Luffy’s Next Evolution in One Piece Could Make Him Truly “God Tier”

While Gear Five is surely Luffy’s most powerful transformation in One Piece until now, the Straw Hat captain could keep evolving his powers, especially now that he needs to face the strongest villains he has ever encountered, the Five Elders. Recent developments in the story tease exactly how Luffy will evolve his Gear Five, and this could take inspiration from a Hindu epic that was already referenced once in One Piece.

At this point of the story, Luffy’s Gear Five, supposedly the peak of his abilities, is struggling against the formidable Five Elders. In contrast, Luffy’s other forms seem ineffective against them. In chapter #1112 of One Piece, “Hard Aspects,” Luffy’s Red Roc attack couldn’t even hurt Warcury at all.

While it is evident that Luffy will have to exceed his limits once again, even in his peak form, to defeat the Five Elders, the enemies he will face going forward, such as Imu, are only going to get stronger. Gear Five might not be enough for him to prevail against these formidable foes. Thus, it seems likely that Luffy will undergo another transformation. The hints laid out in the series, especially the appearance of the Mother Flame, strongly suggest Luffy’s next evolution.

Luffy Will Eat the Mother Flame Just Like the Hindu God Hanuman Ate the Sun

Eiichiro Oda might once again draw inspiration from Hanuman’s legendary feats

Eiichiro Oda previously drew inspiration from the legendary Hindu God Hanuman for Luffy, as seen in Luffy’s most powerful attack in Gear Five, the Gomu Gomu no Bajrang Gun. In chapter #1049 of One Piece, “The World That Should Be,” Luffy uses this formidable move, named after one of Hanuman’s aliases, to defeat Kaido, the strongest beast in One Piece. This connection also explains Oda’s inspiration for making Luffy as huge as a giant, mirroring the abilities of the Monkey God, Hanuman.

One of the popular feats of Hanuman includes the tale where the Monkey God attempted to eat the sun, depriving the universe of its source of light. According to the legend, Hanuman woke up one morning, mistook the sun for ripe fruit, and decided to eat it because he was hungry. Similarly, One Piece has consistently featured Luffy’s gluttonous personality, which can be seen as a parallel to Hanuman’s legendary appetite.

The Mother Flame, as revealed by Dr. Vegapunk in chapter #1114, is a source of infinite energy, akin to the sun. Luffy might consume the Mother Flame, which would grant him a new evolution and the power needed to face the formidable foes ahead. It should be remembered that Luffy’s name is, after all, Monkey, another point of contact with Hanuman, who was a divine Vanara, a race of monkey people in Hinduism.

What Could Luffy’s Next Evolution Look Like?

One Piece May Have Already Dropped Hints

Considering Luffy may get a power-up, this may even come with a new appearance, even if it’s unlikely considering that Gear Five has been around for a short time. Though speculation about Luffy’s new transformation is already arising on the internet, Oda may have actually already teased Luffy’s new look after eating Mother Flame. On the cover page of One Piece chapter #1028, Luffy is depicted with his hair and fists engulfed in flames.

Indeed, incorporating a flame-like effect into Luffy’s hair for his new form would effectively blend the themes of Gear Five and the Mother Flame. Eating what is essentially a nuclear fusion would not even be beyond Gear Five’s absurd powers of imagination that make everything possible. While this is mostly speculation, at the moment, the repeated references to Hanuman seem to imply that Oda is, at least, aware of the connection, and he could use it to give Luffy and Gear Five the boost they need now in One Piece.