Monkey D. Luffy

Monkey D. Luffy is the main character/protagonist of the anime and manga One Piece. He is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates (sometimes referred to as the "Luffy Pirates").

History
When Luffy was young he met a band of pirates led by a kindly pirate named Red-Haired Shanks. Luffy befriended that band of pirates and from that moment on wanted to become a pirate as well.

During his time spent with Shanks, Luffy ate a Devil Fruit (Cursed Fruit in the English dub) known as the "Rubber Fruit," or Gomu Gomu Fruit, and unwittingly turned himself into a rubber man capable of stretching, inflating, or bouncing back impact based attacks. Because Luffy didn't know the nature of the fruit they remained friends, but after that Luffy seemed to be even more defensive of Shanks's seemingly meek band of pirates.

After Luffy stood up to a local bandit that insulted Shanks and his crew, Luffy got caught up in a hostage situation and was later rescued by Shanks. However the incident cost Shanks his arm. Shortly after, Shanks set sail along with his crew, but before leaving he made Luffy promise that one day he would become a grand pirate and left his straw hat as a parting gift.

Luffy has since worked diligently on keeping that promise and is known famously as "Straw Hat Luffy", or simply "Straw Hat". Luffy now aims not only to be a grand pirate, but to become King of the Pirates. Most people don't take his goal seriously, until they see his absurd strength.

Even the Marines started to take him more seriously after he defeated several known pirates such as Captain "Axe-Hand" Morgan, Captain Buggy the Clown, "Pirate Admiral" Don Krieg, and "Saw-tooth" Arlong(Captain Kuro is left out from this because the marines believed him to have been killed by Morgan 3 years ago). Then they set up a 30 million belli reward on his head which eventually becomes 100 million belli( berrie in the English version) after he defeated Sir Crocodile.

During his voyage, Luffy has had a few meetings with the Marines, from the not-too serious looking return of Ironfist Fullbody (whom Luffy met first by the Baratie) and Captain Smoker (Captain Chaser in the English anime) of Roguetown, to Admiral Aokiji.

Luffy has passed several islands on his way to and along The Grand Line, including Drum Island, Alabasta, and Skypiea. He has met many new allies, as well as making several enemies, such as Wapol, Sir Crocodile, and Eneru.

Luffy doesn't immediately appear to be very intelligent, but occasionally is the only one to see exactly what needs to be done. He has clashed with other eaters of Devil Fruit many times; he also has good friends who have eaten the Fruit that are not in his crew, such as Dalton, and Mr. 2 Bon Clay.

Luffy's relatives are still shrouded in mystery. Luffy meets his older brother, Portgas D. Ace, in Alabasta. Ace, a.k.a. "Fire Fist" Ace, has eaten the Mera Mera (Fire Fire) Fruit and thus can manipulate fire at will. When Luffy and his crew meet Admiral Aokiji on Long Island, Aokiji mentions having met Luffy's grandfather. Though no details about him were given, it was the only time Luffy has ever appeared genuinely afraid. In the original version planned, Luffy's grandfather was the one shown giving Luffy his straw hat in Shonen Jump magazine.

There is also evidence that Luffy's middle initial "D." is a key element in uncovering the identity of his relatives. Through this, connections have been made between him and the late "Pirate King" Gol D. Roger, who also possesses the D. initial, as well as do a few others. The initial may also be connected to the mystery behind Luffy's abnormal strength, which is not completely explained by his Devil Fruit ability to stretch. Gan Fall seemed to have known Gol D. Roger and even found similarities between Luffy and the former pirate king. It turns out that Gol D. Roger visited Sky Island many years ago. However, he has trained to be a pirate for ten years straight following Shanks' departure. Straw Hat crew member and archeologist Nico Robin (Ms.Sunday while in Baroque Works) seems to be one of the limited few who have any idea what the D. initial really means in relation to Luffy's family and lineage.

Devil Fruit Techniques
In order of usage:


 * Gomu Gomu no Pistol - Luffy's standard straight punch, augmented with stretching. A long range attack.


