In fact, Luffy won’t be the strongest until he addresses the biggest weakness he has, which has been directly confirmed by Oda himself. Accordingly to the narrative set up by Oda himself, Luffy’s biggest weakness at the moment is his stamina. It goes without saying that Luffy is strong and that he can rival anyone in the world of One Piece, but what he truly lacks is enough stamina. Luffy can’t maintain his powers for long, nor can he use Haki all the time. This weakness of his must be addressed in Elbaf.
Oda Has Already Shown Luffy’s Stamina Is His Biggest Weakness
He’s strong, but he’s using too much Haki! — Law on seeing Gear 4
Oda confirmed this many times, first through Gear 4. Whenever Luffy used Gear 4, he had a time limit, and this is essentially because Luffy’s mass of Haki increased when using this form. By pushing out Haki of the highest mass, Luffy’s Stamina drained quite quickly and this became a big drawback.
Now, Luffy has access to Gear 5, and this issue still exists. Gear 5 is a transformation that stems from his Devil Fruit Awakening and while the power itself is great, the fact is that it takes a toll on his stamina and even ages him rapidly once he’s done using it.
Luffy Can’t Maintain His Gear 5 For Long
A power with a time limit! That’s interesting. How long can you maintain it for? — Charlotte Katakuri to Luffy
Luffy Will Overcome His Stamina Weakness In The Final Saga
Luffy’s biggest weakness at the moment has been highlighted by Oda time and again. If he is to fight in high-level battles against the likes of Imu, Shanks, or Blackbeard, then he must improve his stamina drastically. Luffy’s already great stamina must be taken to the next level.
When he learns how to do that, only then will he truly be able to bring out his best. To put that into perspective, once Luffy improves his stamina, he can bring out Haki with extremely high mass, and couple it with Gear 5, which gives him a massive boost. Using these powers together means that Luffy can break through any barrier, and at the same time, still maintain the ability to fight.


