Luffy’s Gears are some of the most powerful techniques in One Piece. He developed them during the timeskip to enhance his Devil Fruit abilities. But there has been a debate among fans whether Luffy’s Gears utilize Haki or not. In this article, we will analyze Luffy’s Gears and see if there is any evidence of Haki usage.
What are Luffy’s Gears?
Luffy developed his Gears during the two-year timeskip while training with Silvers Rayleigh. Here is a quick overview of Luffy’s Gears:
Gear Second
Luffy pumps his blood rapidly with his legs to accelerate his blood flow. This enhances his speed and the power of his attacks.
Gear Third
Luffy bites his thumb joint and blows air into his bones, inflating his limbs. This increases the mass and power behind his attacks.
Gear Fourth
Luffy coats his arm in Busoshoku Haki and bites into his forearm. This allows him to inflate his muscles and gives him increased power and speed.
So Gears Second and Third rely solely on Luffy’s Devil Fruit, but Gear Fourth clearly uses Haki. The debate is around whether Gears Second and Third also utilize Haki in some way.
Does Gear Second Use Haki?
Gear Second works by speeding up Luffy’s blood flow. This allows him to move at incredible speeds and attack rapidly. There are a few hints that Haki may play a role:
Steam
When Luffy activates Gear Second, his body emits steam. This could be related to Haki emission and exertion. We’ve seen Haki users like Rayleigh emit Haki as a black flame or steam.
Tekkai Resistance
Luffy was able to break through Blueno’s Tekkai technique in Gear Second. Tekkai is a Rokushiki technique that hardens the user’s body like iron through physical conditioning. But Luffy’s attacks overpowered it, implying he was using Haki to bypass its defenses.
Excess Stamina Use
Gear Second also seems to sap Luffy’s stamina quickly. This rapid exhaustion could be caused by excessive Haki usage on top of the heightened blood flow.
Overall, there are hints that Luffy may be utilizing Haki in some way for Gear Second to enhance his attacks. But there is no definitive proof.
Does Gear Third Use Haki?
For Gear Third, Luffy inflates his bones with air to increase the mass and power. There is less evidence that this Gear uses Haki:
No Haki Black Hardening
When Luffy uses Haki on his limbs, they turn black and shiny. But his inflated limbs in Gear Third do not change color or show any signs of Haki hardening.
Produces Air, Not Haki Steam
When Luffy inflates his bones, they emit regular air or steam from his mouth. This is different than the steam produced in Gear Second which could be Haki exertion.
No Apparent Haki Boost
Gear Third seems to rely solely on the increased mass and air pressure rather than any Haki enhancement. Luffy never mentions imbuing it with Haki or it allowing him to bypass defenses.
Based on this, Gear Third appears to purely augment Luffy’s Devil Fruit without using Haki.
Examples of Gears vs Haki
Here are some examples that highlight the differences between Luffy’s Gears and clear Haki usage:
| Scenario | Gears | Haki |
|---|---|---|
| Hardening/Color | No change | Black and shiny |
| Steam | From Gear Second only | Haki exertion |
| Bypasses Defenses | No clear examples | Yes, ignores Devil Fruits |
| Stamina Use | High from Gear Second | High from emission |
This helps demonstrate that while the Gears may have some links to Haki, they do not utilize it in the same clear way that Luffy’s confirmed Haki techniques do.
Conclusion
In summary, while Gear Second has some hints of possibly utilizing Haki to enhance Luffy’s speed and power, there is no conclusive proof that his Gears directly use Haki. The leading theory is that Gear Second purely augments his Devil Fruit like Gear Third, but has side effects like Haki overuse that drain his stamina. Gear Fourth is the only confirmed Gear where Luffy consciously imbues his limbs with Haki.
So while an interesting debate, the evidence suggests Luffy’s Gears are not direct applications of Haki. Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions!