#one piece chapter 1044 spoilers

[fluffyartbl0g]

“It’s very rare, but some powers can awaken and affect objects aside from the wielder!!!”

You see it may look like they’re just running and improvising a plan on the spot,,, but it was ALL PART OF THE MASTER PLAN!!! (lying)

Speedrun/Time Travel AU masterlist

[dbphantom]

[aster-ria]

One piece fans are being fed today

[fernifox]

Little sketch, gear 5 is so fun,,, he’s so happy and it just makes me smile so much,,,,,,,

[starshipcaptainjojo]

Not posting about what happens in episode 1071 of One Piece before it airs is SO HARD but it’ll be worth it for the people who manage not to be spoiled.

I’M RESTRAINING MYSELF FOR YOU

[sualne]

the sun

[isuggestwishcraft]

[chenziee]

Five

@lawluevents - Day 6: Conqueror's haki/Hand holding

@onepiece-bingo: Sound of Drums

Alternate summary: 1044 because of course it is :)

Alternate summary 2: write Nika Luffy without him turning into a giggly murdering maniac challenge

! MAJOR SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 1044 (ENDING OF ONIGASHIMA) !

[ Read on AO3 | series ]

—————

Luffy never thought about losing. He refused to think about losing. There was too much on the line in Wano and if he lost to Kaido, then all of it was going to be destroyed. He promised he would win and smash the night to pieces—to Momo, to Tama, to Yamato, to Kin, to his crew, to Torao. He promised to win no matter what. 

And more than that, he himself couldn’t forgive Kaido.

He couldn’t afford losing to this man.

And so, when he did lose…

He was shocked to find out that he wasn’t upset, disappointed… or even angry.

No; instead, he was happy. Who knew losing would be so much fun? 

A giggle bubbling out of his chest, Luffy got to his knees. There was blood dripping off his face and staining the ground under him but he couldn’t feel any pain. He felt too giddy, too excited to get back to fighting.

What was that DOOM-DUT-DA-DA rhythm resounding all around him? A drum? Sure sounded like one… but that didn’t feel right. Oh, was that his heart beating?

“Okay, that’s funny!��

A new wave of giggles overcame him as he finally got to his feet; he felt so light now, like some invisible restraints had been lifted, giving him all the freedom he ever wanted. He was sure he could do everything he wanted to right now.

Looking at his hands, Luffy clenched and unclenched his fist a few times, testing. What if I make it bigger, bigger than Gear Third?

He barely finished the thought before his fist blew up into giant proportions—big enough to make it seem like he could just reach out and grab the moon off the sky, and big enough to make Luffy himself stumble at the sudden shift in his centre of gravity. Quickly shrinking his hand back to normal size, Luffy grinned.

“This is amazing!” he laughed happily, jumping up and down. He didn’t even notice until now but did his clothes turn white? That was so weird! “I really can do anything!! I can totally fight a bit longer like this! This is my peak. This is Gear Five!!”

Taking a deep breath, Luffy focused on his surroundings. He could feel countless people down below him, scrambling around as the battle went on. There were several strong Voices—Kaido’s was the strongest but he could hear Sanji, Yamato, Jaggy, Momo a bit further away… Zoro’s voice was weak but also there, just like several of the Akazaya samurai.

If at all possible, Luffy’s smile widened even more when he found his Torao.

He knew he and Jaggy would win. Torao was strong, after all; much stronger than stupid Big Mom.

His presence was comforting; hearing his Voice was grounding, keeping Luffy’s mind from getting off-track. He really was the last one to wrap up his fight, huh? That wouldn’t do! He couldn’t keep everyone waiting like this!

Luffy snickered, cracking the knuckles of both his hands before pulling his right arm back. “Here I go, Kaido!” Luffy called to no one in particular, letting his haki flow—

—only to startle at how effortlessly it came to him. Has his Conqueror’s haki always been this powerful? Did it always so free, so light, was it always so easy for him to control?

This form, this Gear Five… It was just so fun!

A grin on his lips, Luffy thrust his hand forward, letting it grow into the arm of a giant to easily bust a hole in the Skull Dome’s ceiling, grabbing for Kaido. He laughed at how tiny the dragon’s body seemed in his hold. Like a simple rope, just ready to be tossed around.

