No other shounen anime has the silliness of One Piece. This is especially true every time Luffy transforms into Gear 5. And it is seen again in the new chapter 1119, with a fun scene in the middle of a fierce battle.
In the new chapter, the Gorosei – Five Elders have split their forces to defeat all the enemies on the island. While Nusjuro is fighting Zoro and Warcury is facing the Iron Giant (aka Emeth), Mars and Ju Peter focus on destroying the Elbaf ships.
As seen before, Luffy cannot defeat a Five Elder Star alone, even in his Gear 5 form. So, he asked for help from Sanji, Franky, and Bonney. Thanks to their combined powers, Luffy uses a new technique: Gomu Gomu no Dawn Balloon, which makes him as big as a balloon.
The Straw Hats then use all their power to blast Mars across the ocean. The manga shows this as a bolt of lightning in the sky, similar to how Pokemon's Team Rocket finds themselves flying in every episode of the anime.
As every Pokemon anime fan knows, Team Rocket takes to the skies after their plans fail. It has become a staple, familiar element of the long-running series. They are usually carried out by Pikachu (or another of Ash's Pokemon). Now in One Piece, this role is taken on by the main character Luffy.
This is obviously an unexpected reference, but it fits perfectly with One Piece's usual silliness. No matter how tense the situation is, Luffy's Nika form will always find joy and create hilarity from it.
In One Piece right now, the story developments are serious, with our heroes fighting for their lives in the upcoming chapters. So this humorous reference is just what readers need to relax.
However, we must also remember that Team Rocket always comes back no matter how many times it fails. So we can expect Mars to return to continue the fight. But now that Emeth has reawakened, things may not be so easy for the Gorosei.