It’s SO CLOSE. The moment is finally here when Luffy begins his long-awaited transformation into Gear Five. There is so much hype for this single episode from production art to trailers. It’s honestly hard to believe it’s finally here, but today the drums of liberation began to sound again as Zunesha welcomed Joyboy back!
CP0 vs. Kaido
The folks in CIpher Pol 0 really weren’t the brightest of the bunch the World Government has access to. Look, everyone gets that he had his orders to kill Luffy. Just saying, there were definitely ways to do it without dying in the process. The stupid guy jumped on Luffy’s back right as he was going for the big final hit. Kaido knocked Luffy so hard he starts melting for crying out loud! He even knows he’s cheated out of a win before he makes contact, so he’s mad as hell about it.
The absolute beatdown Kaido puts on this CP0 agent is hilarious. The guy never stands a chance, and despite his attempt at standing up to an Emperor, all he got was a blast into the air without a second to think. Truly the definition of f*ck around and find out.
Believe in Luffy!
When it comes to a crew that will cheer their captain on no matter what happens, Luffy has the best. Yamamoto and Momonosuke are also still holding out hope that Luffy will come through. Momo’s flashbacks of all their time together really encapsulate their journey. Luffy has always looked after his team. He definitely won’t let a cheap shot by CP0 end his greatest fight ever.
The real MVP of Luffy’s cheer squad is Nami, though. She’s been with him almost as long as Zoro, and he’s seen her through more times than anyone else. Nami knows that if Luffy makes a promise, he intends to keep it no matter what it takes. Even if it means coming back from the dead to do it. Nami’s voice actress absolutely killed it in these scenes too!
Zunesha’s Excitement
The great elephant that carries the nation of Zou on his back has come to the shores of Wano. While he’s there due to the decisive battle he sensed going on, he also asks Momonosuke if it’s time to open Wano’s borders. Nobody knows for sure how the borders of Wano will open. It likely involves releasing the water stuck in the valleys of the country, destroying the massive waterfalls around the border. Definitely something Zunesha could kickstart.
Something that’s better in animation than when reading the manga though, is Zunesha’s excitement about Joyboy’s return. He flaps his trunk and gives a small shout in giddy anticipation as the drums of liberation beat. Now, for the first time in eight hundred years Joyboy lives again
The Drums of Liberation
While they’re the Drums of Liberation for Zunesha, it’s really just Luffy’s heartbeat from his true Devil Fruit. It doesn’t sound much like just drums either, but more like an entire party going on. That’s more than fitting for the moniker of Joyboy. The transformation has begun as Luffy melts down, transforming into his final, true Devil Fruit Awakening.
Gear Five has been teased for months now, so finally getting to see it is going to be a huge deal. The studio has been endlessly teasing all those involved with the high quality animation. Small voice clips of Luffy moving into his peak form show the absolute joy of the moment. There’s something so infectiously joyful about Luffy spring back from a defeat, as Joyboy did in the Void Century.
Now it’s just a matter of time. One week of time, to be exact, as One Piece Episode 1071 will be available as soon as it drops in Japan on Crunchyroll in the United States. Be warned, the streaming service may get overloaded thanks to an event as big as this, since it’s been twenty-six years in the making. So, check out the new episode next Sunday and come back here to read the review we’ll put out as soon as it drops!