This was where the real battle started.

—————

“Idiot!”

“Huh?” Luffy blinked, pausing with where he was stuffing his mouth with meat to stare at Torao.

He was pacing all over the room in the Shogun’s castle that Momo let Luffy use while he recovered, his hair dishevelled from how he had been running his hands through it in frustration. He wasn’t looking at Luffy, only muttering something to himself about ‘reckless morons who never stop to think’.

“What did I do?!” Luffy asked, instead of doing something stupid like laughing. The sight that Law’s stress made might have been very funny, but Luffy also didn’t have a death wish.

Law clicked his tongue, his head snapping up to glare at Luffy. “Take a fucking guess,” he hissed angrilly.

Tilting his head to the side, Luffy thought hard about what might have caused Law to act like this but he was drawing a blank. “You wanted to eat this meat?” Luffy tried, offering him the half-eaten drumstick in his hand.

“No. Try again.”

Luffy studied Law’s face, taking note of how Law’s eyes flickered away from Luffy’s face to dart all over Luffy’s body—over his injuries—and suddenly, Luffy understood. And he couldn’t keep the warm, happy smile off his face as much as he tried. “Torao~” he sang easily.

That only earned him another glare and he had to bite on his lower lip to stop himself from giggling as he shook his head. Torao could be so cute sometimes.

“Torao, I’m fine,” Luffy said, trying to sound reassuring but he wasn’t sure how good a job he was doing with the way his voice shook. He was just so happy his Torao was so worried; it made him feel all warm and fuzzy in ways he didn’t bother deciphering. He simply basked in the feelings, and in the pissed off, adorable look on Law’s face.

“You died,” Law said flatly.

“Did not!” Luffy cried in his defence.

Clicking his tongue again, Torao sighed deeply. “You’re impossible.”

Unable to keep it in any longer, Luffy snickered—while ignoring the frustrated noise Law let out in response. Discarding his meat on the provided plate, Luffy quickly wiped his hands before he turned back to Law and stretched out one of his arms to grab Law’s elbow, forcing him to come closer to where Luffy was sitting on his futon.

Surprisingly, Law didn’t protest; he let Luffy drag him over to himself, only turning his eyes away so that he wasn’t looking at him. Embarrassed, and unwilling to show it, and Luffy grinned.

So damn cute.

Letting go of Law’s elbow, Luffy let his fingers slide down Law's arm until he found his hand, taking it in his own. Slowly, he brought Law’s hand to his lips, pressing a small kiss to the inside of his wrist—right at the edge of his soulmark—before lacing their fingers together.

“Torao, I love you,” he said in a teasing voice, making Law freeze.

He didn’t say anything for a long while, only standing there completely tense… until he clicked his tongue and finally deflated. Luffy wasn’t surprised when a moment later, Law flicked his forehead—armament haki and all—before he heaved a sigh and replied, “Don’t I-love-you me in this situation.”

“But it’s working!” Luffy said cheekily, sticking out his tongue.

Law narrowed his eyes. “How about I cut your dick off and toss it into the hole with Kaido. It’s not like you’re using it anyway.”

“You wouldn’t!!” Luffy gasped.

“Fucking try me,” Law growled back and Luffy gulped.

Maybe he shouldn’t be pushing Torao much further… Oh well!

“I’ll still love you though,” Luffy said defiantly, squeezing Law’s hand for good measure.

Law didn’t say anything to that… but when he squeezed Luffy’s hand back, that was all the answer Luffy needed.

[capisback]

title: divinity by the skin of my teeth

summary: Exploring the bleached white cave by the seashore seemed like a really good idea, at first. A find for the history books, Usopp thought. But now, faced with a god and no hope of escape, he's the one who's about to be history

read it on ao3

Exploring the bleached white cave by the seashore seemed like a really good idea, at first. It was a hidden gem, far out of the path of any casual explorer, a pearl clustered in a rough oyster. It beckoned Usopp the moment he set foot on the island, mystery leaking out of its every crevice. So different from the sand, stone, and forest green. A find for the history books, Usopp thought, eager, journal at the ready. Now he'd be history, and the only books that would be written about him would detail his stupidity.

