Luffy first uses Gear 2 (Gear Second) in Episode 272 of the One Piece anime, titled “Luffy Is in Sight! Gather at the Courthouse Plaza!” during his fight against Blueno in Enies Lobby.

Quick Scoop

Here’s the key info about what episode does Luffy use Gear 2 :

  • Episode number: 272.
  • Arc: Enies Lobby (Water 7/Enies Lobby saga).
  • Episode title: “Luffy Is in Sight! Gather at the Courthouse Plaza.”
  • Opponent: Blueno of CP9.
  • What happens: Luffy unveils Gear 2 for the first time, pumping his blood faster to massively boost his speed and power, making his body emit steam.

Why this moment is such a big deal

  • It’s Luffy’s first major power-up that feels like the series’ version of a “transformation,” changing how his fights look from then on.
  • Gear 2 is inspired by what he saw from CP9’s speed techniques (like Soru), and he develops it to protect his crew better.
  • From this point forward, Gear 2 shows up again and again, especially in high-stakes battles, and later he learns to use it in shorter, controlled bursts after the timeskip.

Extra tidbit for context

If you keep watching past that:

  • Gear 2’s flashy, named attacks (like his upgraded punches and kicks) get showcased more fully in Episode 273 and onwards , as the Blueno fight continues and Luffy starts styling with the new form.

TL;DR: If you’re queueing up One Piece just to watch that first Gear 2 moment, jump to Episode 272 —that’s where Luffy goes steaming red and kicks off one of his most iconic power-ups.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.