straw hat
So what’s the deal with the straw hat anyway. Why is it so important?

It all started long ago when Luffy was a child living in a small port town. A group of pirates had been his town as a base for about a year. The captain of the pirates was a red-haired pirate named Shanks. Luffy respected them greatly and wanted with all his heart to go an adventure with them. Shanks absolutely refused because he knew it was too dangerous for a 7-year-old boy who couldn’t swim to go on a voyage with pirates.

Unfortunately Luffy doesn’t seem to grasp this fact and at the beginning of the manga we see him stabbing himself in the face to prove he is a man. This does nothing however, and Shanks continues to make fun of Luffy. While the crew and Luffy are sitting in a bar a group of mountain thieves comes in and demands wine. The bar is out so Shanks offers the leader his bottle, but the thief just breaks it over Shank’s head.

Shanks just laughs it off and goes to clean up the mess, but Luffy is outraged that someone disrespected Shanks that way and Shanks didn’t fight back. As he storms out of the bar Shanks grabs his arm, and it...stretches. It turns out Luffy ate the crew’s Devil Fruit, more Specifically the Gomu Gomu (rubber) Fruit, turning his body into rubber so he can stretch it anyway he wants to. In exchange he will never be able to swim again.

Later on Luffy runs into the thieves again and starts yelling at them for disrespecting Shanks. They all start beating on him and none of his punches work. The thieves are getting angry that their kicks are taking no effect so they decide to kill Luffy there. Shanks turns up and demands Luffy back. After proving that he’s serious the leader of thieves takes Luffy away in a cloud of smoke and brings him out on a boat. He kicks Luffy into the water so he’ll drown but a sea monster comes by and eats the leader. Just as the sea monster is about to eat Luffy Shanks turns up and beats the sea monster up, but loses an arm in the process.

After this incident Luffy has even more respect for Shanks and decides to start his own pirate crew and find One Piece to become Pirate King. Just as Shanks and crew are about to set sail for the last time he goes to Luffy and gives him his most prized possession, his straw hat. He tells Luffy that after he becomes great to give him the hat back.

Throughout all his adventures Luffy always takes care of the hat. It is his greatest treasure and proof of his promise to Shanks. It is a symbol of his unwavering determination in his quest. As long as he has the hat on his head he has the confidence to overcome all obstacles. It is also how many people, including the Marines, identify him. They have labeled his crew the “Straw Hat Pirates”. The Jolly Roger on their flag is also wearing the straw hat. And if ANYONE hurts his hat, they’re gonna get their ass’s kicked.

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