Monkey D. Luffy

When Eiichiro Oda created Luffy, he strove for a "manliness" similar to that of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball series.[1] Oda said that he named his main character "Luffy" because he felt that the name suited him. When he later learned about the sailing term, "luffing", he was delighted by the coincidence.[2] In his prototype one-shots, "Romance Dawn", Oda refined the artistic style and story elements before publishing the final product a year later as the first chapter of One Piece. In the second version of "Romance Dawn", Luffy resembled his design at the beginning of the series.[3] To please his readers, Oda added rubberization to Luffy for comic effect[2] and tries to make the character straightforward.[4]

In the original Japanese version of the One Piece anime series and later spin-offs of the franchise, Luffy was voiced by Mayumi Tanaka.[5] Tanaka said jokingly that she regrets providing Luffy's voice because she is a mother in real life and Luffy is much younger.[6] Asked about her voicing, Tanaka said that she "strives for reality" in scenes where Luffy speaks when he is eating or touching his nose.[7] In the OVA Defeat the Pirate Ganzack!, Luffy was voiced by Urara Takano.[8]

The character is voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard in Funimation's English-language dubs of the One Piece franchise.[9]

Luffy is portrayed as a carefree, happy-go-lucky character with great ambition and a huge appetite, often thinking with his stomach and comically gorging himself. Optimistic[14] and generally good-hearted, he is not as dimwitted as many believe him to be and often demonstrates more understanding than the other characters expect. Knowing the danger ahead, Luffy is willing to risk his life to become King of the Pirates and protect his crew. A capable and reliable captain, he never puts his crew or himself at risk out of incompetence. During the Loguetown story arc, Smoker (a navy captain at the time) says that Luffy "enjoys playing stupid"; Luffy responds with a mysterious smile.

He enlists Chopper and Brook for his crew not just for their personality or appearance, but also because of his instinctive ability to read people. Luffy needs key jobs filled by his crew (cook, navigator, medic, musician, and quartermaster, filled by Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Brook and Franky respectively). At the beginning of the series, he said that he wanted at least 10 crew members with abilities he felt necessary for his goal. Despite his carefree personality, each crew member respects him in their own way.[15][16] Luffy is rarely concerned about the consequences of his actions, doing what he feels in the moment even if it leads to retaliation by a powerful force.[17] He is an extremely loyal captain, who has demonstrated throughout the series that he is willing to risk his life for the well-being of his crew.[18]

Luffy's rubberiness is a result of eating a Devil Fruit called the Gomu Gomu no Mi,[n 3][19] which makes him immune to electric attacks and most blunt forces also gives him the ability to stretch his body at will. He uses his elasticity to accelerate part or all of his body to deliver punches, kicks, head butts, and body checks or for propulsion. Like others exposed to Devil Fruit, Luffy cannot swim; when he is submerged in water or contacts the Sea-Prism Stone, he loses his strength and cannot move on his own. In addition to his Devil Fruit powers, he has immense strength, durability, speed, reflexes, agility, endurance and stamina.

Luffy's signature attack is the Gum-Gum Pistol, a punch which he learned during years of training. Another technique developed later in the series is Second Gear (ギア2 (セカンド), Gia Sekando), increasing his strength and speed for a short time but straining his body. Observing CP9's Shave (剃, Soru) technique, Luffy adapted the move to his rubber body and matched the assassins' speed. Third Gear (ギア3 (サード), Gia Sādo), another technique, uses air in his bones to attack but makes him shrink afterward.[20] Luffy can use both techniques simultaneously; after two years, he has gained better control of the techniques and is no longer affected by their drawbacks.

