3 Years Ago, One Piece Reached A Peak So High, No Anime's Topped It Since

17 hours ago 6

Gear 5 Monkey D. Luffy as seen in One Piece Anime

Published May 8, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT

Merlyn De Souza is a freelance writer and anime enthusiast based in Goa, India, with a Bachelor's in English Literature. When she isn't writing, she can be found exploring various realms of entertainment, including, but not limited to, K-dramas, novels, and even the occasional manhwa. She also enjoys all things creative, like sewing and makeup.

Between the manga, the ongoing anime by Toei animation, the live-action series by Netflix, the remake by Wit Studio, and the multiple spin-offs on the horizon, One Piece has been all but unstoppable as of late. Amidst all these exciting expansions to the franchise, One Piece's main anime has also been steadily raising the bar, and the Elbaph Arc will surely take the series to all new heights just as the Egghead Arc did.

One Piece Has Yet to Dethrone Its Best Fight

Setting aside the matter of other anime for a brief moment, One Piece itself has yet to recreate a fight as exciting, impactful, and momentous as Luffy's climactic battle against Kaido at Onigashima. the Wano Arc has come and gone, so has the Egghead Arc, and while the latter did have some exceptional fights such as Luffy versus Kizaru, not even the fight against the Five Elders has come close to having the same impact as Luffy and Kaido.

Anime Has a New Gear 5, and It's Somehow Even Stronger Than One Piece's

The reality-bending abilities on display in a recent hit anime mirror One Piece's Gear 5, but with one key difference.

Luffy's Gear Five transformation also famously broke the internet, crashing multiple servers at the time of its anime debut. Animation-wise, Gear Five's presentation arguably still hadn't been perfected at the time of its anime debut. Still, at the time, the animation was completely new with a blend of different animators' styles and Western cartoon influences, making it unlike anything One Piece's anime had ever released before, which was a huge reason for the hype.

As such, while Egghead Arc and the Elbaph Arc have better Gear Five transformations as well as smoother, clearer combat, Gear Five's Wano debut received a lot of attention simply by virtue of being the big anime reveal. More importantly, however, between all that was riding on this fight, the sacrifices, prayers, and the future of Wano, and Luffy pushing himself to the brink of death and back, Luffy versus Kaido held immense narrative weight.

And, at this point, perhaps only the final battle against Imu might be able to recreate the same narrative tension. The big Imu face reveal might also stand a chance of drumming up the same level of excitement as Gear Five, though it will be a few years until the anime gets so far into the Elbaph Arc, especially with the new release schedule of 26 episodes a year.

Only Jujutsu Kaisen's Final Battle Can Surpass Gear Five

All that said, if there's one anime that has a chance of recreating the absolute phenomenon that was Gear Five, it might just be Jujutsu Kaisen. One Piece has enjoyed its reign as the undisputed king of shonen for well over two decades, and yet in only a few years, Jujutsu Kaisen has established itself as one of the hottest series in the genre.

The Ultimate · Straw Hat Challenge Set Sail for Trivia “I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!”

⚕CrewNakama!

🌊SeasEast Blue

🍋Devil FruitsGomu Gomu!

☠VillainsFear the sea

🏆DreamsOne Piece!

SET SAIL →

Monkey D. Luffy accidentally ate a Devil Fruit as a child, giving him rubber-like abilities. What is the name of that fruit?

AFlame-Flame Fruit BChop-Chop Fruit CGum-Gum Fruit DSmoke-Smoke Fruit

✓ Correct! The Gum-Gum Fruit (Gomu Gomu no Mi) turned Luffy’s body into rubber. He ate it from Shanks’ treasure chest as a kid, gaining stretchy powers but losing the ability to swim forever.

✗ Overboard! The answer is the Gum-Gum Fruit. The Chop-Chop Fruit belongs to Buggy, the Flame-Flame Fruit to Ace, and the Smoke-Smoke Fruit to Captain Smoker — but Luffy’s rubber powers come from the Gomu Gomu no Mi.

Luffy’s iconic straw hat was given to him as a child by a famous pirate who inspired his dream. Who gave Luffy the hat?

AGold Roger BMonkey D. Garp CDracule Mihawk DRed-Haired Shanks

✓ Correct! Red-Haired Shanks entrusted his straw hat to young Luffy in Foosha Village, telling him to return it when he becomes a great pirate. That promise drives Luffy’s entire journey.

