Luffy’s journey along the Grand Line has shaken the status quo of the world in his quest to obtain the One Piece and become king of the pirates. No other character in the Straw Hats gang is as important and captivating as the captain himself, Monkey D. Luffy. While other members of the crew share similarly outrageous dreams, no other Straw Hat’s ambition is close to Luffy’s dream of becoming pirate king.

Being the captain and leader of the Straw Hats means Luffy is technically in charge, even if Nami manages ship’s finances and destination, if not the entire crew herself. Still, Luffy is the boss and the rest of the Straw Hats must follow his lead unto the breach. If a kingdom needs saving or a friend’s in danger, Luffy’s crew has his back without question.

10Luffy is the Captain

Luffy is the Leader of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Luffy’s role within the crew is to lead when the going gets tough. While he may be the crew’s punching bag at times, Luffy will always step up to face the big bad of the arc and leave the rest to his friends. Nami may be the navigator, but Luffy chooses where the Straw Hats will sail, and his word is final. However, the crew will often criticize Luffy’s more erratic behavior and ideas. Still, Luffy is the glue that holds the Straw Hat crew together.

Luffy leads by example and trusts his loyal crew to have his back. Being the captain means making tough calls, and when Luffy gets serious, the Straw Hats will listen without question. As much as the crew loves to give Luffy a hard time, they will do anything for their captain.

9Luffy is a Member of the Clan of D.

Luffy has a Mysterious Lineage

The Clan of D. is shrouded in mystery that has perplexed fans for years about what the Will of D. is and its importance to the overall story. Very little is known about those who carry D. in their name, but certain key elements have emerged over recent years. The Will of D. alludes to an inherent will that is passed down from generation to generation, signaling a coming storm for the future of the narrative. While Luffy himself knows almost nothing about the middle initial in his name, other characters have implied the significance of belonging to the Clan of D.

Recent revelations suggest that the Clan of D. is somehow related to the Void Century and the Great Kingdom that vanished during the one-hundred year gap in history. Plus, those who have D. in their name are usually at the heart of history-defining events. And Monkey D. Luffy has had his fair share of world-shattering events happen around him.

8Luffy Will Liberate a Kingdom for Food

Luffy Isn’t a Hero

Monkey D. Luffy doesn’t consider himself a hero or liberator. In Luffy’s mind, he’s what a pirate should be, even if it so happens that he liberates every country he comes across in his search for the One Piece. Time and time again, Luffy and the Straw Hats arrive at a new island and befriend its inhabitants, only for Luffy to learn of the island’s struggles thanks to an evil ruler and decide to fight them. Rinse and repeat, Luffy has liberated many islands, but he only ever wants food for compensation.

To the dismay of Nami and the rest of the Straw Hats, Luffy doesn’t save a country for money or fame, only to better the lives of the friends he meets. After Luffy liberates an island, his bounty increases as a result, but that’s just a bonus in his eyes. Luffy’s desire to not be known as a hero, isn’t because he isn’t one, but above all, Luffy desires freedom and the life of a pirate gives him just that. If he saw himself as a hero or wanted to be one, it would constrain his freedom to pursue his dreams.

7Luffy Drives the Plot

Luffy’s Actions Shape the World

Being the Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates means that Luffy sets the course for the rest of the Straw Hats and the story itself. Luffy is almost always the one who gets the rest of his crew in trouble, especially when he chooses to fight someone. Luffy’s actions have made him one of the most dangerous pirates on the Grand Line, as he almost always chooses the most ridiculous option that no other character, let alone a pirate, would choose with a sound mind.

No other Straw Hat has been able to change the world like Luffy has on their shared journey across the Grand Line. Luffy’s words and actions spur countless changes as he gets closer to the One Piece. From saving a kingdom from a tyrannical ruler to declaring war on the World Government, Luffy’s actions keep him in the headlines and propel his bounty higher than ever before. Luffy has challenged and defeated Warlord and Yonko alike in his quest for the One Piece, forever changing the geopolitical landscape of the seas.

6Luffy Defeated More Warlords Than Anyone

The Seven Warlords Couldn’t Stop Luffy

A Warlord of the Sea is powerful and mighty. They serve as an extension of the World Government’s power and act as a deterrent to other pirates. A Warlord is more powerful than any other pirate on the seas. That is, until they meet Luffy. Crocodile, Gecko Moria, and Donquixote Doflamingo all fell against Luffy’s sheer determination to beat them. Other than Luffy, no other character in One Piece has defeated more Warlords.