Eventually, Luffy develops his latent ability to use Haki (覇気, ambition). This ability has two main types: Armament Haki (武装色の覇気, Busōshoku no Haki), an armor-like force which can amplify defense and the force of attacks and negate a Devil Fruit user's defense, allow physical contact and damage, and Observation Haki (見聞色の覇気, Kenbunshoku no Haki), a sixth sense which can read a person's moves and detect their presence. He also has a rare third type, the Conquering King's Haki (覇王色の覇気, Haōshoku no Haki), which can render people or animals near him unconscious.[21] Two years later, Luffy learns the basic three types of Haki and uses them with his improved attacks. As a result of his encounter with Magellan, he has also developed an immunity to poison (although it is shown that a strong poison may affect him, albeit very slowly). During his fight against Charlotte Katakuri, Luffy's Observation Haki gains the ability to see several seconds into the future.[22] During his time at Udon prison in Wano, Luffy's Armament Haki gains the ability to shoot a short blast of Haki from a distance which can also go inside his target's body or objects and destroy it from within.[23]

Luffy develops another technique, Fourth Gear (ギア4 (フォース), Gia Fōsu) (similar to Third Gear), inflating his muscles to increase the size of his limbs (except for his legs). He can make destructive moves by compressing and releasing his limbs, and can fly in a similar fashion to CP9's Moon Walk (月歩, Geppō) technique.[24]

Luffy's first bounty is 30,000,000 Berries, which he receives after defeating Buggy, Don Krieg and Arlong of east blue. His second Bounty is significantly higher, clocking in at a stunning 100,000,000 Berries, after defeating Crocodile of the Shichibukai (Seven Warlords of the Sea). Luffy receives his third bounty of 300,000,000 Berries, after rampaging the Enies Lobby and retaking Nico Robin. His subsequent Bounty of 400,000,000 Berries, is mainly given to him because of defeating another Shichibukai, Gecko Moria. After the Timeskip Luffy grows more powerful and receives a Bounty of 500,000,000 Berries, after defeating a third Shichibukai, Donquixote Doflamingo. His current Bounty of 1,500,000,000 Berries is the seventh-highest known Bounty in the One Piece world and was given to him after defeating Charlotte Cracker and Charlotte Katakuri of the Big Mom Pirates.

Luffy first appears as a young boy in Windmill Village, who befriends the pirate "Red-Haired" Shanks and intends to become one himself. He accidentally eats the Gum-Gum fruit and acquires rubber powers at the cost of being able to swim. Luffy is later saved at sea by Shanks from being devoured by a Sea King, a large sea beast, and Shanks loses an arm. Ten years later, Luffy leaves the village in search of the One Piece treasure and to become King of the Pirates. He meets swordsman Roronoa Zoro, ocean navigator and thief Nami, cowardly marksman and liar Usopp, and chivalrous chef Sanji, and invites them to join his crew. Luffy also encounters and defeats the East Blue pirate Buggy the Clown and the Fishman Arlong, becoming known to the general populace and the pirate-hating Marines, such as Captain Smoker, his arch-rival in the Navy. The crew leaves the peaceful East Blue and enters the dangerous Grand Line on their ship the Going Merry. He later accepts an offer to return Princess Nefertari Vivi of Alabasta to her homeland to stop a rebellion incited by Seven Warlords of the Sea member and Baroque Works crime-syndicate leader Sir Crocodile. On the way, Nami nearly dies of an illness, and the crew goes to the winter Drum Island, which was recently devastated by the Blackbeard Pirates. After Nami is healed, the reindeer doctor Tony Tony Chopper joins the Straw Hat crew. Upon arriving in Alabasta, Luffy briefly reunites with his brother Portgas D. Ace, a commander in the Whitebeard Pirates who is hunting his former subordinate Blackbeard. After defeating Crocodile, the World Government hides the fact that pirates saved the kingdom. Luffy accepts the mysterious Crocodile subordinate Nico Robin, as the archeologist of his crew. Robin's knowledge comes in handy as the crew ventures towards an island in the sky. Though the existence of Sky Islands is widely ridiculed, Luffy meets the pirate Blackbeard — but does not find out his name. Blackbeard encourages Luffy that Sky Islands do exist and dreams of pirates never die.

