One Piece is now in its final saga. Luffy is no longer an underdog. He is one of the strongest characters in the story today.
During the Wano arc, Luffy reached Yonko level. He did something no one expected. He defeated Kaido. This happened because he mastered his Haki and awakened his Devil Fruit for the first time.
Haki was important in that fight. There is no doubt about it. But Haki alone was not enough. The real turning point was Gear 5. Without Gear 5, Luffy would not have won. Even Luffy himself said this form is his peak.
Now fans are asking a big question. Can Luffy go beyond Gear 5. Can Gear 6 exist.
The answer is not simple. But yes, it is still possible.
To understand this, you need to look at how Luffy’s gears work. Gear 2 came from pumping blood faster. Gear 3 came from filling his bones with air. Gear 4 came from inflating his muscles and coating them with Haki.
All of these were just different ways of using rubber.
Gear 5 is different. It comes from Devil Fruit awakening. Kaido confirmed this. Awakened Mythical Zoan fruits give special transformations. That is what Gear 5 really is.
That is why Luffy said he reached his peak. He meant his Devil Fruit power cannot go higher than this.
But that does not mean Luffy is done growing.
He can still improve how he uses Gear 5. He can make it last longer. He can fight smarter with it. Most importantly, he can still grow his Haki.
Right now, Luffy’s Haki is strong. But it is not the strongest. His Conqueror’s Haki still has room to grow.
He was even warned about this. He was told his current strength is not enough to deal with the Holy Knights and the Elders. Their immortality is still a problem for him.
Haki only grows when the person grows. That means Luffy himself must become stronger.
The real ceiling for Luffy is Joy Boy. That was clearly shown in the Egghead arc.
If Luffy wants to defeat Imu, he must reach Joy Boy’s level. At his current strength, he has no chance.
Imu has already shown terrifying power. Even legends like Roger, Garp, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido could not hurt Imu. That shows how far above Luffy Imu still is.
But there is hope.
Joy Boy’s Haki was strong enough to overwhelm Imu. That is the level Luffy must reach.
This is where Gear 6 comes in.
Gear 6 does not need to be a brand new transformation. It does not need a new Devil Fruit power. It can simply be Gear 5 combined with far stronger Haki.
Luffy has done this kind of thing before. Gear 3 is just air in his bones. It barely sounds like a new form. Yet he named it anyway.
In the same way, Luffy can push Gear 5 further with advanced Haki and call it Gear 6 if he wants.
There may not be flashy new designs. There may not be sudden power jumps. But stronger Haki layered onto Gear 5 can still change everything.
To defeat Imu, Luffy must go beyond what he is now. Gear 5 alone is not enough.
Whether fans call it Gear 6 or not, Luffy evolving past his current limits is necessary. And in the final saga, that evolution may finally arrive.
