One Piece episode 1,071 is more than just a transformation for Luffy

One PieceThe death of a symbolic figure is the first step. Gol Roger, the pirate king, was executed before a large audience. Some of them were young pirates either who idolized him, or saw his execution as an opportunity to gain space. Not a lot is known about the big, grinning dude — few people are aware of the details of his life, what his personality is like, or how the navy even managed to catch him. However, the message that he imparts is anything but a mystery: He has left a treasure out there, a “One Piece” that will defy your imagination. And now it’s up to you to find it.

Monkey D. Luffy has been the protagonist of many films for decades. One PieceCaptain Straw Hat of the Straw Hat team is searching for this treasure. It’s his dream to be King of the Pirates, and with his latest transformation into the outlandishly fun “Gear 5” form, he gets one step closer to that goal. It’s a long-awaited new form, the kind of thing that leads anime fans into uproarious debates and fan theories. The most notable contribution of this film is how it tells the story. One PieceEven though the series creator Eiichiro Ada appears to have plenty of story left, it’s still a full circle.

What is the main thing you need to understand about One PieceIt is important to remember that the symbolism of something may be as valuable as its actual reality. One Piece, which is only known by a few people, represents the call to adventure for many generations. The title “King of the Pirates” is less an indicator of the strongest person in the series and more so the person who serves as the aspirational emblem for their seafaring brethren. Early on in the manga’s run, a fan asked Oda why Luffy didn’t kill his opponents. His answer was that the ruination of their dream, of having their ideals stomped flat, was “as bad as death.”

All of this amounts to a series that basks in its “Romance Dawn,” the horizon of the sea being ripe for both your journeys and the wishes that lie inside your heart. And there’s no better figurehead for this thematic throughline than Luffy, a kid who shuns any typical character arc through what seems like sheer force of will. The same desires are expressed in his first episode as in the 1000th, thanks to the grandiosity of his hope and faith in his crew. He has been unmoored a few times, but a quick reminder (that he still has some pretty cool friends!) has always helped him get back on track.

Image: Toei Animation/Crunchyroll

Image: Toei Animation/Crunchyroll

Luffy is also not well-known. Before he becomes a pirate and a government official, opponents of Luffy see him as an island kid with a big mouth in jorts. As the series progresses, it becomes apparent that Luffy, just like Roger, is a powerful character and idea. His crew members — from Usopp, a natural coward that wishes to embody the bravery of a warrior, to Nico Robin, whose past traumas long rendered her as afraid to live freely — inevitably gravitate toward him. By the latest story arc, he’s made partnerships with numerous groups and countless fellow pirates, all of whom aren’t just inspired by his courage but see Luffy almost as their best self. Former enemies have been swayed to his side by the brand. Luffy’s lifestyle is something I can emulate.

Many story arcs find their climax in Luffy beating the shit out of some powerful warlord or dictator-to-be, the kind of folk that saw Roger’s aforementioned execution as an open door to their own unchecked malice. In the anime’s current storyline, the Wano Country Arc, the country is run primarily by Kaido, a vicious barbarian who simultaneously wishes to find a worthy opponent and is driven by such ego-fueled might that he has turned the island into a wasteland. As Kaido screams drunkenly, the people are starving and their rich history is destroyed.

Luffy’s big proclamation for defeating Kaido is that he wants the people of Wano to be able to eat as much as they want. The same as his other goals it is a mythological declaration. His new incarnation, a grinning, godlike man in the sky, is the reawakening of the ancient figure Joy Boy, a character whose reputation (like Roger and like Luffy) extends far beyond the details of his life that we’re aware of. Joy Boy also similarly represents a kind of freedom, with his heartbeat becoming the “drums of liberation.”

“Joy Boy” being something that’s passed down among different, impactful people in One Piece’s history means that he’s less of any one character and more of the embodiment of certain values and ambitions. The physical change that Luffy goes through when hitting Gear 5 is no accident either; he’s shrouded in clouds, almost as if he’s a heavenly figure. People can look up to him as they once looked up to the prior Joy Boy and as they once looked up to Roger on the execution platform — people now making the dreams of the world feasible.

Luffy inheriting the mantle of “Joy Boy” and serving as his second coming has a further importance that will undoubtedly be expanded on in the future of the series. (If there’s anything that you can count on in One Piece, it’s a thickening plot.) Luffy’s ascent to the top of the hierarchy is a remarkable feat. One Piece’s ever-expanding lore while also maintaining a constant, commanding presence in it also means that the narrative has come full circle. We have returned to that, well, platform, only instead of Roger passing his baton to a new era, it’s Luffy inciting the Grand Line into revolution.

Luffy, the protagonist of the series now actively promotes change and is the one who will take it to its conclusion and beyond. Straw Hats are no longer just his flag, they’re a beacon of freedom that anyone willing to chase it can follow. And the “Golden Age of Pirates” that Roger kicked off is now in the hands of Luffy, who passes on his ethos to everyone he meets. If anything, Luffy’s greatest contribution in One PieceRoger’s goal is to show that he can be a part of the change.