One Piece Makes Boxing Debut With Special Gear 5 Cameo

One Piece has taken over the anime fandom for good reason. While its manga carries on with its final act, the One Piece anime just crested the finale of its Wano saga. From its live-action success to its new ice show, the Straw Hat pirates are everywhere these days. And now, it seems Luffy just got his taste of professional boxing all thanks to a special Gear 5 cameo.

The update comes from Japan as fans tuned in for a fight featuring Tenshin Nasukawa. The boxer, who hails from the Chiba Prefecture, was seen preparing himself in his corner during the match. TV cameras caught the pro fighter as he got ready for battle, and it was there he made reference to Gear 5 Luffy.

If you’ve watched the clip in question, well – the nod is hard to miss. At the end of his close-up, Nasukawa is seen throwing his head back laughing with a hand covering his face. This pose has been all over anime in the past month thanks to Gear 5 Luffy, so fans were quick to rally behind the Straw Hat fan.

Of course, Nasukawa went on to make the Straw Hat crew proud. At 25 years old, the pro boxer and martial artist is considered one of the greatest kickboxers of the modern age. From MMA toboxing, this prodigal fighter does it all. If Luffy were to want a martial artist on his team, Nasukawa would be the blueprint given his insane talent. So of course, it is only fair for the featherweight fighter to acknowledge Luffy’s strength as well.

If you are not familiar with Gear 5 Luffy, well – you will need to catch up to the anime’s Wano saga to see it in full glory. The One Piece anime is streaming on Hulu as well as Crunchyroll. So for more info on the series, you can read its official synopsis below:

“As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer “Red-Haired” Shanks. But Luffy’s life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber…at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure…one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary “One Piece,” said to be the greatest treasure in the world…”

What do you think about this One Piece nod? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!