The god was as bleached of color as the cave. Wisps of white sprung like tendrils off his shoulders, scarf made out of clouds bouncing around, somehow making the cave ceiling bounce with it. The movement made Usopp queasy. The god's smile was unnervingly unmoving, a carved half-moon that seemed both real and fake, full of threat. Twin suns, wide and unblinking, bore down on Usopp's soul, scrutinized his quaking form, weighing his worthiness of living.

Usopp made a terrified little squeak as the god moved just a small bit closer and quivered when it echoed through the cave. He laughed weakly, nervous and rather pathetic, and attempted what probably was the sorriest excuse of a smile.

"Ah-ha, ha-ha-ha, ah, s - sorry to - " he fumbled for words " - intrude on your - er - your domain?" He hoped he wasn't making any mistakes. He didn't know much about location-bound gods, didn't know preferred terms, how to be courteous, how to not piss them off so bad they threw you into the Void Century. "I didn't mean to, so, I'll, uh, I'll be going now goodbye."

His valiant escape was halted by booming laughter. The ground shook under his feet, and Usopp had to hold onto a stray stalactite so he wouldn't fall flat on his face.

"You're funny!" A giant finger hooked under Usopp's collar and lifted him off the ground, as if he weighed nothing more than a pebble, if he weighed anything at all. "Stay!" He plopped Usopp back down in front of him. Usopp could only stare and try not to cry as the giant god took his last hope of escape. "Tell me your name."

For a moment, all he could produce were puffed breaths of fear. He willed his brain to boot back up, to let him remember what to do in situations like this - remember the warnings his mother gave him, once upon a time, but it crackled like static instead.

The god hummed, brows furrowing, and Usopp scrambled to answer.

"Usopp!" he squeaked, and shrank back as the god's eyes lit up. "I'm Usopp. Brave - er... Adventurer of the seas..."

"Adventurer?" the god echoed, voice curious. At least, Usopp thought it was. Laughter coated every dip of the god's tone, mirth stuck to his very being like resin.

Suddenly, the god sighed, long and drawn-out and high-pitched, almost petulant. "I wish I could go on adventures."

Usopp’s heart twisted, despite himself. Longing rang clear as day, and it resonated deeply within Usopp. He remembered being a child, feeling shackled to his home, a place that had nothing left for him. His mother dead, his best friend gone. A life of nothing ahead of him, floating uselessly, without purpose or joy, from day to day. 

He remembered the wrenching sadness that accompanied him before he set out, and this god would never even get a chance to explore.

And he was alone.

Usopp swallowed thickly. Warnings beat against the back of his head, telling him to stay still, stay silent, but he ventured a question, anyway. “You… like adventures?”

The beaming smile was strangely warm, and some fear – against better judgement – melted out of Usopp. “I love adventures! I want to go on lots and lots and lots!” He pouted, head falling against his palm. “But my brothers won’t let me go. Meanies.”

Hold on. That – couldn’t be right. Location-bound gods didn’t have siblings. They were borne from – whatever qualifiers were necessary for a place to produce a god, but they were always a solitary existence. This god couldn’t have any brothers, and they couldn’t stop him from going out if he couldn’t leave this cave in the first place.

Unless, maybe, this wasn’t a cave god at all.

Hope gave a jerk in Usopp’s chest, but withered almost instantly. It was impossible to know, unless Usopp asked the god’s name, and that was a cardinal no-no when dealing with gods.

There were no other options, however. If he knew the god’s name, if he’d heard it somewhere before – and most free gods were known entities, elders always drilled stories into children’s heads – maybe he’d know how to deal with him. Maybe he’d have a chance of escape.

“What’s…” Usopp tried to tread carefully, however much he could. Gods were fickle, and easy to offend, and none were quite the same. They might like you one moment and smite you the next. And names, especially, were tricky, tricky things.

He licked his lips and braced himself. “What’s your name?”

“It’s Luffy!”

The easy answer threw him for a loop, but he barely had time to process before the god was suddenly a whirlwind, a small tornado in the middle of the cave, though he could feel no wind, and then, where a giant had been a moment before, stood a god similar to Usopp in stature.

Divinity still dripped off the god like honey and dew. No one would mistake him for a mortal, however small he would make himself.

