Luffy continues to dominate Lucci and so do the Seraphim. However, Sentomaru is in terrible shape. After Lucci manage to avoid his defenses, and pierces his back, Sentomaru can barely stand. He’s spitting out blood as Lucci tries to finish Sentomaru and Luffy.
Luffy’s Joy Boy form has tremendous influence over his body and the surrounding environment. Unfortunately, Luffy hasn’t mastered his abilities yet. After striking Rob Lucci with a devastating Gomu Gomu no Down Whip. Luffy continues to spin, losing control and drilling himself into a self made hole in the ground. When Lucci recovers he tries to take advantage of Luffy’s absence and kill of Sentomaru. Suddenly, Luffy reemerges or at least his massive head bursts through the ground.
Luffy handles Rob Lucci
Lucci avoids Luffy’s head and uses his speed . Luffy crews pieces of the ground, spitting debris at Rob as the CP0 agent dodges. Using the debris as an distract Luffy gets behind Lucci and uses Gomu Gomu no Down Rocket to finally defeat Rob Lucci.
Elsewhere, Jinbe and Chopper rush to rescue Atlas. They arrive at the rocket to escape but Luffy was still fighting so they tried to wait. However, Luffy isn’t willing to leave Sentomaru behind. He’s told by Sentomaru to go without him and protect Dr. Vegapunk. Luffy launches himself towards the rocket with no time remaining. Unfortunately, for Sentomaru, Rob Lucci recovers from Luffy’s attack and so does his CP0 comrades. They surround Sentomaru, as the Marine collapses from his injures.
Highlights:
In One Piece Episode 1101, titled “The Strongest Form of Humanity! Vegapunk’s Seraphim Powers,” several significant events unfold:
- Vegapunk’s Revelation: The enigmatic scientist Vegapunk reveals groundbreaking information about the Seraphim, a mysterious celestial power. This revelation shakes the world and sets the stage for intense conflicts.
- Luffy’s Savage Battle: Our protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, engages in a fierce battle against a formidable opponent. His determination and newfound abilities are put to the test as he fights to protect his crew and uncover the truth behind the Seraphim.
- Escape to Labophase: The Straw Hat Pirates infiltrate Labophase, a secret research facility where Vegapunk’s experiments take place. They encounter deadly traps, unexpected allies, and mind-bending discoveries.
- Clash of Ideals: As Vegapunk’s secrets come to light, conflicting ideologies collide. The balance between science, morality, and power hangs in the balance, and the fate of the world rests on the outcome.
This fight shows just how far Luffy has come since Enies Lobby; an opponent like Lucci took everything he had just to win. Vs NOW when he……….. well, it’s clear to anyone who won this fight. It’s honestly hilarious looking at the 2 fights side-by-side, seeing the same kid who had to dig in his heels last time can take this guy in half the time with half the effort.
Gear 5th is such a Treat in animation. I saw a post that said that Gear 5th is better in the anime than in the manga- because it was MADE for Animation. It’s so “expressive” that the manga doesn’t do it justice. I kind of agree, but I like both.
The Seraphim are a unique part of the story; this late-game piece that I think might be more of a “chaos factor” than anyone is willing to give them credit for. I have this “visual” in my head of Throne War- in which the Seraphim “descend from on high” to fight against the “Demons” coming from the lower world. I think Oda wants to draw something like that painting from Batman V Superman- An army of Winged Warriors beginning a battle with the Winged Forces from below. Question is: Who are the “Angels” and who are the “Demons?” Or are BOTH just “Demons?” ‘Cause one side has Teech, Doflamingo, Crocodile, and others of that ilk- against the Celestial Dragons and Imu, who are SO NOT the “Good Guys.” Good- Evil- Guess it depends on who wins in the end…………….
One Piece has always played with our expectations regarding good or evil. Most would assume that pirates were” evil” and the government was “good.” However, each have the good and bad members. Luffy’s fifth gear was obviously inspired by American cartoons and it works we with fluid high quality animation.