If you dive into anime forums, I’m sure you’ll see the theory that Luffy’s Gear 5 eyes rip off Sarada Uchiha’s Sharingan. Some fans are convinced Oda copied the Nika eye pattern straight from Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. However, these similarities stem from shared cultural history rather than artistic theft.
While the Mangekyou Sharingan relates to family trauma, Luffy’s Gear 5 is centered on liberation. The designs follow the path of convergent evolution, where different artists arrive at similar visual solutions to represent god-like power.
Real Differences: Nika vs. Saradas Sharingan
Luffy’s Nika eyes feature a ringed iris with a center that shifts into a fluid form, a rubber hose swirl. This aligns with the theme of freedom established in One Piece over the past decades. Conversely, Sarada Uchiha’s Mangekyou Sharingan is a sharp geometric pattern made of four triangular blades forming a pinwheel.
One is built on the physics of laughter; the other is built on the Uchiha tradition of the eye that reflects the heart. While casual viewers see rings, a structural analysis reveals two entirely different blueprints.
The One Piece Anime vs. Manga Discrepancy
In Episode 1153, when Emeth unbinds Joy Boy’s Haki, the animation shows six triangular points around Luffy’s iris. This specific frame fueled the plagiarism accusations and Gear 6th foreshadowing talks. However, a close reading of the manga reveals a different story.
While the Nika eyes have triangles in the anime, I could not find them in the manga chapters. An animator likely added these triangles as an easter egg. He might be a Boruto fan, or it could be a mere coincidence in animation. Since this detail does not directly come from Oda’s manga, it is probably just a split frame based on an animator’s personal preference.
One Piece: Historical Roots and the 56 Theory
Eiichiro Oda integrated sun imagery into One Piece long before Boruto commenced. The Sun Pirates’ logo, introduced during the Fisher Tiger flashbacks, served as the early blueprint for the Nika reveal. Oda even hinted at this god in the Skypiea arc back in 2002 in Chapter 253.
Despite the anime-only triangles, many lore hunters still look to Goroawase (Japanese number wordplay) for future Gears. Oda officially confirmed his use of these number games in SBS Volume 59.
- 56 (Go-Mu): Luffy’s official number motif.
- Gear 5 (Go): The current White form.
- Gear 6 (Mu): A theorized final form representing Nothingness or Completion.
Both Oda and Kishimoto (creator of Naruto) draw from traditional Japanese and Buddhist visual symbolism. Using a sun-like pattern for an awakened eye is a standard trope in Eastern iconography, not plagiarism.
Final Verdict: Luffy’s 6th Gear and Nika Eyes Theory
The resemblance between Luffy and Sarada is likely a byproduct of shared cultural history. Since the triangular spikes in Luffy’s eyes do not appear in Oda’s manga and are just a split frame of an animator’s personal preference, I do not think the triangles on his eyes foreshadow Gear 6 or a link with Sarada’s Sharingan.
Visual identity is defined by the creator’s intent. In the manga, Nika remains a unique architectural piece of Oda’s 25-year plan.
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