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[everyday math]

Man luffy just rekted.


King Kong.

 

[Tathanen]

and of course Bellamy, whose main propose in the arc was properly to show Luffy's inspiration for the gear

Well I dunno about that, Luffy built this moveset training on the island, he had it in his back pocket well before he encountered Bellamy again.

It's pretty neat tho. The idea of the hardened skin making the rubber harder to compress, so when it expands back it hits that much harder. And compressing pre-attack instead of extending pre-attack, I'm surprised no one came up with that one ahead of time. It's smart, it lets him fight in much tighter quarters.

And considering the amount of steam coming out of him, it seems to definitely still use parts of Gear 2 to power the techniques. So Gear 2 as the engine, Gear 3 to boost his muscle size, allowing for compression, armament Haki to increase tension. Just a delightful combination of all of his techniques at once. And he gained geppou as a bonus! Poor Sanji, sidelined once again.

 

[Harmen]

Well I dunno about that, Luffy built this moveset training on the island, he had it in his back pocket well before he encountered Bellamy again.

It's pretty neat tho. The idea of the hardened skin making the rubber harder to compress, so when it expands back it hits that much harder. And compressing pre-attack instead of extending pre-attack, I'm surprised no one came up with that one ahead of time. It's smart, it lets him fight in much tighter quarters.

And considering the amount of steam coming out of him, it seems to definitely still use parts of Gear 2 to power the techniques. So Gear 2 as the engine, Gear 3 to boost his muscle size, allowing for compression, armament Haki to increase tension. Just a delightful combination of all of his techniques at once. And he gained geppou as a bonus! Poor Sanji, sidelined once again.

I agree with the gear second part. But gear 3 is bones, this is muscles. I am expecting combinations in future battles, but I do not think he applies 3 here. Alltough you can argue that the act of blowing air in his body itself is gear 3, but he needed haki to control it for the softer muscle rubber.

I expect Luffy to be able to find a way to use isolated gear 4 attacks and/or more applications of when he masters it. I also think it would make sense that he can take various shapes in gear 4th, since he seems to control his shape and abilities by haki and muscles.

It is cool that gear 4 is actually a combination of many predictions in a coherent form. The springs, nightmare luffy, armor haki, compressed air etc. Thank god Oda mostly does not do blatant powerlevels and usually at least ties it to an explaination.

 

[Solid Samus]

So Zoro will totaly cut the bird cage down like it's nothing. I've been saying this for months, can't wait to be proved right lol.

He's gonna damage his blades in the process which will naturally have him seeking Wano's blacksmiths

 

[RK9039]

That was awesome. RIP Doffy.

He's gonna damage his blades in the process which will naturally have him seeking Wano's blacksmiths

Damn, this sounds so plausible.

 

[Sibersk Esto]

He's gonna damage his blades in the process which will naturally have him seeking Wano's blacksmiths

yeah that would be great

 

[Tathanen]

I agree with the gear second part. But gear 3 is bones, this is muscles. I am expecting combinations in future battles, but I do not think he applies 3 here. Alltough you can argue that the act of blowing air in his body itself is gear 3, but he needed haki to control it for the softer muscle rubber.

Well, yeah. I originally wrote "Gear 3(ish)," but figured it was really the ability to blow air into parts of his body that was the crux of the gear. It's certainly being used differently, since he uses the Haki to compress the muscle inflation.

Doffy's "why isn't it getting smaller" comment at the end, do you think he expected the fist to shrink after stretching? I feel like we'll get a little bit of exposition next chapter about some of the mechanics like that.

 

[Sibersk Esto]

Interesting that Gear 4 had its own name "boundman"

 

[GaimeGuy]

So you know how 783 had luffy announce gear 4 at the end and 387 had luffy announce gear 2?


Rearrange 784 and you get 487, nightmare Luffy's first appearance.


ODAAAAAA!

 

[Harmen]

Interesting that Gear 4 had its own name "boundman"

Now that you say it. On my previous post I said I expect different forms due to the properties of this gear. This could be an indication.

 

[Sibersk Esto]

So you know how 783 had luffy announce gear 4 at the end and 387 had luffy announce gear 2?