Luffy has even turned Warlords and former Warlords into his allies across the Grand Line. Jinbe, Boa Hancock, Bartholomew Kuma, Trafalgar D. Law, and Buggy can be considered Luffy’s allies across various points in the story. Luffy’s streak of wins over the Seven Warlords of the Sea led to the organization’s disbandment after Crocodile and Donflamingo’s crimes were discovered during their time as Warlords.

5Luffy has the Most Dangerous Power

Joyboy is More Than a Title

The Power of Friendship comes in many forms in Shōnen, but in One Piece in particular, the focus is less on the power of friendship winning the day and more so on the importance of companionship and shared dreams. Over the course of the narrative, Luffy’s ability to spread joy and happiness across the islands he liberates makes him worthy of the title of Joyboy.

Slowly but surely, Luffy amassed an army of friends and followers who would do anything for him and several other characters have made note of Luffy’s most dangerous power. The ability to turn others to a cause is terrifying, especially for the World Government. And when that cause is Luffy, no one can stop his army of friends and believers who would do anything to help him on his quest for the One Piece.

4Luffy is the Future Pirate King

Luffy Will Claim the One Piece

Luffy is driven by his dream to conquer the Grand Line, but he doesn’t want to control anything, he just wants to be free. And the title of pirate king would give him true freedom. Being the Pirate King means nothing more to Luffy than ultimate freedom and the recognition of the world. While others want to conquer and exploit, Luffy only wants to be able to do whatever he wants, and he doesn’t care what the One Piece is, only that he’s the one who will find it.

On Sabaody, when Usopp asked Silvers Rayleigh, the former pirate king’s vice-captain, what the One Piece was, Luffy screamed at Usopp for wanting to spoil it. To Luffy, it doesn’t matter what the One Piece is or even if it exists. Simply chasing the dream is enough for him, as a true pirate should.

3Luffy is a Yonko

Luffy Defeated Kaido and Picked a Fight with Big Mom

With the defeat of Kaido, Luffy took his spot as the newest Yonko, changing the power balance across the Grand Line. Being one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, means Luffy is one of the four strongest pirates on the Grand Line and the world itself. Unlike his other Yonko peers, Luffy is relatively new in his pirate career, but in only the span of a little over two years, Luffy sailed across the Grand Line and became one of the most powerful pirates to ever sail the seas.

Luffy’s strength and authority he now wields spans across the entire Grand Line with dozens of other pirate crews as his allies, and he even has an armada of over five-thousand strong. Luffy has the power to destroy a country if he wished, but only the World Government is worried about his strength and potential. Being a Yonko comes with a certain amount of responsibility, something which Luffy will happily ignore.

2Luffy’s Devil Fruit is Unique

The Secret of Model: Nika

After Luffy’s defeat at the hands of Kaido on the rooftop of Onigashima, Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit and became Joyboy. With his newfound powers, Luffy effortlessly defeated Kaido and saved the Land of Wano. After Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit, it was revealed that the Gumo Gumo no Mi had another name, the Hito Hito no Mi: Model Nika. The Devil Fruit is unique compared to every other Devil Fruit since it is classified as a Mythical Zoan-Type fruit that transforms the user into the mythical figure of the Sun God Nika.

Luffy’s awakening made him one of the most powerful Devil Fruit users on the Grand Line. It was revealed during Egghead that Luffy’s Devil Fruit shouldn’t exist when Dr. Vegapunk first witnessed Luffy in Gear 5. While Luffy’s Devil Fruit still has mysteries to share, what is known about it makes Luffy a danger beyond rival.

1Luffy is the Protagonist

Luffy has More Plot-Armor Than Anyone Else

Being the protagonist of One Piece has its advantages. Luffy may suffer, but at the end of the day, he will never die. Even if his heart stops beating. Luffy has managed to escape death countless times throughout the narrative. From being buried alive in sand to being poisoned beyond belief, Luffy has escaped what would otherwise kill any other character. At most, Luffy will suffer failure, but never to such an extent he wouldn’t be able to come back from it.

Being the protagonist in a world full of monsters and Devil Fruits means becoming one of the strongest if Luffy wants the chance to claim the One Piece for himself. His power progression is the longest and most detailed in the series, compared to the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy is the focus of the story and his powerscaling is at the forefront of One Piece. The story forms around Luffy’s actions and the Straw Hats must act accordingly to their captain’s shenanigans, usually to their own detriment.