Eiichiro Oda's original One Piece sketch reveals why Gear 5 Luffy is always smiling

An early sketch of Gear 5 Luffy by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda reveals why the character is always smiling.

A sketch translated from Oda revealed that Luffy always smiles because “the more he smiles, the stronger he gets”. This sketch comes from the supplementary volume One Piece Road to Laugh Tale #4, released in July 2022. This volume includes several sketches and explanations surrounding Luffy and his connection with Sun God Nika, as well as the list of highest bounties in the series, with Luffy, Trafalgar Law and Eustace Kidd coming in sixth place with three billion berries.

One Piece staff revealed the English Canon name for the franchise’s currency

A One Piece expert sparked debate after confirming the standard English translation of the series’ common currency, as opposed to the official manga.

Luffy’s newest form reflects ultimate freedom, which was expressed in the iconic Gear 5 episode when he shouted, “I can do anything I want!” Oda has previously stated that he also sought the freedom to write the final story the way he wanted. When opening up about the pressure of writing One Piece, he said: “I keep worrying whether they will find this interesting or not so I am making the story more and more thrilling. And about that, I think I will fail if I’m too bold, I’m afraid someone will say to me: ‘This is boring’. But I think I’ve gotten to the point where I can do whatever I want.”

Luffy’s Gear 5 form is about freedom and testing his power

While Luffy’s Gear 5 form represents freedom in a narrative sense, another interview that recently surfaced suggests that the form exists to apply some much-needed brakes to the character. Oda reveals why Luffy is the most annoying character written and he takes steps to ensure that Luffy cannot quickly defeat the villains in front of him. The latest One Piece Chapter 1105 introduces a credible threat to the Straw Hats, which is arguably only allowed to develop to this point due to Luffy’s inability to stop being silly for a moment.

An overlooked straw hat attracts attention in the extended edit of One Piece Chapter 1105

A fan edit of Chapter 1105 of the One Piece manga depicts the often overlooked Sanji showing off his mettle against the fearsome admiral Kizaru.

Luffy’s shenanigans will continue in One Piece Chapter 1106, the official preview of which can be seen above. This chapter will release on Sunday, February 4, 2024. Oda is expected to take a week off after that. VIZ Media licenses the series in North America, where it can be read via the Shonen Jump or MANGA Plus apps.