Rearrange 784 and you get 487, nightmare Luffy's first appearance.


ODAAAAAA!

lol jeezus

 

[Lunar15]

I love it.

Not quite as shocking or radical as the first two gears, but I'm still really in love with it.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Luffy's Sage Mode powerup. He does quite literally become a frog.

Doffy doesn't really look like he's taking real damage, more like he's thinking about either how to counter Luffy's new trick or how he's going to make his getaway while he gets kicked about a bit.

 

[Nightbird]

Luffy definetly looks like Raijin in his new Form

 

[MaximumSpider]

So you know how 783 had luffy announce gear 4 at the end and 387 had luffy announce gear 2?


Rearrange 784 and you get 487, nightmare Luffy's first appearance.


ODAAAAAA!

This... has to be a coincidence...
ODDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

 

[Solid Samus]

Luffy's Sage Mode powerup. He does quite literally become a frog.

Doffy doesn't really look like he's taking real damage, more like he's thinking about either how to counter Luffy's new trick or how he's going to make his getaway while he gets kicked about a bit.

he blocked the Kong Punch but everything after that is just throwing him off totally guard and pissing him off. I'm pretty sure these attacks would have neither effect on Dofla if he wasn't taking damage from them.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Yeah the new look is evocative of old silk paintings, a style Oda's already done in a color work with luffy/zoro/nami in kimono while Luffy holds off a dragon and tiger barehanded.

he blocked the Kong Punch but everything after that is just throwing him off totally guard and pissing him off. I'm pretty sure these attacks would have neither effect on Dofla if he wasn't taking damage from them.

His reactions have also been 'him that didn't do damage because he's still rubber' not 'omgz my power does nothing this is impossible rargh.' Doffy's still thinking pretty rationally about the situation. He's always plotting, that's the kind of bad guy he is.

 

[jbug617]

So what you guys think of Luffy's last punch? He talked to his fist before it went after Doffy.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Well I've defended Oda's designs before...but not this one. The power is cool but do you think it could've been not so fucking lame looking?

I do think that there are multiple models, and that's why he said "Boundman" as a variation. Kind of like Chopper.

 

[TheGreatDirector]

Lol this is a great power-up. The design is silly yet effective just as most of Luffy's powers are. Also Law is fine now I guess, he even has his arm back.

 

[pelicansurf]

He's gonna damage his blades in the process which will naturally have him seeking Wano's blacksmiths

This would be weird considering the Mihawk flashback stating that only scrubs damage their swords, it's their honor as swordsmen, etc.

 

[Syntsui]

He's gonna damage his blades in the process which will naturally have him seeking Wano's blacksmiths

That would be stupid considering his whole flashback was about not damaging his swords ever again. Also, they are already going there, they don't need extra motivations.

Anyway, that's plausible. Let's see.

 

[Harmen]

Well, yeah. I originally wrote "Gear 3(ish)," but figured it was really the ability to blow air into parts of his body that was the crux of the gear. It's certainly being used differently, since he uses the Haki to compress the muscle inflation.

Doffy's "why isn't it getting smaller" comment at the end, do you think he expected the fist to shrink after stretching? I feel like we'll get a little bit of exposition next chapter about some of the mechanics like that.

Yeah, I am not sure about that. I interpreted that as Doffy expecting Luffy to shrink back to normal after a few moves, like he usually does with gear 3 (losing the air). But Luffy seems to be able to perfectly control the airflow in his body with the muscles and haki now.

My predictions for this fight: I think we will learn more about the full extent of gear 4's applications and limitations (obviously). I expect Doffy to have a comeback trough some neat string tricks (maybe also a specialized combat state?) when he overcomes this surprise. And as an answer to that maybe Luffy shows us another gear 4 form or technique/finisher. I think the name "boundman" is indeed a significant indication. Oh, and Zoro is going to do something badass again.

That would be stupid considering his whole flashback was about not damaging his swords ever again. Also, they are already going there, they don't need extra motivations.

Anyway, that's plausible. Let's see.

I agree. I think Zoro will probably pick up a new technique in Wano, but I think his swords (pride) will remain intact.