While visiting Skypiea, the crew is drawn into a four-hundred-year war over land. Luffy ends the war by defeating the god Eneru. Upon landing back in the Blue Seas, the Merry is heavily damaged and Luffy seeks a shipwright to repair it. He meets Admiral Aokiji, who easily defeats him. Luffy learns about Robin's background and faces enemies connected to her on Water 7, the island with the best shipwrights in the world. Luffy's crew aligns with the cyborg shipwright Franky, initially an enemy, against the World Government intelligence agency Cipher Pol No. 9. Luffy and his crew save Robin and Franky from the government at Enies Lobby. After their fight with CP9, Luffy encounters his grandfather, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp. Garp tells him Shanks and Whitebeard are two of the Four Emperors, the most powerful pirates in the second half of the Grand Line. Luffy is surprised to learn from Garp that the leader of the Revolutionary Army which seeks to topple the World Government is Monkey D. Dragon, Luffy's father. On the way to Fishman Island in their new ship the Thousand Sunny which Franky built, Luffy encounters the skeletal musician Brook. Brook accepts Luffy's offer to join the crew before declining since his shadow has been stolen. To return Brook's shadow, they defeat Warlord Gecko Moria, and Brook becomes Luffy's long-sought musician of the crew. To enter Fishman Island, the crew takes a detour to the Sabaody Archipelago. Roger Pirates' First Mate Silvers Rayleigh is enlisted to coat the Thousand Sunny to enter ocean depths under the Red Line which marks the beginning of the second half of the Grand Line, known as the New World. By this time Luffy has gained worldwide fame as a notorious rookie with bounties over 100 million; these rookies are known as Supernovas and include Zoro, Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kidd, and Capone "Gang" Bege. Yet Luffy, Zoro and rest of the Straw Hat Pirates are easily defeated by Admiral Kizaru after Luffy punches a World Noble, and Warlord Bartholomew Kuma sends the Straw Hat crew to separate parts of the world.

Stranded on Amazon Lily, an island ruled by the warlord Boa Hancock, Luffy impresses Hancock with his bravery and selflessness. Hancock falls in love with Luffy and brings him to the underground Impel Down prison to save his brother Ace, from execution after Ace was defeated by Blackbeard. Luffy breaks into the prison and meets previous foes and new allies, such as former Warlords Crocodile and Arlong's old captain Jimbei. Along with Buggy and members of the Revolutionary Army, Luffy frees the prisoners but Ace is transferred to Marineford for his execution. Luffy and Buggy lead the prisoners into the war in Marineford between the navy and Whitebeard's forces. Ace gives his life to save Luffy from Admiral Akainu. A broken Luffy is evacuated with Jimbei from Marineford by Trafalgar Law. Returning to Amazon Lily, Luffy remembers first meeting Ace; after Shanks left Windmill Village, Luffy's grandfather Garp left him in the care of his friend the bandit Curly Dadan. Luffy befriends Ace and Sabo, who are like brothers to him, but Sabo is seemingly killed by a World Noble. After returning to Marineford to send a hidden message to his crew, Luffy trains with Rayleigh on Ruskaina Island to become stronger.

Two years later the Straw Hats reunite and finally make it to Fishman Island. Luffy and the others meet Jimbei and the island's princess, Shirahoshi, and are drawn into a battle for the island against the Fishman supremacist Hody Jones. He, the crew and Jimbei conceive of a plan to defeat Hody and his henchmen in a way that will alleviate racial tensions. After Hody's defeat, Jimbei promises to join the crew at a later date and Fishman Island seeks to join the Reverie summit of human kings held every four years. Luffy learns Akainu was promoted to Fleet Admiral and Blackbeard replaced Whitebeard as one of the Four Emperors. Luffy begins a feud with the Emperor Big Mom over control of Fishman Island. The crew leaves the ocean depths and enters the secret New World island Punk Hazard. Half of the crew is captured by Caesar Clown, a jealous rival of the scientist Vegapunk and a subordinate of the Warlord and underworld broker Donquixote Doflamingo. Luffy and his crew ally with Trafalgar Law, now a Warlord, who plans to kidnap Caesar as part of a plan to take down the Emperor Kaido. Samurai from the Wano Country, Kinemon and Momonosuke join the alliance to venture to Dressrosa, the kingdom ruled by Doflamingo. With Caesar hostage, the alliance lands on Dressrosa, where Luffy enters a tournament to win Ace's Devil Fruit. Here he finds out that Sabo is still alive and a Revolutionary, and with Luffy's blessing Sabo consumes Ace's Devil Fruit. Due to the machinations of Doflamingo, some of the crew is forced to leave for Zou. Luffy and the rest of the crew are forced to fight for their lives when they stumble on the truth of Doflamingo's operations, who attempts to kill everyone in Dressrosa to keep the truth of his rule hidden. With the aid of his fellow competitors in the tournament, Luffy defeats Doflamingo. In the aftermath, seven pirate crews pledge their loyalty to Luffy, despite his protests, marking the formation of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