The god – Luffy, and Usopp’s heart dropped at the unfamiliarity of the name – bounced on his heels. “You look different,” he said, as if Usopp was the one who’d changed height. Luffy jumped, floating once more, and circled consideringly around Usopp, who stiffened, going ramrod straight.

“You’re taller!” the god said. Bewildered by the almost accusing tone, Usopp’s common sense didn’t stop him from saying: “You’re smaller.”

Luffy blinked at him. And then he fell back and laughed, hand covering his face. The cave shook along with the hiccups and guffaws, but strangely Usopp didn’t feel even the slightest tremble.

“It’s been so long since a mortal talked back to me,” Luffy chirped. He popped in close, almost nose to nose, and Usopp stumbled back with a startled yelp.

“Join my crew!”

Nothing could have prepared him for the sheer ridiculousness of the question – though somehow it didn’t feel like a question at all.

“You’re fun,” Luffy said as he circled behind Usopp. Limbs stretched far beyond normal boundaries and began wrapping, coiling, around Usopp’s arms and legs. The god’s chest fit flush against his back. There was no warmth, no body heat to speak of, but neither was there cold. There was weight but there was nothing. The phantom feeling sent goosebumps across Usopp’s spine.

“We could have fun together,” Luffy continued. “Explore stuff. Go on adventures. See the world!”

“Are – aren’t you – a cave god?”

Usopp remained stiff, standing stock-still, or as still as he could with a god manipulating his limbs.  

“Pffft! No, I’m not! That’s stupid.”

“But – ” Usopp stuttered. His sense of self-preservation must’ve flown out the window somewhere along the course of this conversation, because he couldn’t believe he was arguing with a god. “But your name – ”

“Is my name?”

Offense stirred at the tone – a very clear are you dumb? – but the remaining fear kept it mellow.

Luffy hummed, sandals tapping against Usopp’s thighs, and he rocked back and forth briefly. “Welll, they also call me Nika, sometimes.”

Usopp choked. “Ni – Ni – ” His heart hammered in his chest, tongue tying around itself. “Nika? God of – ”

A small ‘eep!’ escaped him, then, and he wanted to bend down into a bow, but it was impossible to move with the god wrapped around him like a python. Luffy – Nika – laughed boisterously at his jerky movement, holding on tighter.

“Offering – ” Usopp wheezed out.

Nika whined. “No offering! You’re fun, don’t be all boring now! Besides, you’re part of my crew, you don’t need to offer anything!”

Usopp didn’t remember accepting to join the crew – but he supposed that didn’t matter. A god’s wish was a god’s will, and mortals were bound to follow.

“What – what about your brothers?” Usopp tried. “They won’t let you – will they be happy with – with you having a crew?”

Nika waved a dismissive hand from where it curled around Usopp’s arm. “It’s fine, they won’t smite you.”

It hadn’t even occurred to him that was a possibility. If they found out their brother recruited a mortal for a crew they didn’t want him having, no explanation would be enough to save Usopp’s life.

“But,” Nika said, hand twisting further, creeping towards Usopp’s wrist. “If you’re worried.”

A sharp burn, started in his inner wrist and spread throughout his body and reached deep within, made Usopp bite his teeth in an attempt to not cry out in pain. It was both endless and quick, and faded as fast as it’d come.

“There!” Nika announced as he pulled back his hand. Proud, uncaring, even as Usopp’s world fell away under his feet and his ears rang loudly. “Now they’ll know you’re mine.”

In the middle of his wrist, as if it had always been there, a small sun was burned into his skin.

[lazy-amateur-artist]

I was hoping someone would gif this preview! Thanks OP!!

Can you hear it...? The drums of liberation!!

GEAR 5 LUFFY PREMIERING ON AUGUST 6TH, 2023!!!

[panda-puma]

Luffy's "I know exactly who I am"

Warning: Don't read unless you are up to date with the Manga Chapter 1070 and OPLA! (or don't care about spoilers!)

(still not available in the Anime)

(One Piece Live Action, Episode 2)

Very long post ahead:

(First of all, appreciation for Iñaki's awesome acting, knowing exactly how to look intense, eerie and God-like through the whole Live Action. And look how the hat makes a perfect Halo or Sun around his head...)