 

[Squishy3]

Luffy's just going to figure out how to turn his body into a giant mech by the end of the series.

It wouldn't even be out of character!

 

[Korosenai]

I'm still not exactly sure what he did. Did he blow air into his muscles?

 

[jokkir]

idk about you guys but he looks like a Pokemon. More specifically Emboar

 

[Tathanen]

I'm still not exactly sure what he did. Did he blow air into his muscles?

Yes, which alone would just make them really big and poofy, but he also used armament haki to make those same muscles very rigid, which increased the tensile strength of his rubber. By compressing those now resistant-to-flexing muscles inwards (which he can do since they're larger and full of air), he can produce an explosive expansion upon release, far stronger than usual. And it looks like he's using Gear 2 to muster the strength necessary to manage all these feats.

 

[B-Dubs]

I'm still not exactly sure what he did. Did he blow air into his muscles?

Yes. He turned himself into a cross between Emboar and a superball.

 

[Korosenai]

Yes, which alone would just make them really big and poofy, but he also used armament haki to make those same muscles very rigid, which increased the tensile strength of his rubber. By compressing those now resistant-to-flexing muscles inwards (which he can do since they're larger and full of air), he can produce an explosive expansion upon release, far stronger than usual. And it looks like he's using Gear 2 to muster the strength necessary to manage all these feats.

Yes. He turned himself into a cross between Emboar and a superball.

It was so goofy yet so awesome, good to get some clarification on what was going on.

And gear three was just him blowing air into his bones?

Also, what would the weakness of gear four be because I'm not really seeing it.

 

[Zeppu]

first i thought gear 4 looked weird but after thinking about it some more, it fits with luffy's silly attitude plus hes new moves are badass. but how does he fly? i don't get it

It's like CP9's geppo or Sanji's Blue walk. Not really fly but more like double/triple/etc jumping.

 

[Grexeno]

Can't wait for Gear 5th.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Well one thing I can say, the developers of Pirate Warriors 4 are super excited to use this as the selling point

 

[Omnistalgic]

Interesting that Gear 4 had its own name "boundman"

Yea I'm thinking he has other forms...also I'm not sure luffy actually goes in gear 2 and 3 anymore, he just uses those attacks at will.

It does fit luffy very nicely, but I kinda wanted a more badass moment. Him being able to change shape makes me excited for his future fights, as he will definitely have more awesome forms depending on the enemy.

 

[B-Dubs]

It was so goofy yet so awesome, good to get some clarification on what was going on.

And gear three was just him blowing air into his bones?

Also, what would the weakness of gear four be because I'm not really seeing it.

Yea, gear 3 was inflating his bones.

We won't know if there's a downside until the fight's over, like when he shrunk pre-timeskip when he used gear 3.

 

[MCD]

gear 4 cost = losing his sandals

 

[Omnistalgic]

Well I've defended Oda's designs before...but not this one. The power is cool but do you think it could've been not so fucking lame looking?

I do think that there are multiple models, and that's why he said "Boundman" as a variation. Kind of like Chopper.

Lol yeah its goofy looking even got a chuckle from doffy. But he named it so I'm assuming it has multiple forms. Definitely could be a more badass version, just like his he balances the compression out and he every muscle gets bulked for more speed. Right now it seems to be focused on arms and legs. He looks fat and bouncy on the body lol. Crazy ability.

 

[Sibersk Esto]

A possible drawback could be that once he deactivated armament Haki, his arms and legs loses resitance and they go slack for a time

 

[Bandini]

"Bound Man" should probably be "Bounce Man"... guess there wasn't enough room in the box for 6 letters?

 

[pelicansurf]

A possible drawback could be that once he deactivated armament Haki, his arms and legs loses resitance and they go slack for a time

This was my thought as well.

It's an all or nothing move.

 

[SalvaPot]

To me Doffy is just stalling for time trying to understand Luffy´s power and making the Bird Cage make effect. I am pretty sure Zoro is going to break the cage, but that gives Doffy the freedom to get his full power back and go full rampage mode. Remember when we thought Moria was defeated and then he comes back out of nowhere and eats all the shadows he had on the island? I am expecting something huge from Doflamingo that can rival that, since he is a puppet master.