✗ Overboard! The answer is Red-Haired Shanks. While Gold Roger originally wore the hat, it was Shanks who passed it down to Luffy after saving his life from a Sea King — a defining moment in the series.

Before joining the Straw Hats, Sanji works as a sous chef at a floating restaurant on the ocean. What is the name of this restaurant?

AThe Galley-La BThe Baratie CThe Sea Rat DMakino’s Tavern

✓ Correct! The Baratie is the ocean-going restaurant run by Chef Zeff, Sanji’s mentor. In the live-action series, it’s one of the most stunning sets — a fully realized ship-restaurant on the open sea.

✗ Overboard! The answer is The Baratie. Run by the legendary pirate-turned-chef “Red Leg” Zeff, this floating restaurant is where Luffy recruits Sanji as the Straw Hats’ cook.

Roronoa Zoro is famous for his unique sword-fighting technique. How many swords does he wield in his signature style?

AOne BTwo CThree DFour

✓ Correct! Zoro uses Three-Sword Style (Santoryu), wielding one sword in each hand and a third in his mouth. His dream is to become the world’s greatest swordsman by defeating Dracule Mihawk.

✗ Overboard! The answer is three. Zoro’s iconic Three-Sword Style places one blade in each hand and a third clenched between his teeth — a fighting technique unique to him in the One Piece world.

Each Straw Hat crew member has a personal dream. What is Nami’s ultimate goal that drives her journey?

ATo find the One Piece treasure BTo become the greatest navigator CTo draw a complete map of the world DTo defeat every pirate on the Grand Line

✓ Correct! Nami’s dream is to draw a map of the entire world. Her cartography skills and navigation talent make her indispensable to the crew, and her passion for mapmaking was nurtured by her adoptive mother Bell-mère.

✗ Overboard! The answer is to draw a complete map of the world. Nami is a gifted cartographer whose dream goes beyond just sailing — she wants to chart every sea and island so no one is ever lost again.

A powerful Marine Vice Admiral is revealed to have a surprising family connection to Luffy. Who is this high-ranking Marine?

ACaptain Smoker BAdmiral Akainu CCaptain Morgan DVice Admiral Garp

✓ Correct! Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp is Luffy’s grandfather. Known as “Garp the Fist,” he’s a Marine hero who wanted Luffy to become a Marine — not a pirate. Their family dynamic is a major subplot in the live-action series.

✗ Overboard! The answer is Vice Admiral Garp. Monkey D. Garp is Luffy’s grandfather and one of the most legendary Marines alive. Despite being on opposite sides of the law, their bond runs deep.

Usopp is recruited into the Straw Hat crew after the pirates help defend his home village from Captain Kuro’s Black Cat Pirates. What is the name of Usopp’s village?

AFoosha Village BShells Town CSyrup Village DCoco Village

✓ Correct! Syrup Village is Usopp’s peaceful hometown where he was known for telling tall tales. It’s also where Kaya lives, and where the crew acquires the Going Merry from her estate.

✗ Overboard! The answer is Syrup Village. Foosha Village is Luffy’s hometown, Shells Town is where Zoro was held captive, and Coco Village (Cocoyasi) is Nami’s home — but Usopp hails from Syrup Village.

The Netflix live-action adaptation was praised for its casting. Which actor plays Monkey D. Luffy?

AMackenyu BTaz Skylar CIñaki Godoy DJacob Romero Gibson

✓ Correct! Mexican actor Iñaki Godoy won fans over with his infectious energy and earnest portrayal of Luffy. Mackenyu plays Zoro, Taz Skylar is Sanji, and Jacob Romero Gibson plays Usopp.

✗ Overboard! The answer is Iñaki Godoy. The young Mexican actor perfectly captured Luffy’s boundless enthusiasm. The other actors all play Straw Hat crew members — but Luffy is all Iñaki.

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↻ SET SAIL AGAIN

Already a sensation with only three seasons, Jujutsu Kaisen might just be able to match Gear Five's momentous debut with its final battle between Gojo and Sukuna, The fight was already a huge sensation in the manga, and the anime, with how it keeps getting better with every new season will certainly take things a step further. However, it will be some time until Gojo versus Sukuna is animated and until then One Piece will continue to occupy that throne.

Release Date October 20, 1999

Network Fuji TV

Directors Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

Writers Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda