One Piece: Why It's Important Luffy Has Become So Buff

Monkey D. Luffy is one of the biggest heroes in anime history, and he has the resume to prove it. The pirate has taken down dozens of high-profile baddies during his run with One Piece, and he leads an impressive crew of renowned pirates. When it comes to power, Luffy is right up there with the likes of Naruto, and he's done so while keeping a rather lanky frame. But thanks to his recent stint in prison, Luffy has buffed up in a big way.

And why should you care? Well, the move wasn't done just to impress fangirls. Creator Eiichiro Oda is happy to give Luffy the occasional redesign, but Luffy needed to bulk up on Wano. There is no way he is going to defeat Kaido without doing so, and that is because Luffy needs more strength to break out of jail.

Recently, One Piece returned to TV following a hiatus, and episode 930 followed Luffy as he took out a prison guard. The foolish move saved an old man's life, but he's now the top target for every guard out there. The gang is determined to kill the Straw Hat which should be easy since his Devil Fruit powers are restrained at the moment... but that is not the case. After all, Luffy has been working out, and his muscular frame is more than capable of fighting head-on.

Yes, Luffy has always been able to fight with hand-to-hand combat, but he has always been able to source extra strength from his Devil Fruit. The elasticity of his body provides an insane resistance that packs a punch. With his powers being sealed, Luffy needed to find a way to make up for that added 'oomph', and he did so by toning his muscles. So when the Beasts Pirates come for him, they better be ready to fight for real. Luffy may not be able to counter SMILE powers very well right now, but he'll blacken an eye the second he's got the chance!

Do you think this plan will work for Luffy? Or will he end up getting his cuffs offs somehow? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!