Manga, this is called Gum-Gum Jump Rope.

Trivia

 * Gear 5 seems to take inspiration from rubber hose animation and various cartoon effects.
 * Gear 5 was first hinted at in SBS Volume 98, when a fan asked if it was coming, and Oda responded by surreptitiously noting that the world was in the process of transitioning to 5G broadband networks.
 * In this form, Luffy's eyebrows become swirled and billowing, similar to Kaidou's in his dragon and hybrid forms.
 * The flaming hair heavily resembles the Super Saiyan transformation from the Dragon Ball franchise.