The rain hammered against the tin roof of the small internet café in Loguetown. Inside, a boy named Kenji, no older than twelve, gripped the edges of his keyboard. His screen was split into seventeen frantic tabs. The search bar at the top read, for the hundredth time:
Outside, the rain began to slow. Kenji whispered to himself, “Worth the wait.”
The music changed. A deep, thrumming bass line replaced the frantic strings. Luffy, lying in the rubble, bit his own arm. Not his thumb—his entire forearm. Kenji’s eyes went wide.
If you're interested in rewatching this epic moment, you can find episode 726 on various streaming platforms that host the One Piece anime.
The impact shattered the sound barrier. The screen went white. The sound was not a punch—it was a king’s gunshot. Doflamingo, who had tanked everything for thirty episodes, was sent flying across Dressrosa like a comet, smashing through buildings and mountains.
Episode 726 was a visual milestone for Toei Animation. It marked the first time Luffy looked truly monstrous and "top-tier" in the New World. It changed the stakes of the series, showing that Luffy had spent his two-year timeskip training with Rayleigh to develop forms specifically designed to take down Warlord-level and Emperor-level threats. Other Versions of Gear 4
Kenji shot out of his chair. His headset flew off. “YES!” he screamed, waking the old man sleeping in the corner.
In this episode, Luffy uses Gear 4 for the first time during his fight against Doflamingo. This powerful transformation allows Luffy to greatly increase his strength and speed, making him a formidable opponent.
. One Piece Wiki +2 This transformation combines the speed of Gear 2, the bone-inflation strength of Gear 3, and advanced Armament Haki. Because Gear 4 has multiple "forms" designed for specific combat needs, its appearance and subsequent "first uses" are spread across several major battles: Crunchyroll +1 Gear 4 Transformation Guide Form Episode Debut Arc Key Opponent Primary Focus Boundman 726 Dressrosa Donquixote Doflamingo Balanced attack and defense Tankman 806 Whole Cake Island Charlotte Cracker Extreme defense and counter-attacks Snakeman 870 Whole Cake Island Charlotte Katakuri Maximum speed and unpredictable striking Key Details for Each Form Boundman (Bounce-man) : Luffy's body becomes spherical and highly elastic. He must constantly bounce to maintain balance but can "fly" by kicking the air. Tankman (Manpuku Version) : Luffy only used this version after eating a massive amount of "biscuit warriors." It allows him to absorb powerful attacks and fire them back with his stomach. Snakeman : A leaner form that doesn't balloon his body as much. It uses "Python" to change the direction of punches mid-flight, speeding up the longer the attack stretches. Crunchyroll +3 Luffy developed these techniques during his two-year training period on the island of
The Haki: He coats his torso, arms, and legs in heavy Armament Haki. However, unlike standard Haki hardening, he maintains the elasticity of his rubber.
Luffy's Gear 4 transformation is a significant moment in the series. According to the One Piece wiki and various fan sources, Luffy first uses Gear 4 in:
And for the rest of the night, the only sound in the café was the thunder of a rubber man’s heartbeat and a boy’s quiet, reverent whisper: “Gomu Gomu no… King Kong Gun.”