Don´t disappoint me Oda.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

"Bound Man" should probably be "Bounce Man"... guess there wasn't enough room in the box for 6 letters?

A translators note I read said that the kanji literally converts to bounce man but for some reason the suitable translation is boundman. And it's not really a gorilla form but it seems his attacks were inspired by the giant animals on the training island. The sky walking and animal attacks are nostalgic for the cp9 fights along with it being another new gear.

 

[Harmen]

To me Doffy is just stalling for time trying to understand Luffy´s power and making the Bird Cage make effect. I am pretty sure Zoro is going to break the cage, but that gives Doffy the freedom to get his full power back and go full rampage mode. Remember when we thought Moria was defeated and then he comes back out of nowhere and eats all the shadows he had on the island? I am expecting something huge from Doflamingo that can rival that, since he is a puppet master.

Don´t disappoint me Oda.

Yeah, ever since birdcage started shrinking I have a feeling he still has an ace somewhere.

Now even if Luffy totally fails, eventually Sabo and/or Fujitora would kick his ass before the cage closing in. Since the cage is following him, Doffy's location is pretty clear. I believe Doffy (and Oda as a writer) took that in mind. Alltough I am not sure if he is aware that his crew is wrecked and mansherry is free. If that that tactic was still an option/took place, Doffy's current situation would look significantly less doomed.

 

[RagnarokX]

The gimmick of Gear 4 looks like to be, that Luffy uses Haki to temporary harden parts of his rubber body. With it he can create layers of harden rubber to power-up attacks or change directions of his moves. It's also great, that with Luffy constant bouncing, he still has a comedic element. I guess, that this is also the weak point of it. If Luffy actually gets hit, he properly has a hard time, getting back the control of his body and not bouncing around everywhere.

Gear 4 looks like a combination of a lot of thinks Luffy encounters and had an impact on him. He already used, moves based on animals ever since his time on the island. It already looked like Skull Island with all it giants animals, why not have him reference King Kong. Then we have Nightmare Luffy, which is clearly referenced, and of course Bellamy, whose main propose in the arc was properly to show Luffy's inspiration for the gear. Also Luffy looks a lot like a robot, which he finds awesome.

It's also great, that Luffy get his rubber-skin advantage back, since Haki negates itself.

That's probably the reason he learned geppo. If Luffy gets bounced he can regain control by bouncing off the air.

 

[daveo42]

That's probably the reason he learned geppo. If Luffy gets bounced he can regain control by bouncing off the air.

I think the other thing Luffy realized is that as bouncy as he is, he knows how to control the elasticity of certain parts of his body, as seen by him bouncing off the attack from DF in the issue. I'd say, just alike a lot of his new maneuvers, it puts a large amount of strain on the body.

 

[Astral]

Gear Fourth looks pretty silly but the idea behind it is pretty creative. I love the similarity to Nightmare Luffy. I'm sure that was intentional.

 

[Korosenai]

To me Doffy is just stalling for time trying to understand Luffy´s power and making the Bird Cage make effect. I am pretty sure Zoro is going to break the cage, but that gives Doffy the freedom to get his full power back and go full rampage mode. Remember when we thought Moria was defeated and then he comes back out of nowhere and eats all the shadows he had on the island? I am expecting something huge from Doflamingo that can rival that, since he is a puppet master.

Don´t disappoint me Oda.

doflamingos going to use the string from the cage and turn it into string armor, or use it to bulk up and get really big.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Luffy's just going to figure out how to turn his body into a giant mech by the end of the series.

It wouldn't even be out of character!

And then he can shoot A BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAM *_*

 

[Imperial Bishop]

Gear Fourth is fucking crazy.

The first punch that sent Doffy soaring was one for the books.

 

[B-Dubs]

And then he can shoot A BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAM *_*

 

[Imperial Bishop]

I've seen comments that there might be a different variation of Gear 4th.

First, Bound Man......and then maybe a "Slim Man" mode? That would be be badass.