 * Gomu Gomu no Rocket - Luffy stretches his arm and grabs a handhold, then quickly retracts, projecting himself high into the air, over great distances, or even into an opponent.


 * Gomu Gomu no Muchi (Whip) - Luffy stretches his leg and kicks in a wide circle, striking multiple foes.


 * Gomu Gomu no Gavel - Luffy takes hold of his opponent with his hands, then spins, twisting his arms. He then untwists them, rapidly spinning his opponent, while bringing him crashing to the floor.


 * Gomu Gomu no Fuusen (Balloon) - Luffy inflates himself rapidly, pushing foes away and deflecting attacks - these have so far been cannonballs. Luffy also used this move to save Going Merry from being crushed against the red line.


 * Gomu Gomu no Sicle -Luffy grabs an object behind his opponent, and uses a one hand version of "rocket" to launch himself at his foe. He then stretches out his other arm and clotheslines his opponent.


 * Gomu Gomu no Bazooka - Luffy stretches both his arms far back, then hurls them forward, striking his opponent with both simultaneously. This move often sends the opponent flying, even across islands, and has been used twice as a Cover-page story setup.


 * Gomu Gomu no Gatling Gun - Luffy uses his stretching ability to bring his fists forward repeatedly in a blurry, rapid barrage. This move is mid-ranged, but Luffy has once used it to break up a falling wall, sending chuncks of rock at faraway foes.


 * Gomu Gomu no Yari (Spear) - Luffy holds his feet together and kicks with both simultanously. Can be used while airborne, or while handstanding.


 * Gomu Gomu no Kane (Bell) - Luffy stretches his neck backwards, then snaps it back for a devastating headbutt to the opponent's face. For greater effect, Luffy can take hold of his opponent and pin him down first.


 * Gomu Gomu no Scythe - Identical to Gum Gum Scythe, but using both arms, both for the rocket and for the clothelining. Good for taking down a line of enemies.


 * Gomu Gomu no Ono (Axe) - Luffy stretches one leg high into the air, then brings it crashing down on an opponent or structure, for massive damage.


 * Gomu Gomu no Bullet (Manga only)- Luffy stretches one arm far behind him, then snaps it back to deliver a one-fisted blow to an opponent. May seem like Pistol, but is more powerful, and is short-ranged.


 * Gomu Gomu no Grand Gavel - Similar to Gomu Gomu no Gavel, but performed using the feet and legs instead of hands and arms. Luffy must be airborne to perform this attack.


 * Gomu Gomu no Kazaguruma (Windmill) - Luffy plants his feet into the ground beneath him to steady himself, then twists his body around tightly. Then he grabs hold of something( Mohmoo the first time) and unwinds, spinning the held item around rapidly and attacking anything around him. Downside is, Luffy can sometimes find himself stuck.


 * Gomu Gomu no Shield - Luffy grabs the fingers of one hand with the other, and streches them before his face. Any bladed attack will be halted after passing between the fingers.


 * Gomu Gomu no Ami/Finger Net - Luffy interloops his fingrs making a net like shape and then stretches out his fingers making a large net, which he attempts to trap his opponents in.


 * Gomu Gomu no Ikebana (Flower Arrangement) - Used only once, on Laboon the whale (Not counting Movie 4). Luffy grabs hold of the going Merrys' mast, and slams it into his opponent.


 * Gomu Gomu no Tonkachi (Hammer) - Can only be used after having his arm trapped in Mr.3s' Candle Lock; Luffy throws an elongated punch at his opponent, and deals heavy damage due to the rock-hard appendage.


 * Gomu Gomu no Stamp - Luffy stretches his leg out and hits his opponent with the bottom of his foot, leaving an imprint, or "stamp", of his sandal.


 * Gomu Gomu no Bow Gun - Luffy takes hold of his opponent, then repeatedly twists his torso vertically around his waists. The resulting snapback sends hs opponent flying.


 * Gomu Gomu Dame Da! (No Way!) - Luffy simply says this while keeping a small barrel of water away from Usopp. A Joke Move.


 * Gomu Gomu no Submarine (anime only)-Similar to the Pistol, but his fist travels underground to uppercut the target, as Zoro painfully found out (Luffy mistook him for Crocodile when they were seperated from the others. Turned out to be a mirage).