This will probably be a little over the place, but bare with my silly brain.

At first this scene can just look like he reinforcing his own dream and regaining confidence after all the doubt Buggy has tried to inflict on him, and it probably also is that! But with the intense expression, the music and the wording... I think it's also a message to readers that are up to date.

Nowadays we know that the Gum-Gum is just a name used to hide the real name of Luffy's fruit: the Mythical Zoan Human-Human Model: Nika (Sun God)

(Chapter 1044, Wano Country Arc)

The World Government has since its origins (after the Void Century, 800 years ago) tried to control this Fruit, and Vegapunk states that there's no mention to this "Gum-Gum" Fruit anywhere previous to that, so this new name is just a way of the Government to hide the importance of the Fruit and make it as unappealing as possible.

(Chapter 1069, Egghead Arc)

Who would want to be rubber, anyway? Anyone who hears about it thinks it's a silly power and wouldn't want to eat it.

(Chapter 585, Post-War Arc)

But here's the thing: it doesn't matter that the new Devil Fruit Guides or Encyclopedias have no information about a Fruit.

If we go way back to Enies Lobby, we get to see this explanation by Lucci (another Zoan fruit user): you learn the name of the Fruit when you gain its power.

(Chapter 385, Enies Lobby Arc)

Lucci specifically states that the Fruit itself will reveal its powers and name to you once you've eaten it and gained its power. Luffy gained his power long time ago, when he was a child, and his goal started changing as soon as manifested his powers.

He went from: "Take me with you on your next Voyage!!"

(Chapter 1, Romance Dawn Arc) To: "I've decided to become a Pirate on my own!" after eating the Fruit.

(Chapter 1, Romance Dawn Arc)

At first he was just content with being a Pirate in a crew, but suddenly he has a definitive goal: being the King of the Pirates (to achieve something else).

(Chapter 1, Romance Dawn Arc)

(Chapter 585, Post-War Arc)

(Chapter 1060, Egghead Arc)

In the first chapter it is also shown how his personality changes:

Luffy was a very sad and angry 7 year old, who wanted to desperately escape from his horrible life (loneliness and abusive Grandpa). He only smiled when people were nice to him, or when he was listening to pirate stories.

It is not until after he eats the Devil Fruit that he starts to smile and laugh on his own, looking at the bright side of things even if he gets teased.

(Chapter 1, Romance Dawn Arc)

It seems clear that the fruit changed something in him that was way more than just his body, but in the manga one doesn't think much of it until you read the Five Elder's description of his fruit (ch 1044) and remember Lucci's explanation (ch 385).

If the Fruit communicated its real name and abilities to him, he should know exactly who and what he is.

One could argue that he specifically states he is not a Zoan in Punk Hazard while talking to Momo:

(Chapter 685, Punk Hazard Arc)

But maybe he doesn't consider his fruit as a Zoan, as he doesn't really turn into an animal. (Zoan comes from the Ancient Greek and means "animal" or "beast"). Luffy's Fruit enters the same category as Sengoku's: a Human-Human Fruit.

(Chapter 585 SBS, Post-War Arc)

(Chapter 1044, Wano Country Arc)

Gear 5 is Luffy's awakened form, one that he couldn't use before because his body and mind were not ready to catch up to his powers. But that doesn't mean he didn't know about it's existence.

In this form, Luffy manipulates his surroundings giving everything he touches the properties of rubber, just like the awakening of Don Flamingo. But is it just that?

(Chapter 1070, Egghead Arc)

I believe we have been seeing him manipulate reality since the very beginning of the series, inadvertently thinking it was just typical main character things. Yes, everything usually goes how he says in the end, just typical in a MC... But is it? Or is it an intelligent way of covering his real powers behind the typical shonen clichés?

There's so many instances where Luffy and his powers feed directly from people's hopes and prayers (just to name a few: Skypea, Enies Lobby, Thriller Bark, FishMan Island, Dressrosa, Wano...), and all he asks is for people to have faith in him.

When people have faith in him, reality changes in his favour.

(Even with Ace's Execution, the one instance where Luffy failed... he actually achieved what he said he would: to free Ace from the Marines. Ace was killed not because Luffy couldn't save him, but because he stopped running away.)

