One Piece Episode 1071 Recap: Getting into Gear

In episode 1071 of One Piece, titled “Luffy’s Peak – Attained! Gear 5,” premiered! The anime’s Wano Country Arc includes the first canon anime appearance to showcase Gear 5, Luffy’s highest form of power akin to god-like abilities. The gear was previously shown in One Piece Film: Red during the final battle against Tot Musica.

Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for One Piece episode 1070 and 1071 below.

In the previous episode, “Luffy is Defeated?! The Determination of Those Left Behind,” Kaidou supposedly defeated Luffy on the Skull Dome, then turned to Guernica to take out his frustrations. Believing he had won the fight, Kaidou soon comes to understand that he has lost the war, as Luffy undergoes a transformation that Zunesha declares to be the return of “Joy Boy,” a term used to describe a pivotal historical figure. Without further ado, let’s recap what happened in Episode 1071.

Image via Fuji TV

What happened in Episode 1071 of One Piece?

As the name suggests, in Episode 1071 of One Piece, Luffy reaches Gear 5 status. Following the cliffhanger of the 1070th episode, Luffy completes his transformation after fully awakening the maximum potential of his Devil Fruit power. Simultaneously, the Five Elders at Mary Geoise discuss their decision to sacrifice Guernica in order to stop Luffy, especially as the World Government had feared for quite some time the extent of the Gomu Gomu no Mi fruit’s properties.

It becomes clear to the viewer, a fact of which the government were already aware, that although the Gomu Gomu no Mi is classified as a Paramecia fruit, it is also a mythical Zoan fruit known in scientific terms as the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. The user, upon awakening the true power of the fruit, becomes the sun god Nika, a deity status which grants them the power to manipulate their surroundings like rubber. Using his newfound abilities, Luffy emits a powerful Haoshoku Haki, a rare form of Haki only acquired at birth.

The Haoshoku Haki reaches the Beast Pirates, which aids Luffy’s allies down below. Meanwhile, on the Skull Dome, Luffy mercilessly beats Kaidou, despite the latter expressing relief that Luffy is alive. It becomes clear that Kaidou wouldn’t have wanted Luffy’s defeat to be Guernica’s doing rather than a fair fight in hand-to-hand combat.

As Luffy fights Kaidou, Orochi attempts to coerce Hiyori into removing his Seastone nail and freeing him from the treasure repository. However, as punishment for Orochi’s numerous betrayals and wrongdoings against Oden and the people of Wano Country, Hiyori refuses without a second thought.

Kazenbo, whose body was reduced to that of a small wisp in the aftermath of the armory explosion, returns to its master, Orochi. In doing so, Orochi commands Kazenbo to burn Hiyori alive for his misdeeds. However, Kazenbo turns against Orochi and sets him ablaze instead.

Luffy’s journey to harness Gear 5 continues when One Piece Episode 1072, titled “The Ridiculous Power! Gear 5 in Full Play,” releases on August 13, 2023.