 * Gomu Gomu no Baku Baku (Chomp) - Luffy stretches his mouth wide open, and attempts to contain his opponent inside. A copy move from Wapol.


 * Gomu Gomu no Marunoko (Buzzsaw) - Luffy grabs his opponent with both arms, and upwinds himself like with Bow gun. He then kicks off from the ground, and spins towards his opponent to deliver a powerful headbutt.


 * Gomu Gomu no Shotgun/Quake - Starts off as an ordinary Pistol attack, after which Luffy "twangs" his stretched arm, causing his fist to connect multiple times.


 * Mizu Mizu no Pistol (Mizu = Water) - After going into "water Luffy" mode (by drinking a barrel of water) Luffy spits spheres of water at his opponent. This was used to counter Crocodiles dissolving body.


 * Gomu Gomu no Storm - Luffy begins by launching his opponent into the air. Then, Luffy uses "Gomu Gomu no Balloon", twists his body around tightly, then blows the air towards the ground. This propels Luffy spinning upwards, where he delivers a flurry of punches similar to Gatling Gun, but with greater strength, since it has the momentom of the exhaled air behind it. This signature moves earns him 100 million berries after using it against Crocodile.


 * Gomu Gomu no Hanami (Fireworks) - Luffy jumps into the air and spins around rapidly. Then he unleashes a flurry of punches and kicks that go in every direction due to the spinning motion. Effective for clearing groups of enemies around him.


 * Gomu Gomu no Rifle - Similar to Gomu Gomu no Pistol, but Luffy twists his arm around as he stretches it behind him and hits the opponent at close range.


 * Gomu Gomu no Shoot (Anime only) - Luffy streches back leg and kicks. Used in the 6 minute episode of the Soccer King.


 * Gomu Gomu no HomeRun (Anime only) - Luffy first hits a base ball with his fist. Next, he twists his body around with Gomu Gomu no Windmill. Last Luffy unwinds his body making the ball fly out of his fist and making a homerun.


 * Gomu Gomu no Baka (Baka = Idiot) - Luffy stops thinking, leaving himself in a stupid state. Upside is, his thoughts and movements cannot be read as he is acting purely on instinct. Downside is, he can't attack in this state.


 * Gomu Gomu no Octopus - All of Luffy's appendages go limp reducing the damage he takes


 * Gomu Gomu no Octopus Rampage - Much like Gomu Gomu no Fireworks except that instead of striking his arms and feet out forcefully the simpily bounce in and out wildly.


 * Gomu Gomu no Golden Fireworks - The same as Gomu Gomu no Fire Works, but with a Golden Ball attached to his arm.


 * Gomu Gomu no Golden Rifle - The same as Gomu Gomu no Rifle, but with a Golden Ball attached to his arm.


 * Gomu Gomu no Hook - A boxing move; Luffy launches an elongated hook, which can hit the enemys' back due to his streching ability.


 * Gomu Gomu no Flail - Luffy swings one arm in a circle at high speed, then drives his fist into his opponent.


 * Gomu Gomu no Alley Robo - Luffy entangles an opponent with his arms and legs, and uses them to manipulate his opponents limbs. Luffy can have his victim attack his allies, while hiding from these behind the victim.


 * Gomu Gomu no ´Kazan (Volcano) - A sort of reverse Axe, Luffy kicks one leg straight upward. He used this to destroy a tower from the inside.


 * Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol - Luffy, in Gear Second Form, delivers a punch so strong that the force from the move strikes the enemy with the same force. An effective ranged attack.


 * Gomu Gomu no Jet Bazooka - Luffy, in Gear Second Form, delivers a devastatingly powerful Bazooka. Similar to Jet Pistol in that the force also makes the move a ranged attack.


 * Gomu Gomu no Core (Anime only) - Luffy first does a Gomu Gomu no Pistol at something (Foxy's Gorilla Puncher Machine). He spins his arm around the machine, Then unwinds his arm, making the target spin.

