Gear 4th

Ned_Gutters

Since the "reveal" in 783, some people have been sharing ideas about what gear 4th could be. That info is scattered across the chapter discussion, so I thought I'd start a more focused discussion here.

We've had gear 4th discussions before, but 783 gives us a new context to speculate from. Here are some things that we know about the situation that MAY be relevant to gear 4th:
(1) Gear 2nd is too weak ("It's like you're trying to tickle me!" -Doflamingo)
(2) Gear 3rd is too slow; Doflamingo can easily dodge and counterattack.
(3) Gear 2nd works on Luffy's blood
(4) Gear 3rd works on Luffy's bones

From these bits of information, it has been speculated that:
(1) Gear 4th has to be strong and fast in order to be effective against Doflamingo
(2) Gear 4th may work on Luffy's muscles

Either, neither, or both of those might be the case.

Concerning (1), the extent to which Luffy becomes fast and strong is up for debate - will it be as strong as 3 and fast as 2? Stronger than 3? Faster than 2? Or will it be stronger than 2 and weaker than 3, but faster than 3 and slower than 2 - a kind of moderate position between the gears?

Personally, I think that would be the most interesting option, as it wouldn't let him automatically stomp Doflamingo.

I've seen a lot of people talk about "compression" of Luffy's rubber body, or perhaps gear 4th making Luffy "unstable," and I even saw a fantastic four reference. Would anyone care to explain how that might work?

Besides the things suggested here, what do you think gear 4th will be, and how do you think it will work?

Psycrow

If Microsoft named Luffy's gears, they'd call the fourth one Gear 5 (skipping 4 all together), or else "Gear One".
Anyway, my posts stated my thoughts that the most useful one would make him able to have complete control over his body, down to the millimeter, i.e. he could make his hand go flat and use Haki to make it a blade, or get all spiky, etc.
The coolest look for this form would be making him so covered in Haki it could be known as "Shadow Luffy", and his eyes glowing white just for the typical cool-but-nonsensical Batman style eyes.

Lazy_Monkey

Chibi Luffy for gead 4!!!

baby-boo

If this topic would've been made a few months ago, sure, but in two weeks we'll know, and it's already been discussed to death in Chapter 783. In fact, the chapter discussion has gone back to Fujitora, as they always inevietably do.

HTC

Personally, i don't think gear 4 has anything to do with giant limbs (like gear 3). The reason for this lies with how Luffy tried to destroy the Noah super-sized ship back @ fishman island: he said we was trying his all to stop Noah, so we can infer that that's Luffy's strongest super-sized continuous attack.

I think Grizzly Magnum attack is stronger as well as the attack that gave Chinjao his pointy head back but since these aren't continuous, they weren't enough for destroying Noah. Gear 4 will be stronger than gear 2 or 3 but, without the size of gear 3, it's attacks would be useless VS Noah.

Ned_Gutters

@baby-boo:

If this topic would've been made a few months ago, sure, but in two weeks we'll know, and it's already been discussed to death in Chapter 783. In fact, the chapter discussion has gone back to Fujitora, as they always inevietably do.

True, but it's a pain to try to see the big picture by rifling through 30 or so pages of comments.

On the other hand, I did read some new takes on Fujitora in that thread. Not entirely sure why in that thread, but decent new takes on it in any case.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

@HTC:

Personally, i don't think gear 4 has anything to do with giant limbs (like gear 3). The reason for this lies with how Luffy tried to destroy the Noah super-sized ship back @ fishman island: he said we was trying his all to stop Noah, so we can infer that that's Luffy's strongest super-sized continuous attack.

I think Grizzly Magnum attack is stronger as well as the attack that gave Chinjao his pointy head back but since these aren't continuous, they weren't enough for destroying Noah. Gear 4 will be stronger than gear 2 or 3 but, without the size of gear 3, it's attacks would be useless VS Noah.

I saw one person ask "Why didn't Luffy use gear 4 against Noah?" and I didn't quite understand the question. You've phrased it quite nicely!

The question then is this: Did Luffy use gear 3 on Noah rather than 4 because gear 4 doesn't involve large limbs, or was it really a matter of strength? I'm not sure we can know that just yet. In any case, the size point is a good one that I hadn't considered.

pRopaaNS

Makes sense. I just wonder how he's going to gain more muscle mass. At least something that makes some level of sense.

