One Piece: The biggest limitation of Bonney’s powers prevents her from attaining the same heights as Gear 5 Luffy

One of the biggest controversies in the One Piece series could arise in chapter 1118, set to be released on June 24, 2024, as Bonney’s powers, similar to Gear 5 Luffy, are revealed.

After being pursued by Saint Marcus, Luffy activated Gear 5 and urged Bonney to do the same. Although she had previously only partially transformed into a Nika-like form, this time she envisioned a future with Nika and fully transformed into a version similar to Gear 5 Luffy.

Despite the intense reactions from the fandom regarding a highly debated transformation that puts Nika’s form to shame, one of the Five Elders offers some insight. According to Saint Saturn, Bonney’s power to shape-shift into anything in the future is limited by the existence of that thing in the future.

This article includes the author’s opinion and may contain potential spoilers from the One Piece manga series.

Exploring the Limitations of Bonney’s Powers: A Comparison to Gear 5 Luffy in One Piece

The Gorosei as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

According to the spoilers, the latest installment of One Piece, chapter 1118, began with the Gorosei submerging the Iron Giant in the depths of the sea while he called out for JoyBoy. The story then moved to the Dressrosa Kingdom, where the townspeople talked about the termination of Vegapunk’s broadcast.

However, the Gorosei’s plans to eliminate Vegapunk Atlas and Lilith, the only remaining Vegapunk satellites, were thwarted by the timely intervention of Vegapunk York. Fortunately, Luffy and Bonney managed to escape and board the giant’s ship.

Despite their exhaustion, they were unable to take a break as Saint Marcus approached them in flight, determined to prevent anyone from escaping Egghead Island. Luffy activated Gear 5 and urged Bonney to do the same. Inspired by her father’s stories of the Sun God, Bonney transformed into a Nika form that mirrored Luffy’s, envisioning a future with Nika.

Bonney as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The One Piece fandom responded differently to Bonney’s powers, which bore a striking resemblance to Nika’s. The main point of contention among fans was that Bonney seemed to effortlessly replicate Nika’s abilities, despite Luffy having spent years honing his devil fruit powers and unlocking their full potential.

The authenticity of Bonney’s powers was brought into question, but Saint Saturn Jaygarcia, the individual who granted her devil fruit ability, held the key to revealing the true nature of her powers.

In chapter 1103, the actions of Saint Saturn caused chaos on Egghead Island after Admiral Kizaru proved ineffective against the Straw Hat Pirates. During the confrontation, Bonney was captured and she utilized her Distorted Future: A Future Like Nika ability to counter the Gorosei. Saint Saturn was taken aback by the impressive strength of her devil fruit.

Once Bonney had gained her newfound power from Saint Saturn, he divulged the details of how he had bestowed her with the abilities of a devil fruit as part of an experiment. During her infancy, a devil fruit extract was transplanted into her body. Saint Saturn then proceeded to elaborate on the functionality of Bonney’s devil fruit.

Saint Saturn explaining the working of Bonney's devil fruit (Image via Shueisha) — Saint Saturn explaining the working of Bonney’s devil fruit (Image via Shueisha)

The devil fruit enables its user to transform into their envisioned future form. However, the effectiveness of this transformation is influenced by the likelihood of it becoming a reality. This statement can be interpreted in two different ways.

Bonney’s successful Nika transformation can be attributed to her strong belief in a future with Nika, as she stood beside him (Luffy Gear 5). This belief played a pivotal role in her physical transformation, allowing her to accurately achieve the desired appearance she desired.

Monkey D Luffy (Nika) as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The duration of Bonney’s ability to use the Nika form will be determined by her strength in the future. Despite having less experience as a pirate compared to Luffy, she does not possess any Haki, or at least it has not been revealed yet.

Therefore, the initial deduction suggests that she would be less powerful than the genuine Nika (Luffy), indicating that her abilities as Nika would not only be temporary but also less potent than the true form (Gear 5 Luffy).