Devil Fruit Upgrades
Gear 1: Normal State

Gear 2: Not acquired till Enies Lobby. It's supposedly a hardened version of his body, theorized to be acquired through Vulcanization. This form allows the use of the CP9 technique "Soru"(near instant movement), and "Jet" Versions of his attacks that can hit at a distance. Some evidence that this form is acquired through Vulcanization is seen when Luffy goes into Gear 2, where Luffy emits steam from his body - perhaps as a result of vulcanization.

Another theory regarding Gear 2, is that it's a refined form of "Soru" (a technique that involves kicking the ground ten or more times in an instant to propel the user forward with tremendous speed), in which Luffy compresses his rubber body (as seen when he activates Gear 2) in order to use "Soru" internally, using his own body as the "kickoff" point to greatly increase the velocity of his attacks (accelerating them beyond what a normal human eye can register).

It remains to see which theory (if any) prevails, as Oda has yet to explain exactly how Gear 2 works (if he ever does). In either case, Gear 2 appears to be quite tiring, leaving Luffy feeling a bit winded.

Gear 3: Just before Blueno collapses, Luffy mentions going a step further. This may refer to other forms of attacks using Gear 2, another one of the Rokushiki powers beyond Soru, the recently revealed 3rd gear -the exact number of gears is unknown at this point, though. In chapter 403 Luffy used gear 3 to break down a fortified gate, with him becoming small in stature (chibi) as the result. In chapter 404, Luffy soon transforms back into Gear 1 automatically.

Other Forms:

Water Luffy: Luffy drinks a large amount of water which his body contains, giving him a pear- shaped form. He can now pump up water and spit it at his opponent.

Afro Luffy: Used in the battle against Foxy, Luffy dons a huge afro and a temporary skull-and-crossbones tattoo. According to Usopp this would increase his strength, and would 'awaken his deepest latent primal powers'. In this mode Luffy uses the boxing moves Hook and Flail, and talks in a deeper voice, saying things like "Hell Yeah~!" often.

Trivia

 * Luffy seems to have an unstoppable appetite, even exhausting three cooks in a row. This characteristic is common to the Japanese archetype of the (at times simpleminded) young male hero/adventurer with a heart of gold, as in the case of Goku of Dragon Ball fame for example, which is Eiichiro Oda's favorite manga.
 * Even before eating the Gum Gum Fruit, Luffy could not swim and was affectionally nicknamed "Anchor" by Shanks' crew.
 * In the manga it is explained that the scar on Luffy's left eye was self-inflicted when, as a child, he cut himself with a knife to prove his courage to Shanks. It is the very first thing Luffy does in the manga. In the anime, the scene was omitted (even in the original Japanese version) for fear that children might try to imitate Luffy's stunt. Thus, the scar's origin is never explained in the anime.
 * Luffy tries to impersonate his crew with Chopper and Usopp taking the laughs for it. So far he has impersonated Sanji, Chopper (with Nico Robin's help for the horns), Zoro, Usopp (with Nami's "help" for the nose), and even himself frozen at one point.
 * Luffy is 17 years old. His birthday is May 5th, which is Children's Day in Japan.
 * Luffy is 172 cm tall or 5 foot 7 inches.
 * Luffy's older brother is Portgas D. Ace. (Portagz D. Trace in the 4kids version)
 * Luffy likes to eat all sorts of foods, but he is mostly fond of meat.
 * In Japan, there is a short movie that feature One Piece and Dragonball Z joining forces to take down Eneru who tried to destroy Japan. Both Luffy and Goku team up to put an end to his evil. (See here)
 * He shares the same initial as Gol D. Roger, Portugas D. Ace, Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard) and Saul D. Jaguar.
 * Luffy is a playable character in Jump Superstars.

=Bounty= Even though he defeated Captain Kuro the World Government thought they had Kuro executed. But the Kuro they executed was actually an imposter.
 * 30 million belli after defeating Buggy the Clown, Don Krieg, and Arlong

Luffy received this bounty because the Marines felt that if Luffy was strong enough to defeat them all, he should get a bounty higher than them all.
 * 100 million belli after defeating Sir Crocodile.