I wonder although if Luffy will be able to use Gear 2 and Gear 3 freely while using Gear 4 state. Gear 2 and gear 3 don't sync well, which might not be the case for Gear 4.
Another thing I wonder about is what risks Gear 4 will carry.

Anyway I don't want to speculate about it too much, I just want to set some expectations for myself before I see the real thing.

Ping

@Lazy_Monkey:

Chibi Luffy for gead 4!!!

Omg you just say exactly what I'm thinking. :ninja:
Gear 4 is gonna chibi Luffy with Gear 2nd and CoA all over his body. :ninja:
Extremely fast and explosion in every f*cking attack. :ninja:
Take that, Doula. :ninja:

Bond en Avant

I personally think Gear 4 is going to be vulcanisation. Using the heat generated from Gear 2, Luffy can cause his entire body to harden and turn black, also giving his body the texture of hard rubber. He loses the ability to stretch, but in return, his speed and hardened body give him increased power and durability. It might even make him resistant to slashing attacks.
Reinforced with haki, it's possible Luffy could tear the birdcage apart.
The biggest drawback would probably be something like after using it, he won't be able to stretch for a while. Could justify why he doesn't use it more often.
The keyword will be Vulcan, and his attacks won't be named after firearms, to highlight his loss of range. I would love for his first attack to be named Vulcan Hammer.

Master Killer

I don´t know what it can be, but it has to be some asspull. Luffy needs some crazy power up, to face all those OP enemies in the NW.

It has to be something that anulates Doflas DF. Beside some ultra speed and power, nothing else comes to my mind.

Maybe he ate another DF, but it´s very unlikely.

pRopaaNS

I just don't understand why do people want Gear 4 to be full armament haki. Haki is not a gear.

MasterKingJC

I don't understand why a few want G4 Luffy to be covered in CoA when there are already characters who can already do that.

The Gears are techniques that only Luffy could use. Full body CoA defeats the entire purpose.

@pRopaaNS:

I just don't understand why do people want Gear 4 to be full armament haki. Haki is not a gear.

Great minds think alike.

kcity

@Bond:

I personally think Gear 4 is going to be vulcanisation. Using the heat generated from Gear 2, Luffy can cause his entire body to harden and turn black, also giving his body the texture of hard rubber. He loses the ability to stretch, but in return, his speed and hardened body give him increased power and durability. It might even make him resistant to slashing attacks.
Reinforced with haki, it's possible Luffy could tear the birdcage apart.
The biggest drawback would probably be something like after using it, he won't be able to stretch for a while. Could justify why he doesn't use it more often.
The keyword will be Vulcan, and his attacks won't be named after firearms, to highlight his loss of range. I would love for his first attack to be named Vulcan Hammer.

I hope it'll be something like this, just not that he can tear the birdcage apart. I'd like to see Vulcan Punch, in the spirit of Falcon Punch.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

@pRopaaNS:

I just don't understand why do people want Gear 4 to be full armament haki. Haki is not a gear.

What's weird is that people expect full body haki punches to be different than punches with just the fist coated in haki. That just doesn't make any sense.

Master Killer

@Bond:

I personally think Gear 4 is going to be vulcanisation. Using the heat generated from Gear 2, Luffy can cause his entire body to harden and turn black, also giving his body the texture of hard rubber. He loses the ability to stretch, but in return, his speed and hardened body give him increased power and durability. It might even make him resistant to slashing attacks.
Reinforced with haki, it's possible Luffy could tear the birdcage apart.
The biggest drawback would probably be something like after using it, he won't be able to stretch for a while. Could justify why he doesn't use it more often.
The keyword will be Vulcan, and his attacks won't be named after firearms, to highlight his loss of range. I would love for his first attack to be named Vulcan Hammer.

Interesting theory. If that´s true, the fight with Akainu will be very vulcanic xD

Namiorbust

If Luffy becomes a chibi as one of his techniques, I think Oda will save it for Gear R(everse).

CrazyMerlyn

@Master:

I don´t know what it can be, but it has to be some asspull. Luffy needs some crazy power up, to face all those OP enemies in the NW. It has to be something that anulates Doflas DF. Beside some ultra speed and power, nothing else comes to my mind. Maybe he ate another DF, but it´s very unlikely.

Do you by any chance, consider the Gear 2 and 3 to be ass-pull?

pRopaaNS

@kcity:

What's weird is that people expect full body haki punches to be different than punches with just the fist coated in haki. That just doesn't make any sense.

