Luffy’s Gear 5 has made its grand entrance in the Wano saga, and while it is undeniably powerful, there could be a few drawbacks.

1. One Piece: Discover the Possible
Drawbacks of Luffy’s Gear 5
Luffy’s Gear 5 has made its grand entrance in the Wano saga, and while it is
undeniably powerful, there could be a few drawbacks.
With Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece arriving at its eventual climax, fans are curious to see
how the story will unfold in its final saga. Luffy has already astounded viewers with
his ‘Gear 5’ transformation for a second time during the Egghead Island arc after
having vanquished Kaido in Wano.
Despite Gear Five’s immense capabilities, with the Hito Hito No Mi viewed by some
as likely being the most formidable fruit in the series, questions remain. It is expected
that using this form will come at a price since previous forms had consequences for
Luffy; and now given its incredible strength, it may be more damaging than ever
before.

2. Let’s take a detailed look at the potential downsides of
Luffy Gear 5.
1. Reduced Lifespan
All Gears that Luffy has adopted until now, such as Gear Second and Gear Fourth,
have a downside of decreasing his life expectancy over time. As these forms put
immense pressure on the body, he only utilized them when facing enemies who were
particularly strong. During his ultimate tussle with Kaido, there is an instance in
which it looks like Luffy is exhausted from energy depletion and appears to age
quickly while reverting back to normal form.
2. Disease
Gol D. Roger, famously known as the ‘Pirate King’, met his end at the hands of
executioners after he voluntarily surrendered himself to them. It was later revealed
that this action transpired because Roger knew about a terminal illness which would
eventually lead to his demise. As it is now evident, since Roger did not have any
Devil Fruit powers, his affliction must have been an unrelated condition; however,
given how similar Luffy and Roger are in many ways, one can only guess if the same
fate awaits the protagonist too.
Although it is unlikely that the ‘one to surpass the Roger Pirates’ will face a different
outcome than expected, Oda’s crafty use of foreshadowing and parallels often
suggest more importance than initially perceived. Thus, one cannot rule out Luffy
being affected by his Devil Fruit permanently; as strange this may seem at first
glance.

3. 3. Shorter Endurance In Gears
During his battle with Kaido, Luffy had reached the limits of his endurance as
accurately noted by Kaido himself. This was to be expected after their prolonged
fight and his earlier clash with Ulti before they made it to the roof. Even while using
Gear Fourth, he still found it difficult to maintain stamina and couldn’t use Haki for
ten minutes once powering down. But this is clearly not an issue anymore when
using Gear Five; Luffy could immediately recharge upon becoming exhausted.
4. Physical Strain In Normal Form
As we reach the exciting final saga of Luffy’s journey, it is important to consider how
physicality may become a factor in Luffy’s future. Though he is currently at peak
condition, time skips ahead could cause strain on his older body if the ending of this
story shows us more mature Straw Hats like so many fans are hoping for. That being
said, even with age catching up to him, there is no doubt that Luffy will take whatever
comes his way.
5. Altered Physical Appearance
With Gear Five, Luffy is able to battle without restraint – as displayed in his fights
with Kaido and Rob Lucci. Consequently, he can sustain lethal strikes that ultimately
manifest themselves on the surface of his body; usually taking the shape of a
weapon or reflecting the way it was dealt out.