Monkey D. Luffy - Abilities

Abilities

Luffy's rubber powers are a result from eating the Gum-Gum Fruit, which makes him virtually immune to nearly all blunt force attacks, as well as the ability to stretch his body at will. Combined with the elasticity of his body, he uses that ability to accelerate parts or the whole of his body as if shot by a slingshot to deliver punches, kicks, head butts, body checks, or simply for propulsion. However, Luffy is unable to swim and when he is submerged in water, it quickly negates his powers. In addition to his Devil Fruit powers, Luffy possesses immense strength and endurance.

Luffy's signature move is the Gum-Gum Pistol (ゴムゴムの銃(ピストル), Gomu-gomu no Pisutoru), a punch technique which he learned during his years of training. Another technique developed later in the series, is Gear 2 (ギア2(セカンド), Gia Sekando), an attack increasing his strength and overall speed for a limited amount of time, but can strain his body afterwards. Gear 3 (ギア3(サード), Gia Sādo), another technique, uses air inflated into his bone structure to attack with massive limbs and strength, but causes him to shrink afterwards. He is capable of using both techniques simultaneously. Luffy also develops his latent ability to use Haki (覇気, lit. "ambition"). This ability has two types, Armament Haki (武装色の覇気, Busōshoku no Haki), which is an armor-like force that can amplify defense and the force of attacks and negate a Devil Fruit user's defense, allow physical contact and damage, and Observation Haki (見聞色の覇気, Kenbunshoku no Haki), which is a sixth sense that can read a person's moves and detect their presence. He has a rare variation, the Color of the Supreme King (覇王色の覇気, Haōshoku no Haki) which can render people or animals in his proximity unconscious. Two years later, Luffy masters the three types of Haki, and uses them in conjunction with his improved attacks, causing his body to undergo vulcanization.