Monkey D. Luffy captains the Straw Hat Pirates and wears an iconic straw hat gifted by "Red-Haired" Shanks, symbolizing their promise to reunite once Luffy becomes a great pirate. His body gained rubber-like elasticity after accidentally eating the Gomu Gomu no Mi Devil Fruit, which also made him unable to swim. Notable scars include one under his left eye, self-inflicted in childhood to prove courage to Shanks, and an X-shaped chest scar from the Summit War of Marineford.
Raised in Foosha Village, Luffy endured perilous resilience training under his grandfather, Marine Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp. Inspired by Shanks, he resolved to become Pirate King as the ultimate freedom. His sworn bonds with Portgas D. Ace and Sabo, forged over shared dreams of sailing independently, shaped his fierce loyalty—driving him to risk his life rescuing Ace from execution.
Luffy embodies fearlessness, blunt honesty, and childlike wonder, despising cowardice and betrayal while valuing tenacity and camaraderie. Though seemingly lacking common sense, he intuitively grasps others' core motivations, like Kuro's weakness or Koby's latent bravery. As a leader, he trusts his crew's capabilities and prioritizes their safety above all, confronting threats like the World Government or Four Emperors. His combat style exploits rubber physiology for attacks such as Gum-Gum Pistol, augmented by advanced "Gear" transformations.
In *Dream Soccer King!*, Luffy leads a team including Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Chopper in the Grand Line Cup playoffs against Buggy's Villain All-Stars. During a penalty shootout with Koby as goalkeeper and Helmeppo refereeing, Luffy scores confidently. After Sanji's winning kick secures victory, Luffy awakens to realize the match was a dream and impulsively kicks Usopp's head, mistaking it for a ball.
Beyond becoming Pirate King, Luffy harbors a deeper, undisclosed ambition shared only with close companions, eliciting reactions from laughter to awe. This secret goal aligns with his pursuit of absolute freedom and joy, though its nature remains unrevealed.