IMDb officially announced that One Piece’s 1100th episode, “Powers on a Different Level! Luffy vs. Lucci!” is the show’s highest-rated episode to date. This is no surprise, as Toei Animation entered the Spring of 2024 with a loud punch! This studio highlighted Luffy’s most powerful form – Gear 5.
Fans first saw the Gear 5 form in One Piece Film: Red. The anime reintroduced this power in episodes 1071 and 1072 but it wasn’t until episode 1100 that we saw its full glory. Fans went insane for this particular episode. Video reactions and Reddit discussions are still going off left and right. But what exactly made One Piece 1100 so legendary?
Luffy vs. Lucci: The Legendary Brawl
Those following this saga know that this fight between Monkey D. Luffy and Rob Lucci is not their first encounter but their second one. In this episode, Lucci learned of Luffy’s whereabouts. Despite some well-meaning advice from his CP0 pals, he just couldn’t resist the call of adventure (or maybe just a good brawl). He set sail for Egghead, itching for a rematch with Luffy, and it’s safe to say that he got what he wanted.
Fans following along might remember getting a sneak peek of Luffy’s Gear 5 in the One Piece Film: Red. But episodes 1071 and 1072 are where this powerful form truly took center stage. Gear 5 not only gives Luffy insane strength and endurance but also lets him bounce back from attacks that would knock anyone else out cold. Plus, thanks to the Hito Hito no Mi fruit, Luffy’s body becomes even more bendy and stretchy, leading to some pretty wacky transformations during battles.
And get this: Eiichiro Oda, the mastermind behind One Piece, drew inspiration from classic American cartoons like Tom & Jerry to give Gear 5 its fun, playful vibe. “I drew this because I wanted to have fun,” Oda once said about Luffy’s awesome new form.
How Did the Fans React to One Piece 1100?
Many fans have been highly anticipating this episode since Eiichiro Oda took a hiatus prompted by the sudden death of Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball. Oda stated that he doesn’t have an illness but wants to take a break for self-maintenance due to his high blood pressure. But for this episode, Oda returned, and he definitely did not disappoint. Oda said this fight between Luffy and Lucci is a high priority, and this episode showed why.
Fans across generations flooded social media platforms with cheers. The internet exploded with YouTube reaction videos after the Luffy vs. Lucci episode! Especially Luffy’s terrifying punch on Lucci had fans freaking out.
One Reddit user wrote, “When the camera pans to Lucci, and the music cuts out, and then all you see is Luffy just slowly coming in for that punch *chef’s kiss* perfection!” Another wrote, “This episode is exactly why I watch the anime. I read the manga to stay ahead in the story, but the anime is really what makes One Piece shine.”
With over a thousand episodes and countless battles, keeping fans engaged is a daunting task. But if any anime can pull it off…it’s One Piece. Eiichiro Oda and Toei Animation did an excellent job of showing One Piece 1100’s full glory. It is safe to say that the fandom won’t forget this episode for a long time.