Monkey D. Luffy - Appearances

Appearances

Luffy first appears in the manga chapter "Romance Dawn" (Romance Dawn - 冒険の夜明, Romance Dawn - Bōken no Yoake?), first published in Japan's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on August 4, 1997. He first appears as a young boy living in Windmill Village who befriends the pirate "Red-Haired" Shanks, intending to become one himself. Before the series' narrative begins, he accidentally eats the Gum Gum Fruit, gaining rubber powers as a result and he is saved by Shanks from being eaten alive by a Sea King. Ten years later, Luffy leaves Windmill Village in search of a treasure known as the One Piece and to become King of the Pirates. Sailing alone, Luffy meets a swordsman named Roronoa Zoro, the navigator and thief Nami, the cowardly marksman and liar Usopp, and the womanizing chef Sanji, who also join on his quest. He also encounters and defeats several pirates in the East Blue, such as Buggy the Clown and the fishman Arlong. These actions cause him to be placed on the Marines' most wanted list. Luffy later accepts an offer to return the princess of Alabasta, Nefertari Vivi, safely into her homeland to stop a rebellion, incited by a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and leader of the crime syndicate Baroque Works, Sir Crocodile. Along the way, Luffy finds a reindeer doctor named Tony Tony Chopper in Drum Island. In Alabasta, the crew defeats Crocodile and Baroque Works and the civil war ends. Leaving Vivi behind, Luffy allows Crocodile's former second-in-command and archaeologist Nico Robin to become his ally.

While visiting Skypiea, the crew gets drawn into a war between two races and Luffy defeats the god Eneru, ending the war. Luffy meets Admiral Aokiji, and is defeated after he learns about Robin's heritage. Luffy continues to face other enemies linked to Robin's heritage, such as Franky, a cyborg who eventually becomes Luffy's ally and the intelligence agency Cipher Pol No. 9, who causes Luffy and his crew to save Robin at Enies Lobby. Robin rejoins the crew after their battle on Enies Lobby - declaring war on the World Government in the process - and each member receives their bounties. The crew returns to Water 7 and after the Going Merry breaks down, they get their second ship, the Thousand Sunny; there, they meet Luffy's grandfather, Monkey D. Garp. When the crew come across Thriller Bark, they meet a skeletal musician named Brook. While there, they defeat the Warlord Gecko Moria, returning Brook's shadow in the process. After releasing the rest of the island's prisoners, Brook becomes Luffy's ally. The crew goes to the Sabaody Archipelago to coat their ship, but an incident involving the auction of the mermaid Camie eventually causes the crew to be separated during the encounter against Admiral Kizaru, and the Warlord Bartholomew Kuma.

Luffy is sent to Amazon Lily, an island ruled by the Warlord Boa Hancock. After moving Hancock with his bravery and selfless actions, Hancock falls in love with Luffy and helps bring him to Impel Down, a prison, to save his brother Portgas D. Ace, who was imprisoned there after being defeated by Blackbeard. Luffy breaks into the prison and meets foes-turned-allies, such as Crocodile and Buggy, as well as new allies, such as the Warlord Jimbei and Emporio Ivankov, releasing the prisoners in the process. Luffy is nearly killed, but he and the convicts escape from the prison to Marineford. After arriving there, Luffy is drawn into a war between the Marines and Whitebeard's pirate crews. Luffy saves Ace, but Ace's love for Luffy causes him to sacrifice himself by receiving a fatal attack from Admiral Akainu. Luffy and Jimbei are evacuated from Marineford. When they return to Amazon Lily, Luffy looks back on his how he first met Ace. Shortly following Shanks' departure, Luffy is adopted by the bandit Curly Dadan. He also befriends Ace and Sabo during this time, but ends up losing Sabo in the process. Silvers Rayleigh trains Luffy to be his successor on Ruskaina and Luffy has the crew undergo training regimens. Luffy returns to the Sabaody Archipelago two years later and reunites with his crew. The crew are eventually separated again while sailing to Fishman Island. Luffy and the others meets Jimbei and the island's princess Shirahoshi, and are drawn into a battle for the island against fishmen Hody Jones and Vander Decken IX. Luffy and the crew, along with Jimbei, eventually regroup and conceive a plan to defeat Hody and his henchmen. Luffy defeats Hody and attempts to destroy the Noah, but stops due to the Sea Kings' interference - saving the island from destruction. Luffy takes the stolen treasure from rookie pirate Caribou and tells the island's protector Big Mom that he will defeat her in the New World and make Fishman Island his territory. After entering the New World, Luffy, Zoro, Usopp and Robin disembark on Punk Hazard but are soon captured by Caesar Clown, Vegapunk's scientist. Luffy forms an alliance with Law to defeat Caesar.