Yeah. I think that full body's haki is overrated. It's a defensive technique which leaves no openings where to attack when entire body is covered by haki.
Anyway I don't see why Luffy wouldn't be able to perform full body haki. It's just that his mastery of haki isn't at level to make it efficient. There is no point in using it if he have to spend a lot of his focus on just maintaining it.

Anyway, how long have that vulcanizing theory been around? Anyway I'm skeptical about it for obvious reason… The essence of the technique is burning yourself to crisp. It just doesn't make sense to me. It's like saying that a normal person can become a coal man by setting himself on fire.

MasterKingJC

@Master:

I don´t know what it can be, but it has to be some asspull. Luffy needs some crazy power up, to face all those OP enemies in the NW.

Saving your unknown trump card for a worthy opponent is considered an ass-pull now?

NER

The term asspull is thrown around aimlessly almost as much as the term plot hole.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

Also, gear four will be something that Haki might be able to enhance but not something that needs Haki to work.

--- Update From New Post Merge ---

When I first read one piece, I had no clue what the gears would be like. Like.. It was 100% a surprise. And that's the way I want it to be with gear 4. I think Doffy's word are just a way to make us speculate something related to muscles when the actual power up is something so out of the blue.

kcity

@pRopaaNS:

Yeah. I think that full body's haki is overrated. It's a defensive technique which leaves no openings where to attack when entire body is covered by haki.
Anyway I don't see why Luffy wouldn't be able to perform full body haki. It's just that his mastery of haki isn't at level to make it efficient. There is no point in using it if he have to spend a lot of his focus on just maintaining it.

Anyway, how long have that vulcanizing theory been around? Anyway I'm skeptical about it for obvious reason… The essence of the technique is burning yourself to crisp. It just doesn't make sense to me. It's like saying that a normal person can become a coal man by setting himself on fire.

It's been around for years, since it's a common real world usage of making tires etc. Luffy already pretty much emits fire with his hawk attacks, using that fire on himself wouldn't be that much of a stretch (no pun intended) in the One Piece world imo. If anything it would make for a fitting drawback, together with losing some elasticity. Not saying that it's gonna be vulcanization, but it doesn't seem too far fetched in my opinion.

When I see Luffy with his forearm raised, it seems more like he wants to bite his own veins or something

MasterKingJC

@NER:

The term asspull is thrown around aimlessly almost as much as the term plot hole.

Fodder seems to be the new buzzword for this forum.

Master Killer

@CrazyMerlyn:

Do you by any chance, consider the Gear 2 and 3 to be ass-pull?

Absolutely not. I´m just saying that I will be OK, if Gear 4 is something a little bit ilogical. But knowing Oda that won´t happen xD

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

@MasterKingJC:

Saving your unknown trump card for a worthy opponent is considered an ass-pull now?

You got me absolutely wrong. I´m just saying that Luffy´s enemies are too OP especially Blackbeard, so I won´t mind if Oda gives Luffy some crazy power up.

Ned_Gutters

@Bond:

I personally think Gear 4 is going to be vulcanisation. Using the heat generated from Gear 2, Luffy can cause his entire body to harden and turn black, also giving his body the texture of hard rubber. He loses the ability to stretch, but in return, his speed and hardened body give him increased power and durability. It might even make him resistant to slashing attacks.
Reinforced with haki, it's possible Luffy could tear the birdcage apart.
The biggest drawback would probably be something like after using it, he won't be able to stretch for a while. Could justify why he doesn't use it more often.
The keyword will be Vulcan, and his attacks won't be named after firearms, to highlight his loss of range. I would love for his first attack to be named Vulcan Hammer.

You made that sound AWESOME. I think it will be something along those lines, though I can't phrase it as well. I'm not sold on vulcanization being the method, though - maybe it will be! - but I think it will be some sort of compression (which vulcanization, I believe, entails), such that he will lose some elasticity but be able to move and attack explosively. And, like the vulcanization idea (these are very similar anyway), I would think he might gain some piercing/slashing resistance, and bullets and punches might bounce off of him (rather than punches connecting, and bullets impacting, stretching him, and then firing back out).

That'd be cool.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

@Master:

Absolutely not. I´m just saying that I will be OK, if Gear 4 is something a .little bit ilogical. But knowing Oda that won´t happen xD

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

You got me absolutely wrong. I´m just saying that Luffy´s enemies are too OP especially Blackbeard, so I won´t mind if Oda gives Luffy some crazy power up.

