Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #1115 of One Piece.

One Piece is finally shedding light on one of its most enigmatic figures, Joyboy, and his tragic history proves that Gear Five may not be as invincible as the series has led fans to believe. Gear Five’s abilities have been in question ever since the Five Elders’ arrival on Egghead, who have proven to be surprisingly tough opponents for Luffy despite their aged appearance. The latest chapter has added to these worries with a tiny fact about Joyboy that suggests Luffy is far from unbeatable even with his newly awakened powers.

Chapter #1115 reveals the first ever glimpse of Joyboy, who is seen as a silhouette resembling Luffy’s Gear Five form. In the chapter, Vegapunk reveals that the Void Century ended with Joyboy’s defeat, who despite seemingly wielding the same powers as Luffy, was still overpowered by the alliance of the twenty kingdoms.

The simple fact that Joyboy was defeated confirms that Gear Five isn’t as unbeatable as it seems despite its ability to defy the laws of physics and logic itself. This seems to suggest that Gear Five may not be Luffy’s final power-up, or that the form may yet evolve or grow stronger. More importantly, it also suggests that Luffy may have to surpass Joyboy in order to fulfill his will and destiny in One Piece.

Joyboy’s Defeat Proves Gear Five Can Be Overpowered

Luffy’s Struggle With the Five Elders Hints At Future Trouble

Objectively, Gear Five has never quite been perfect. Despite its flashy abilities, the form has always had its weaknesses, including susceptibility to cuts and slashes and its nasty after-effects that leave Luffy completely vulnerable and immobilized. That said, the Egghead arc has introduced a new problem in the form of Gear Five’s inability to inflict damage on the Five Elders.

Try as he may, Luffy has been unable to get past Saint Saturn’s regeneration or Saint Warcury’s inexplicable toughness. Luffy was also incredibly lucky Dorry and Brogy happened to be there when he ran out of energy to sustain Gear Five. Many fans have entertained the possibility of Gear Five getting a power-up be it by consuming the Mother Flame or by other means fans have yet to discover.

All the same, Gear Five has been considered Luffy’s strongest form all this time, but Joyboy’s defeat proves even the Nika Fruit can be overpowered when outnumbered, which does not bode well for Luffy, who is currently facing the monstrous Five Elders and the full night of the Navy. A confrontation with the God’s Knights may also take place in the near future which again may not end very well for Luffy unless Gear Five truly evolves past its current state or overcomes its fundamental weaknesses.

Luffy Will Need to Surpass Joyboy to Become the Pirate King

Luffy’s Inherent Creativity May Help His Powers Evolve

At this point in the story, it is painfully clear that the World Government as a whole has become Luffy’s biggest enemy, and he will be forced to go up against them in the Final Saga, if not now, then at some point in the future. One Piece has always placed a strong emphasis on inherited will, and as the current user of the Nika Fruit and the first individual to have awakened it in centuries, Luffy no doubt carries Joyboy’s will and is destined to carry it out.

Fulfilling Joyboy’s will means Luffy will have to surpass him, by getting stronger than him so that he can do what Joyboy couldn’t and defeat the World Government. Though it sounds like a hefty task, Luffy may possess the one skill Joyboy was missing, which is his sheer creativity.

Since the beginning of his journey, Luffy has used his vivid imagination to come up with his attacks and this may be the key to evolving Gear Five and surpassing Joyboy. Luffy’s creativity may even be the reason the Nika Fruit was drawn to him in the first place, as Zoan fruits have been stated time and time again to have a will of their own.

Overall, while Vegapunk’s message to the world has revealed a lot about Joyboy, there is still clearly much more to his character and his defeat. Considering Eiichiro Oda’s love for betrayal plots, it may not be too surprising if Joyboy was also similarly betrayed by someone close to him, which led to his defeat by the twenty kingdoms. Nonetheless, Gear Five still needs to evolve if Luffy is to become the Pirate King, as One Piece still has many powerful foes obstructing Luffy’s path that Gear Five may not be sufficient against.

One Piece is available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.