Summary
Luffy has changed countless people’s lives for the better during his grand adventure with the Straw Hats, but there are also several individuals who have had a pretty big impact on Luffy himself too, in one way or another. Though he has a heart of gold, Luffy can be pretty stubborn and hard-headed at times, which can make it difficult for a character to guide him in one direction or another, considering he’s so dead-set on doing his own thing and charging head-first toward his goal of becoming pirate king.
With that said, Luffy’s life has still been influenced by the words and actions of several key individuals in theOne Piecestory who have helped mold him into the lovable captain that fans are familiar with. With that being said, these are theOne Piececharacters who deserve to be most credited with changing Luffy’s life, getting him to where he is today as a legendary Emperor of the Sea.
8Vivi
Vivi’s Plea For Help Changed Everything For Luffy And The Straw Hats
When the Straw Hats first met Vivi very early on in the series, they hadn’t exactly made much of a name for themselves on the grander stage. However, all of this would change once Alabasta’s princess enters the picture out of nowhere, pleading with the Straw Hats to help her save her country from descending into a disastrous civil war spurred on by thedangerous Shichibukaiknown as Crocodile.
It wouldn’t be an understatement to say Alabasta is one of the most important islands for the Straw Hats in the entire adventure. Taking down Crocodile would put Luffy’s name on the map and force the Marines to pay attention to him and his crew of misfits who had saved Alabasta from destroying itself. Thanks to Vivi, Luffy entered a new stage in his adventure, going from naive rookie to formidable captain in the span of a single arc.
7Sabo
Luffy Was Forced To Take The Life Of A Pirate Seriously After Witnessing Sabo’s “Death”
Among the three brothers, Sabo would be the first to set out to sea. However, not long after saying his goodbyes to Luffy and Ace, he was suddenly shot down by theCelestial Dragons, making it seem like he had been tragically killed. Not only did Sabo’s sudden death give Luffy a taste of just how merciless the Celestial Dragons — and by extension, the World Government — can truly be when hunting down pirates, it would also push him to become stronger so that he wouldn’t need to lose anyone else once he started his own adventure.
Thankfully, Sabo shows upafter the timeskipin Dressrosa, much to the delight of Luffy, who bursts into tears upon reuniting with him, making it clear that Sabo is someone who means a lot to the young and plucky Straw Hat captain and was instrumental in his upbringing.
6Rayleigh
Luffy’s Legendary Teacher Gave The Captain The Strength He Needed To Take Down The Strongest Of Foes
Before he was training Luffy inthe ways of Haki, Rayleigh was a member of the infamous Roger Pirates, having sailed the seas with the pirate king himself, all the way to the One Piece treasure. Luffy first meets the wise old man when he and the crew disembark on Sabaody, but not long after, the captain would find himself reunited with the Dark King to help him train for two whole years to gear up for the rest of his adventure.
Rayleigh is responsible for teaching Luffy how to control his Haki in a way that could help him in combat, allowing him to stand toe-to-toe with monsters such as Doflamingo, Katakuri, and even Kaido, after he came to realize the true underlying potential of his Conqueror’s Haki. Rayleigh prepared Luffy to reach the status of Yonko, and for that, he deserves a lot of credit.
5Kaido
The Captain Of The Beast Pirates Pushed Luffy To A Whole Different Level
Luffy has taken down a plethora of tough opponents over the course of the series, but none have been quite as durable as theterrifyingly strong former-Yonko known as Kaido. For a while, it seemed as though Luffy didn’t stand a chance against the captain of the Beast Pirates, but after being knocked out once again, something weird started to happen to Luffy’s body. With white smoke seeping out of his mouth and a giant grin on his face, Luffy had awakened his Devil Fruit and was able to easily overpower Kaido by using his cartoonish abilities to stomp out the Yonko once and for all.
Luffy’s defeat over Kaido marked a huge turning point for the Straw Hat captain. Not only would he gain a tremendous power boost from his newfound power, which was only activated thanks to the pressure put on him by Kaido, but he would also officially become recognized as an Emperor of the Sea, making him the number one target for the World Government and Marines.
4Garp
Luffy’s Rough And Tough Grandfather Made Sure He Was Brave Enough To Survive The Seas
Garp was more than happy to throw Luffy in the deep end when it came to his training, but while he had intended to toughen him up to become a Marine, this wasn’t the life Luffy chose to go with. As shown with characters likeSabo and Helmeppo, Garp’s harsh training methods can instill a kind of unbreakable toughness in his students, and Luffy is no exception.
Garp probably should have laid off all the punches, considering how absurdly strong the marine is in combat, but he still loves Luffy dearly, and despite seeing him become a pirate, is still proud of what he’s achieved in his life so far. In turn, Luffy owes a lot to Garp for watching over him, and getting him ready to fight off anyone who tries standing in the way of him and his ambitious dream.
3Akainu
Akainu Took Away Luffy’s Brother In The Blink Of An Eye
Despite being mentioned pretty early on by Robin, Akainu isn’t someone that Luffy particularly cares to know about, though he would be forced to acknowledge the former Admiral’s immense power after witnessing it firsthand. During theMarineford War, just when it looked like Ace was about to escape his execution with his life intact, Akainu would lure him back into the fight by insulting his captain, Whitebeard, before then punching his magma fist straight through Ace’s chest.
Ace’s death would leave a lasting impact on Luffy, who became an emotional wreck after hearing the news from Jinbei, and he would come to realize just how dangerous the world can truly be for a pirate. While Akainu therefore had a big impact on Luffy emotionally, he would also be responsible for giving him the giant cross on his chest as a permanent reminder of his tragic loss on that fateful day.
2Portgas D. Ace
The Sworn Brother Of Luffy Would Support Him Every Step Of The Way
As a child, Luffy was pretty lonely, having nobody to really call a friend and a grandfather who would push him through grueling survival tasks. Ace would not only become Luffy’s close friend — he would become his sworn brother, alongside Sabo. Ace would also encourage Luffy to become a full-fledged pirate by making a deal with him and setting off on his grand adventure a few years before, making him hugely important toLuffy’s development.
Of course, it’s hard to talk about Ace and not also mention his tragic death, which ended up shaking Luffy to the core, while also pushing him even harder to become the king of the pirates, which is what his dear brother would have always wanted. Needless to say, Luffy would be a much different person if Ace hadn’t been in his life.
1Shanks
The Legendary Yonko Blessed Luffy With His Rubbery Powers
If Luffy hadn’t been gifted his rubber abilities from eating the Devil Fruit stolen by Shanks, it’s highly unlikely he would have made it very far as a pirate captain, considering this is where much of his strength comes from. He is therefore indebted to his father-figure, who decided to snatch the fruit away from a marine ship, setting Luffy on his journey to becoming the pirate king. Of course, the true identity of the fruit wouldn’t be revealed until the Wano arc, but it proved hugely important in his fight with Kaido where he was able to, miraculously, overcome the beast with hisbrand new Gear 5.
Outside of the Devil Fruit, Shanks would also be a huge inspiration for Luffy and is ultimately the one who convinced the young and hot-headed kid that becoming an outlaw and venturing out to sea was the life he wanted to live. Though many people have influenced Luffy’s life, none have had a bigger impact than the mighty Yonko Shanks.
One Piece
Cast
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
