Monkey D. Luffy

Monkey D. Luffy (モンキー・D・ルフィ) is One Piece's main protagonist. Aspiring since childhood to live as a pirate, Luffy began his life at sea by following his idol and famous pirate, Shanks. After he accidentally devoured his trademark Devil Fruit when he was seven-years-old, Luffy magically lost the ability to swim and became a hostage at sea. Shanks rescued him from drowning, but his idol lost his left arm to save the boy. The incident cut his time with Shanks short.

Before their parting, Luffy proclaimed that he would someday become the all mighty Pirate King -a pirate who possesses the legendary treasure "One Piece"- to one day surpass Shanks. Impressed by Luffy's bold claim, Shanks gave him his straw hat as a memento.

Wearing the straw hat ever since, Luffy eventually leaves his home and becomes the pirate captain to his self-founded pirate crew, the Straw Hat Pirates. Together with his treasured comrades, Luffy has experienced several adventures, met several friends, and has created an infamous reputation for himself.

Personality
Enthusiastic about living life to the fullest, Luffy would love to spend his every waking moment partying with his crew, eat good food, and satisfying his endless curiosity with a goofy laugh and smile. He may humorously resort to trickery and honestly ignores anything that doesn't interest him. Luffy's childish enthusiasm and attitude may make him seem like a hopeless fool yet Luffy always keeps his sights set on whatever drives him. His willingness to fight for his vision and his innate sense of fairness is what truly breaks many people's first impressions of him. At times, his dare to beat and overcome the odds against him earns him undeniable respect from onlookers.

As a true lover of adventure, Luffy feels he will never fear death as long he has dreams, trust, and his comrades. He treasures his friends more than his own family, placing absolute faith in them and sacrificing his entire being to keep them safe. Luffy is the glue who binds his motley crew together, as he believes he would never have had started his adventure by himself. He never blames his comrades for their misgivings and accepts them wholeheartedly through thick and thin.

Fighting Style
Luffy fights primarily using the rubber body he gained after eating his Devil Fruit. He can extend his limbs and skin to exponential lengths and can inflate himself like a balloon. With his flexible and endurable body, he can stretch, twirl, and snap himself into various uncanny positions to hit foes from a myriad of directions. His body is strong enough to bounce back cannonballs and projectiles, though he is still vulnerable to lacerations or ailments.

To strengthen himself, Luffy may circulate the blood within his body at an inhuman rate; his skin adopts a reddish appearance and evaporated bodily fluids may rise as steam from his body. This specific form is "Gear Second". His body temporarily gains extraordinary strength and capabilities at the cost of weakening his stamina.