Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ follows the story of Monkey D. Luffy, who is on a quest to find the titular treasure and become the King of the Pirates. His journey leads him to a group of people who become his friends and crew, each with their own particular skill and a dream that encourages them to join Luffy. Spending more time with the young pirate, they learn many things about him, especially his powers, which he got from the Devil Fruit when he was young.
The show’s first season, based on the manga of the same name by Eiichiro Oda, delves into Luffy’s backstory, showing us how he came upon the dream of becoming the King of the Pirates, even when his grandfather is a Marine. It explains a lot of things about him, including his powers, as well as the story behind the scar under his eye. SPOILERS AHEAD
Luffy’s Scar Marks the Beginning of His Pirate King Journey
When Luffy was little, he met a pirate named Red-Haired Shanks. He was Luffy’s inspiration, and everything the boy learned about pirates was from him. While the world perceived most pirates as violent and bloodthirsty, Shanks was nothing like that. He tries not to resort to violence, even when the other person makes fun of or humiliates him. Shanks was also kind, never bothered anyone unnecessarily, and never misbehaved with anyone. Luffy grew up with this image of pirates and decided to be the same when he grew up.
Seeing Shanks leave the village, go to the sea for long intervals, and come back with riches and stories full of adventures, Luffy became interested in joining his crew. Every time he asked to join him, Shanks refused. No matter what Luffy did, the pirate would politely shut him down. When his crew members told him to go easy on the boy and not rob him of hope, Shanks said he didn’t want Luffy to join them because it was more dangerous out there in the sea and the boy would be safer in the village with the people who loved and cared for him.
Eventually, Luffy becomes impatient and is ready to do whatever it takes to prove that he is not just some kid. One of the things he notices about Shanks is that the pirate never gives in to a confrontation. Once, a pirate insults him and breaks stuff at the bar where he and his crew had been drinking. Instead of attacking him, Shanks picks up the broken glass and cleans the mess. This makes Luffy think that if he stands up for Shanks or proves he is tough, Shanks will let him on his crew.
The only way Luffy thinks he can prove he is tough is by showing that he can tolerate pain, even if he is a kid. He takes a knife and stabs himself with it under the eye. He thinks this should show Shanks that he will not hesitate to fight the bad guys and monsters in the sea, about whom he has only heard in stories. Still, Shanks doesn’t let him on his crew. He patches up the kid and warns him that things could’ve been worse. What if he missed and stabbed himself in the eye? Luffy reveals that he did miss and had intended to stab himself in the eye, maybe because he wanted to go for the classic eyepatch look!
Luffy’s daring act doesn’t impress Shanks but only makes him worry about the boy even more. When Luffy realizes that Shanks still won’t let him be a part of his crew, he decides to drop the topic. Instead, he declares that when he grows up, he will get his own ship and his own crew. He will not follow some other pirate and their dream, but he will become the greatest pirate in the world by finding One Piece. Shanks approves of this and gives him his straw hat, which becomes Luffy’s signature look, intensified by the scar, which adds to the mystery of his character and his reputation as a pirate.
Read More: Why Does Luffy’s Power Not Work in Sea Water In Netflix’s One Piece?
