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My Hero Academia is a series where even the strongest Quirks have weaknesses, and Gearshift is no exception.
Manga readers already know that Gearshift is the last supplementary Quirk that Deku uses in the story. It once belonged to the unnamed second user of the OFA Quirk. This ability alters the speed at which targets accelerate.
The power of Gearshift is on full display in My Hero Academia Chapter 368. In conjunction with the OFA Quirk, Deku is able to lay a devastating beating on Shigaraki, mainly through a combination of strength and speed. However, there is a huge drawback that needs to be considered.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views. It also contains major spoilers from the manga.
Despite its strengths, Gearshift suffers from a critical weakness in My Hero Academia
It can only be used for about five minutes
There is a reason why Deku hasn't used Gearshift until near the end of the final war. It's basically a last resort in My Hero Academia. The second OFA user told the young hero not to activate this ability until he got to Shigaraki in the final war. In this instance, he only has five minutes to save the world.
Remember, at the start of the war, Deku was accidentally warped to Okuto Island rather than the floating U.A. fortress that Shigaraki was sent to. He wanted to use Gearshift to make himself go faster, but the second user warned him that it wouldn't be a wise decision.
When dealing with a global threat like Shigaraki, time is a precious commodity. Deku finally activated Gearshift when he confronted the villain face-to-face. He quickly used it to overwhelm him, landing several blows that broke the sound barrier.
Why is there a hard time limit? (speculation)
The My Hero Academia manga is yet to explain what really happens when those five minutes are up. At this very moment, the perspective has shifted away toward other battles. However, based on the context of the second user's conversation with Deku, it's clear that Gearshift will completely exhaust him.
This powerful ability defies the very rules of physics. It doesn't care for the law of inertia. This is best seen in My Hero Academia Chapter 369, when Deku is able to hit Shigaraki with five Detroit Smashes, all within rapid succession. Such a powerful technique wouldn't be possible under normal circumstances.
Deku is definitely pushing his body way past its limits, especially since he can use the OFA Quirk at 120% now. Realistically, it should take a major toll on the young hero.
Deku will likely be incapacitated after his time limit runs out. If that wasn't the case, he wouldn't be saving Gearshift for last.
It will be interesting to see what happens next
Kohei Horikoshi is raising the stakes with the five-minute time limit in My Hero Academia. If Shigaraki were to survive the onslaught by then, readers would have to wonder if Deku could even defend himself. He could only hope for the return of Bakugo by that point.
My Hero Academia is yet to confirm the recovery period for Gearshift. Of course, it won't be fast enough to survive a powerful threat like Shigaraki. Deku has to make sure to finish the job as soon as possible.
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