Exactly one year ago, One Piece broke Crunchyroll and set the internet aflame with a transformation fans still cannot get over.
Even after over 20 years,One Pieceis still delivering huge moments. Recently, you hadGarp’s Galaxy ImpactandShanks vs Kid, two monumental scenes fans who read the manga were waiting for.
Exciting as they were, though, neither compare to what’s been dubbed a “generational” transformation: Luffy, leader of the Straw Hats, goingGear 5for the first time.
One year ago today the greatest transformation in fiction happenedpic.twitter.com/IM5qtgoaiq
The event took place in Episode 1071, as part of the Wano County Arc. Luffy awakens his Devil Fruit power during the fight against Kaido, of the Beasts Pirates. You can guess who wins the battle.
It was a huge scene, years in the making, not unlike Goku going Super Saiyan, except on a much longer scale. Fans rushed to check it out as soon as it was available, crashing Crunchyroll in the process and cementing this as the time One Piece brought down the anime internet.
Viewers still remember it all fondly, one year later. “The internet that day was legendary,” reads one comment on an X/Twitterpostabout the moment. “Best transformation of all time,” added another user.
“Generational time man, love the way how community was happy,” said a third. “You had to be there,” is the overarching sentiment, shared by people who feel like they witnessed pop culture history.
To be honest, they did. These types of scenes reverberate for years. They’re often big finales, but sometimes you have events that stand alone, like The Simpsons with ‘Who Shot Mr Burns?’ and, well, Luffy tapping into power that had only been spoken about prior.
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Now that One Piece is sailing into the Final Arc, the frequency of events like this might increase. Knowing Eiichiro Oda, though, we still have a long way to go.
Check out ourChapter 1123guide for what’s currently happening in the manga, and ourOne Piece Season 2article for the latest on Netflix’s live-action version.
Anthony McGlynn is a Senior Anime Writer on Dexerto’s UK team. An expert on animes like Demon Slayer, Solo Leveling and My Hero Academia, he also has over 10 years experience covering games and pop culture for outlets such as Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PCGamesN, PCGamer, The Digital Fix, and many more. You can contact him at: anthony.mcglynn@dexerto.com