Personally, I always want it to make some sense, but then again I have a loose idea of what makes sense. Most things can be explained if you try really hard, and since we have no determinate idea of how the metaphysics and science of the OP world work (we do have bits and pieces, some explicit but most through speculation or at best induction), we can really mess around with posits all day.

For instance, even Law's DF makes sense - even in view of seeming contradictions - if you construe it correctly.

So, yeah, I want it to make sense, but I'm okay with it being pretty far out there at the same time.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

@Ping:

http://i.imgur.com/cIFThUe.jpg

This is my favorite thing.

sabinis

@Ping:

Omg you just say exactly what I'm thinking. :ninja:
Gear 4 is gonna chibi Luffy with Gear 2nd and CoA all over his body. :ninja:
Extremely fast and explosion in every f*cking attack. :ninja:
Take that, Doula. :ninja:

http://i.imgur.com/cIFThUe.jpg

This is pretty boss

Imagine Luffy going chibi when he meets Rob Lucci next time and then Lucci geats beaten to a pulp If it wouldnt be so funny visually I would say its possible

I dont expect we will be as suprised as we were with gear second or third this time but who knows.

I guess Luffy will blow air into himself as he does with gear third but with his muscles he will force himself to stay normal size, relaxing some muscles - partially growing in size in parts of his body like fists just before he lands an attack. Or something completely different like Luffy becomming a dial of sorts so enemy attacks power gets right back at them as in Tekkai Utsuigi and we can go on like that for a long time..

O baba

could be something crazy, like blowing his eyes giant

eliman12

Lets focus and try to put here some good theories!!!

O baba

well luffy enflated his belly, feet , harm, hands but never his head I believe, it's about time, maybe he wil became very smart

.Nonsh.

I like the vulcanization idea: Hard body so the attacks are more powerful and has an increased defense, but he loses his stretching ability (or part of it) and the inmunity to blunt attacks.

@Bond:

I personally think Gear 4 is going to be vulcanisation. Using the heat generated from Gear 2, Luffy can cause his entire body to harden and turn black, also giving his body the texture of hard rubber. He loses the ability to stretch, but in return, his speed and hardened body give him increased power and durability. It might even make him resistant to slashing attacks.
Reinforced with haki, it's possible Luffy could tear the birdcage apart.
The biggest drawback would probably be something like after using it, he won't be able to stretch for a while. Could justify why he doesn't use it more often.
The keyword will be Vulcan, and his attacks won't be named after firearms, to highlight his loss of range. I would love for his first attack to be named Vulcan Hammer.

That's a great idea. Especially now that Gear 3 has lost the Chibi-Luffy drawback.

Lazy_Monkey

@Ping:

Omg you just say exactly what I'm thinking. :ninja:
Gear 4 is gonna chibi Luffy with Gear 2nd and CoA all over his body. :ninja:
Extremely fast and explosion in every f*cking attack. :ninja:
Take that, Doula. :ninja:

[qimg]http://i.imgur.com/cIFThUe.jpg[/qimg]

That's exactly what I had in mind!!

Hanz

Meh… with all those gears i feel like One Piece is turning into DBZ. anyways, i think it's gonna be a full body red-hawk with flames coming from all over his body.

Lazy_Monkey

@superv:

Meh… with all those gears i feel like One Piece is turning into DBZ. anyways, i think it's gonna be a full body red-hawk with flames coming from all over his body.

You mean Sanji??

Hanz

yeah but a little more serious.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

and it makes sense for it to be a full body red-hawk because the only hit that seemed to damage dofa was red-hawk.

Lazy_Monkey

@superv:

yeah but a little more serious.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

and it makes sense for it to be a full body red-hawk because the only hit that seemed to damage dofa was red-hawk.

So, Doflamingo can only get damage by fire attacks, does that make him grass or ice type?

Master Killer

Maybe Luffy will be able somehow to create some kind of shockwaves. Similar to Kuma´s or Shinra Tensei.

Mr. Luffy

Luffy making himself chibi (perhaps by sucking out the excess "air" as opposed to blowing it in) could be be somewhat acceptable. I could also buy that in this form he can be even faster than in Gear 2nd, though I doubt he'd be stronger than his usual self. He'd just be able to get more hits in. And when he reaches his limit he'll snap back into normal-size.

What I definitely won't accept is willful body morphing. That far removes him from being a rubber-man, which Oda up until now has had been careful with. If he can force his body into some sort of weird shape, it has to snap back into it's normal shape shortly thereafter.