Going back to OPLA: this is Oda's opportunity to explain things in a different way and medium, to hint to things that are very far away (like how they showed that Garp is Luffy's grandpa so soon in the series, because it made it more interesting sooner).

Then we have the scene were Luffy wishes for Zoro to be by his side, and to wake up.

I can't stop thinking about how... intense this scene is. How they wrap it with eerie music, so you know something special is happening.

We are in front of a Miracle.

(One Piece Live Action, Episode 6: The Chef and the Chore boy)

Luffy closes his eyes, concentrates and makes a wish. Or not even a wish, he just states that he needs Zoro (to fulfill his dreams).

Luffy manipulates reality a bit, even in this early stage of his power (Gear 1) and, seeing how he phrases everything he wants, he seems to know it. (for example, the way he always says "I will" instead of "I want to")

In OPLA it seems clear that Zoro was not going to wake up from Mihawk's attack, no matter how strong and resistant he is. Even if Mihawk said it wasn't his time to die... He would probably not make it without external help.

Luffy doesn't really know what to say, for a while. He is shocked and shaken in his beliefs, as he thought believing in Zoro would already make him the greatest... but instead his friend got badly hurt. With that and everything that's been said around him, he is losing faith in himself.

But eventually he understands that he needs to express how much he needs Zoro out loud. Why would that be, if he wasn't conscious that his needs and desires get usually fulfilled, even more if they serve his goal?

He concentrates and says "I need you, Zoro", and nothing changes. Why? Well, Zoro is there. His body is there and he is alive, even if just barely. It's not like he has really gone anywhere. Then Luffy, seeing that it didn't work, reformulates his way of saying what he needs: "I need you to wake up".

And then the Miracle happens: Zoro starts really recovering and immediately wakes up. He then makes the vow of never leaving Luffy's side until they reach his objective, fulfilling his needs.

This is not Zoro being awake and just teasing him, or him just waking up to the voice of his Captain. No.

This is a Miracle. This is Luffy consciously using his God-like powers and his destiny to get Zoro back from the dead.

And that's why Zoro can never die. Even in Wano we get a look at that:

(Chapter 1038, Wano Arc)

He was supposed to die, but Death couldn't finish the job. Something is protecting Zoro from Death, and it's probably how Luffy has tied Zoro to his own destiny.

And I am going to finish this post here, because I need way more space for my theories of Luffy, the others and One Piece in general xD

Thank you for reading this huge and all over the place post ^^

[dbphantom]

best quality: his wiggles second best quality: his sound effects

[greatwyrmgold]

Reading One Piece with a random assortment of late-game spoilers is certainly revelatory. (One Piece spoilers follow. Obviously.)

Without spoiler-context, this seems to be implying that the only "god" we can rely on is other humans, which fits the themes of the arc and wider series pretty well. But with spoiler-context...

...people praying to any gods that exist before Luffy "lets the sun shine!!!" has a bit of additional meaning, yeah? Admittedly this muddies the "we can only rely on other humans, not gods" theme by making Luffy analogous to a god, but it's not completely destroyed.

Anyways, the point I'm trying to make here isn't about gods and One Piece. It's about spoilers. If I didn't know a plot point from chapter 1044 while I was reading chapter 297, I probably wouldn't have ever noticed this connection. And one way or another, it's an interesting connection; I'm glad I noticed it.

[catburglarnamiz]

[OP SPOILERS]

ok wait i saw a theory a while ago about imu being the moon god/joyboy/nikas brother or smthn and NOW IM JUST AEJFN[WN

i could go into depths about the imu theories ive seen and which ones i love the most bc odas story telling is actually insane

Spoilers OP 1044!!

UNDER THE CUT!

THEY HAVE THE SAME EYES????!!!

[fernifox]

It’s him!!!!! My first sketch of gear five. I hope I can get more comfortable drawing him because he’s really fun to draw.

[moonpaw]

ok so i haven't read one piece and i only watched like 2 seasons of it a few years ago but i am curious so what is gear 5?

I was gonna type it out but, hey, if you don't mind spoilers actually, just go read chapters 1044 and 1045