Warning: this article contains spoilers for the Egghead arc of One Piece.
Rob Lucci’s return against Monkey D. Luffy is nothing like their duel at Enies Lobby. On Egghead, both fighters have reached several new levels, but the gap between them quickly becomes clear when Luffy unleashes Gear 5.
What makes this clash so memorable is not merely its destructive power. Luffy fights with a constant smile, turns the setting to his advantage, and openly enjoys Lucci’s anger. Behind that apparent lightness, he also shows a very sharp understanding of his opponent.
An opening exchange that shows Rob Lucci has improved
The duel begins with a head-on collision. Luffy breaks through the ground to launch himself at Lucci, who blocks his strike. The shockwave is strong enough for the other CP0 agents to feel it: these two men are no longer the fighters they were during their first encounter.
Luffy follows up with repeated attacks, dodges Lucci’s attempts, and knocks him back several times. Yet Rob Lucci holds on. He uses CP0 techniques, takes advantage of his opponent’s movements, and even gains the upper hand in one exchange by sending Luffy into the air.
That resilience establishes one essential point: Lucci did not return to Egghead as a simple nostalgic obstacle. He has become stronger and faster, enough to hold his own briefly against Luffy and his Armament Haki.
But Luffy does not take long to remind him that their balance of power has changed radically. He briefly adopts a stance associated with Gear Second without actually using that form. The gesture works as a taunt aimed at his old rival: the memory of Enies Lobby is still there, but Luffy is now an Emperor.
Gear 5, a direct answer to Lucci’s curiosity
Rob Lucci has seen Luffy’s three-billion bounty poster, which depicts him in Gear 5. He wants to understand that transformation, and Luffy agrees to show him.
The future Emperor focuses, strikes his chest, and syncs his heart to the rhythm of the drums. His transformation comes with a display of power: the surrounding buildings are affected, steam and clouds surround him, and his hair becomes bright.
Gear 5 then confirms just how fundamentally different it is from Luffy’s other forms. It is not merely an increase in brute strength. His body, the ground, and the very logic of his movements all seem to be governed by cartoon-like energy. The floor becomes a trampoline, his movements turn absurd, and the battle takes on an unpredictable dimension.
That comedic tone does not make it any less dangerous. When Luffy stares at Lucci with a more unsettling expression, Lucci understands that tremendous power lies behind the antics. Luffy suddenly appears in front of him and sends him flying through several buildings with a devastating punch.
Gear 5 therefore makes Luffy extraordinarily difficult to read. He can laugh, bounce, and warp his surroundings before striking with a violence that leaves Lucci amid the rubble.
Awakened Rob Lucci: a more dangerous leopard, but too impulsive
After enduring this first display, Rob Lucci activates the awakening of his Leopard-model Zoan Devil Fruit. This evolution greatly increases his abilities and sets him far apart from the Lucci Luffy faced at Enies Lobby.
Lucci himself insists on the point: Luffy is not the only one who has improved. His speed, strength, and aggression even impress the Straw Hats. In particular, he uses Moonwalk to move through the air and attempts to attack from multiple angles.
His problem, however, is as much mental as physical. Lucci retains his predator’s instincts, but also an anger that makes him predictable. He struggles to remain calm, ignores Kaku’s warning about authorization to attack, and gradually lets himself get trapped in the rhythm imposed by Luffy.
Luffy identifies that weakness very quickly. The more he mocks Lucci, the angrier Lucci becomes. Luffy avoids his blows by warping his body, even slaps his own backside to provoke him, and keeps the smile that makes every failure still more humiliating for the CP0 agent.
The contrast is complete: Lucci fights seriously, angrily, and methodically, while Luffy turns the confrontation into a game. Yet Gear 5 is the one controlling both the space and pace of the duel.
Cartoon-like powers used as real weapons
Luffy does not simply evade attacks. He uses everything around him. When he launches his mole-inspired attack, he drives his fist into the ground to make it emerge somewhere else and surprise Lucci. The name is comedic, but the impact is not: Lucci ends up with white eyes and a bloodied neck.
The leopard answers with a CP0 technique, Tempest Kick, which launches a whirlwind resembling a blade. Luffy dodges it, allowing the attack to destroy the building behind him.
At another point, Luffy uses a tree as a spring. His elastic body coils around the scenery before launching forward at full speed. The result is a headbutt that sends Lucci into a tower.
This creativity is a reminder that Luffy’s strength does not rest solely on his Devil Fruit. His fighting instinct allows him to improvise with the elements at hand and turn every detail of the terrain into an opportunity to attack. For a broader look at the mechanics of this universe, see our guide to the main anime power systems, including the role of Devil Fruits and Haki in combat.
Sentomaru: the moment Luffy stops playing
The fight takes on a new dimension with Sentomaru’s arrival. His rank in the Seraphim command hierarchy is above Lucci’s. These beings, created through genetic modifications and notably connected to the Lunarians, are a major issue on Egghead. This subject echoes the variety of peoples and beings covered in our guide to One Piece races, tribes, and created beings.
Lucci understands that he cannot gain control of the Seraphim as long as Sentomaru remains conscious. He therefore chooses to attack him from behind. This act reveals the difference in priorities between the two fighters: Luffy is having fun with Lucci, but Lucci is willing to strike an ally to change the balance of power.
From that moment on, Luffy can no longer be satisfied with ridiculing his opponent. He realizes that Lucci can threaten those close to him and must be stopped quickly. Even though Sentomaru remains alive and conscious, Lucci continues trying to finish him off.
Luffy intervenes several times at spectacular speed. He knocks Lucci back with a kick, but his limited control over some Gear 5 movements also becomes apparent: after the attack, he spins like a top and burrows into the ground.
This limitation matters. Luffy controls his transformation well enough to activate it and use its abilities, but he does not yet seem to have perfect command over all the power and properties it grants him. His excessive force or loss of balance could prove costly against a more formidable enemy.
The giant head and the Rocket: Lucci’s final humiliation
As Lucci believes he can use Luffy’s absence to reach Sentomaru, Gear 5 answers with an absurd yet terrifying sight: a giant head emerges from the ground to block his path. The predator, usually ready to pounce on his prey, is forced to run away.
Luffy then spits out rocks like cannonballs. The goal is not merely to hit Lucci, but to make him lose patience. The plan works: exasperated, Lucci stops to destroy the projectiles.
That is exactly what Luffy was waiting for. He positions himself behind Lucci, grabs a pipe, makes it elastic, and launches himself at him as if using ropes. With his goggles on, he unleashes the Haki-enhanced Gomu Gomu no Rocket.
This attack echoes their old confrontation, but the message is clear: there is no real rematch. Lucci has evolved, his Zoan is awakened, and his speed remains impressive. However, Luffy has moved to a higher level. He is no longer the pirate who had to give everything to defeat the CP9 agent; he is now an Emperor capable of dominating his former rival while playing with him.
FAQ
Why does Luffy mock Rob Lucci so much?
Luffy understands that Lucci loses patience easily. By multiplying provocations and unpredictable movements, he pushes him into acting out of anger, which creates openings for his own attacks.
Has Rob Lucci become stronger since Enies Lobby?
Yes. He initially withstands Luffy’s attacks, uses CP0 techniques, and reveals the awakening of his Leopard-model Devil Fruit. He is therefore far more powerful than he was during their first battle.
Does Luffy fully master Gear 5 on Egghead?
Luffy masters the transformation well enough to activate it and use its powers. However, some moments show that he still struggles to regulate his strength and can lose control of his movements after overly powerful attacks.