Whackadoodle

A possibility that occurred to me - I think I saw a post about it, as well, but I'm not 100% sure where - is that Luffy will use something like gear third, but instead of inflating himself, use the air pressure as the working medium in a piston, and use that to create more explosively powerful stretching attacks with less windup.

RamistaR

Luffy uses Burn Bazooka, please!

Monquito

Would be fun if Luffy got the idea from Hodi's steroids.

Gain muscle thru bitting this tiny protein I saved inside my skin all along muaahahahaha.

.

Srlsy, people still believe G4 will be BH related, Vergo, Pica and arguable Sai already made it mainstream, G4 needs to be a hipster move.

O baba

@superv:

Meh… with all those gears i feel like One Piece is turning into DBZ. anyways, i think it's gonna be a full body red-hawk with flames coming from all over his body.

yeah, if gear 4th is juste more speed and more power you are right… but if Oda pulls something very original (wich I hope) than is all good and not so db // combination 2 and 3 would be crappy // vulcanisation too // super rubber god as well

Shobu Yoruichi

Vulcanization? Oh please, stop thinking fire is a way to be strong. What Luffy needs is strenght plus speed; something big to shatter the Birdcage, something fast to overcome Doflamingo's dodging skills and something strong to knock him out… even more powerful than something to destroy internal organs.

Become a giant is my option.

NER

These two weeks are going to be so tough..

RamistaR

Luffy will use his arms as haki imbued whips (with fire?)
Of course he will only use Square Square Triangle all the way to Raftel.

Sarrik

@NER:

These two weeks are going to be so tough..

That's what drugs are there for.

choperman

I know no one wants to hear it but is there a chance this has anything to do with the will of D, we know cause of chapter 771 that ellizabello's king punch is a family heirloom that gets passed down each generation (probably a blood trait having to do with his family), any chance that the will of D. (since it's a clan) has it's own heirloom, like some sort of devastating transformation which is why they get called devils??? something maybe Roger tapped into to become more powerful???

just a thought

anyways it really is the perfect time for a transformation since he never has had any sort of real trouble that's pushed him to his limits, that he'd be willing to bring out some sort of all or nothing move like this until now

(and we can get a Rayleigh flashback explanation on it and maybe even show it give rayleigh some trouble)

G8trH8tr

@Sarrik:

That's what drugs are there for.

mmmhmmmm. $M0K3 W33|)

King Cannon

@Shobu:

Become a giant is my option.

That would make Gear 3 irrelevant, so no.

MasterKingJC

@choperman:

I know no one wants to hear it but is there a chance this has anything to do with the will of D, we know cause of chapter 771 that ellizabello's king punch is a family heirloom that gets passed down each generation (probably a blood trait having to do with his family), any chance that the will of D. (since it's a clan) has it's own heirloom, like some sort of devastating transformation which is why they get called devils??? something maybe Roger tapped into to become more powerful???

just a thought

anyways it really is the perfect time for a transformation since he never has had any sort of real trouble that's pushed him to his limits, that he'd be willing to bring out some sort of all or nothing move like this until now

(and we can get a Rayleigh flashback explanation on it and maybe even show it give rayleigh some trouble)

No thanks. I could do without any hidden bloodline transformations in One Piece.

choperman

@MasterKingJC:

No thanks. I could do without any hidden bloodline transformations in One Piece.

It's already technically happened with Ellizabello why wouldn't it eventually happen with the D clan???

everyone's just afraid of another dragon ball Z/ naruto where nothing but your blood line matters, even though Oda has shown repeatedly that that won't happen with characters who could match up with Roger and give him a struggle

RamistaR

Yohohohoho!
Gear Fourth: Luffy stretches his arms all the way to the former royal plateau. Then he uses Gomu Gomu no Tag to throw Zoro at Doffy.

MasterKingJC

@choperman:

It's already technically happened with Ellizabello why wouldn't it eventually happen with the D clan???
everyone's just afraid of another dragon ball Z/ naruto where nothing but your blood line matters, even though Oda has shown repeatedly that that won't happen with characters who could match up with Roger and give him a struggle

Because Elizabello's bloodline, for the moment, is completely irrelevant to the story at the moment and has no connection to the clan of D as of right now.

Because a bloodline transformation amongst the Ds would have been hinted at with other D's that have been introduced.

And because it's really silly to me.