The One Piece narrative has changed significantly ever since Luffy’s hidden abilities were revealed. These hidden abilities, also known as Gear 5 or the Nika transformation, have helped Luffy survive the toughest of battles involving opponents like Kaido and the Five Elders and even win them at the very last moment.
While this newfound power is interesting for Luffy, it might have taken away one major aspect of One Piece that helped the series build such a big fanbase. This aspect was Luffy’s control over his own fate. Luffy was different from other Shonen protagonists because he did not carry the chosen trope that worked like a plot armor for the main characters.
However, ever since the narrative of Nika and its involvement with Luffy has been introduced in the One Piece story, it has made Luffy look just like other protagonists. Thus, Eiichiro Oda needs to change this as soon as possible; otherwise, Luffy will suffer the same fate as Naruto did in his story.
Luffy’s Achievements Before The Nika Transformation
When Luffy was introduced in One Piece, he only had the Devil Fruit powers of rubber, which many believed would not have taken him far. However, the protagonist proved everyone wrong as he worked hard and fought his way to become one of the most prominent pirates in the One Piece world.
Even his power upgrades like Gear 2 and Gear 3 were the result of his own unique thinking and his ability to not give up in the face of danger. He made sure that every form of recognition and fame that he earned was because of his own struggles and not because someone gave it to him.
Even when he lost to Kizaru during the Sabaody Archipelago arc, he admitted his defeat and went on a two-year time skip to get stronger and learn more about his powers. Thus, he came back stronger and once again continued his journey to earn fame, recognition, and the title of Pirate King on his own accord.
Eiichiro Oda Has To Bring Back The Old Luffy
Luffy’s fate changed when he went to Wano and challenged Emperor Kaido. He tried his hardest and used almost every trick in his book, but he could not defeat the Strongest Creature in the World. This was the time when Eiichiro Oda introduced the Nika transformation and not only saved Luffy but also gave him the power to defeat Kaido.
However, many fans did not agree with this narrative as this power was not earned by Luffy like in the past and added the chosen trope in his role as a protagonist of One Piece.
From here on, every feat that Luffy achieved was a part of this chosen trope, just like Masashi Kishimoto did with Naruto and his Sage of Six Paths mode.
These aspects rob the protagonists of the hard work that they did at the beginning of the series and make the story predictable. Thus, Oda needs to introduce a big change to this aspect and bring back the old Luffy if he wants to end One Piece with the same hype that fans had for it in the beginning.
As of 18th August 2024, you can watch One Piece on Crunchyroll.