Afterward, the remaining crew and their friends are transported by their new subordinates to Zou and learn it was devastated by the forces of Emperor Kaido. Luffy also learns that Sanji, who was part of the group that heads to Zou first had been blackmailed into an arranged marriage by his family to the daughter of Emperor Big Mom. The crew learns from the Mink Tribe about the Road Poneglyphs and their connection to the final island Laugh Tale, where the One Piece is. An alliance between the Samurai, Mink, Straw Hats and Law is made to defeat Kaido, who is revealed to rule over Wano via a puppet Shogun. But first, Luffy and half the crew, along with the Mink warriors Pedro and Carrot infiltrate Big Mom's territory Tottoland both to retrieve Sanji and copy the writing on the Road Poneglyph Big Mom has in her possession. Luffy and Sanji learn the wedding is a set-up to murder Sanji's family for their advanced technology, while Brook steals a printing of the Road Poneglyph. Big Mom's subordinates Jimbei and Bege betray her and with Luffy and Sanji enact a failed assassination attempt on Big Mom at the wedding, in front of the press. Jimbei joins the crew but is temporarily left behind as the rest of the crew barely escapes from Big Mom's territory. Luffy defeats two of Big Mom's three generals and is proclaimed by the press as the Fifth Emperor of the sea as his bounty skyrockets. This makes Luffy a hot topic at the Reverie, a global summit of 50 kings in Mary Geoise, the capital of the World Government above the Red Line. Most view him as a dangerous madman, but the kings of Sakura, Alabasta, Fishman Island, Dressrosa, and Prodence, secretly favor Luffy since he saved them from tyranny. Meanwhile, Luffy and the others are separated entering the Wano Country. Luffy reunites with Zoro before meeting with the rest of the crew and alliance. Luffy challenges the Emperor Kaido but is defeated and thrown in prison alongside fellow Supernova Eustass Kidd.

Luffy has appeared in every One Piece licensed electronic video game to date, including Jump Super Stars and Jump Ultimate Stars, and is featured in the 2006 Dragon Ball Z-One Piece-Naruto crossover game Battle Stadium D.O.N. Luffy, Son Goku and Naruto Uzumaki were avatars in the MMORPG Second Life for a Jump Festa promotion, "Jumpland@Second Life".[25] Luffy has also been mentioned in songs. He sings about being a wanted pirate in "Wanted!"[26] and about One Piece in "Every-One Peace!"[27] Luffy is a major playable character in the crossover game, J-Stars Victory VS.[28]

The character has made guest appearances in Japanese television shows and manga. Luffy and several other characters joined the cast of Dragon Ball in a spinoff entitled Cross Epoch.[29] On April 3, 2011, Luffy and the other One Piece protagonists appeared in the first episode of the Toriko anime series and the crossover manga chapter.[30] Luffy made a cameo appearance in a Weekly Shonen Jump episode of To Love-Ru, and the Gum-Gum was mentioned in the 50th episode of the Gin Tama anime series.[31] He has also appeared in the web comic, VG Cats.[32] In 2008, Toei Animation sponsored the Italian Pallavolo Modena volleyball team; Pietro Rinaldi and Edoardo Ciabattini's black uniforms were decorated with an image of Luffy on the front.[33] Luffy appeared on the cover of the January 2010 issue of the Japanese fashion magazine Men's Non-No, the first manga character to do so. His clothes were designed by Shinichi "Miter" Mita.[34]