The One Piece suggest that this long-standing debate may finally be settled.

Indeed, despite the presence of reality-warping sorcerers, superheroes capable of one-punch knockouts, and planet-smashing Saiyans, the unassuming boy from Foosha Village who dreamed of becoming the Pirate King has quietly evolved into a formidable force. Indeed, the rubber-bodied captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy, has become so dominant that a growing number of manga and anime fans now consider him Shōnen Jump's strongest hero.

The Evolution Of Luffy's Power Upgrades

The Road From Rubber Boy To Sun God

Perhaps no top-level Shōnen Jump hero has come as far as Monkey D. Luffy. Born without any inherent special abilities, his only advantages were the survival skills and toughness instilled in him through the harsh training of his grandfather, Monkey D. Garp. Everything changed, however, when Luffy ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi (Gum-Gum) Devil Fruit during Shanks' visit to his village. The fruit granted Luffy his iconic rubber-like powers. When combined with the skills he learned from his grandfather, these abilities —such as the Gum-Gum Pistol— transformed him into a formidable, albeit initially basic, brawler.

As Luffy's mastery of the Gum-Gum Fruit grew over time, he figured out a way to tap deeper into its abilities. This resulted in the creation of Gear 2, a form that dramatically enhanced his speed, movement, and power. Building upon this, he further developed Gear 3, which, while reducing his speed and mobility, granted him extraordinary strength by enabling him to inflate any part of his body to gigantic proportions.

After two years of training and mastering the ability to unlock and utilize Haki, Luffy achieved a fusion of his Haki abilities and long-standing rubber-based powers. This transformation, called Gear 4, allows him to create incredibly powerful and resilient elastic forms, such as Tankman and Snakeman.

While the upgrades Luffy was able to add up until this point made him a formidable opponent, they did not necessarily place him among Shōnen Jump's elite heroes. That distinction came when he awakened the innate powers of the Gum-Gum Fruit during his battle with Kaidou. Known as Gear 5, or the "Pinnacle of Freedom," this transformation granted Luffy god-like abilities, including extreme elasticity, immense strength, and the power to alter his surroundings. Even with these skills, the true extent of Gear 5’s potential seems only to be limited by Luffy’s inexperience in wielding it.

One Piece's Luffy Against The Shōnen Jump World

How Does Luffy Compare To Other Shōnen Jump Legends?

With Gear 5 amplifying Luffy’s powers to absurd levels —and with no apparent limit to how much his abilities can grow— he has become the true "gorilla" among Shōnen Jump’s mightiest heroes. Even so, the key question remains: could he still stand against Shōnen Jump’s absolute best? Considering what was revealed in his fight with Kaidou and his actions since the "Wano Country Arc", the real question is how other heroes could possibly defend themselves from defeat at Luffy’s hands.

Beyond the more obvious aspects of Gear 5, such as extreme resilience, increased physical strength, and the freedom to fight without constraints, lies the ability it grants Luffy to manipulate or alter his surroundings and himself in ways that defy conventional physics. Notably, this power allows Luffy to transform anything he touches —whether objects or people— into rubber, enabling him to manipulate them as he desires. As shown in his fight with Kaidou, the combination of Gear 5 with Luffy's laid-back demeanor led to a situation resembling a scene from an animated show, where everyone becomes exaggerated versions of themselves.

When deployed against Shōnen Jump's top-tier heroes – Son Goku, Naruto Uzumaki, Satoru Gojo, and Saitama – this ability poses significant challenges that may be insurmountable. Consider the implications: Saitama's legendary one-punch becomes ineffective if it lands with the force of a wet noodle. Goku's Ultra Instinct is severely diminished if he loses control over his body. Similarly, even the most formidable attacks are neutralized if Luffy can transform his surroundings into a rubberized protective barrier.

The Case For Luffy As The Strongest Shōnen Jump Hero

Oda’s Return to Comedic and Outlandish Lands Luffy Among the Greatest

Luffy’s journey from a kid with "pie in the sky" dreams to a capable pirate leader to a near-unstoppable force has redefined what it means to be a hero in the Shōnen Jump universe. With each battle, he’s proven not just his physical might but also his creativity, battlefield genius, unwavering spirit, and the ability to make fights feel like anything is possible — all qualities that suggest Luffy might just be in a league of his own.

As One Piece continues to unfold, Gear 5 has undeniably changed the game. It has transformed battles into wild, physics-defying spectacles that shatter the rules of traditional power scaling, muddying the question of who stands as the strongest Shōnen Jump hero. At this point, it’s hard to argue that Luffy isn’t —or won’t soon become— the strongest. Only time will tell, but for now, Luffy’s name resonates powerfully, not just within One Piece, but across every corner of the Shōnen Jump universe.