Luffy has spent far less time as a pirate than One Piece fans think

The One Piece universe is captivating for all fans, filled with thrilling adventures, enigmatic mysteries, and much more. Furthermore, the excitement among fans is at its peak as Luffy’s dream of becoming the Pirate King nears its fulfillment with the arrival of the final saga.

At the age of 17, Monkey D Luffy embarked on a journey to achieve his dream. However, the exact duration of Luffy’s time as a pirate remains unknown as the series does not specify the start and end dates of events.

Despite this, many fans have created their own time zones for the series, and it may come as a surprise to learn just how long the Straw Hat has been a pirate. This could potentially suggest that Luffy was always meant to become the pirate king, and everything in his journey is falling into place just as it did for those who came before him.

Tracking Monkey D Luffy’s Journey as a Pirate in One Piece

Luffy (left) and Shanks (right) as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Luffy (left) and Shanks (right) as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

As a resident of Foosha Village in the Goa Kingdom of East Blue, Monkey D Luffy was a young boy filled with a sense of adventure. He found inspiration in the frequent visits of Shanks, a pirate who often stopped by his village. During one of these visits, Shanks brought along a devil fruit, which he set aside as he socialized with his fellow crew members over drinks.

Upon Luffy’s arrival, Shanks’ crew began mocking him. In a state of confusion, Luffy proceeded to consume the devil fruit. Upon realizing what was happening, Shanks attempted to intervene, but it was too late. As a result, Luffy gained the ability to stretch his body like rubber, thanks to the powers of the devil fruit.

After a series of events, Shanks gifted Luffy his iconic Straw Hat with the expectation that Luffy would one day return it to him as a fellow pirate. Fans speculate that this exchange took place in 1512, which was 12 years prior to the current timeline of One Piece.

In the Post-War arc’s Flashback of Dawn Island, around February of 1522, Luffy, now 17 years old, departed from his hometown and began his voyage. It marked the beginning of his quest to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming the future pirate king, ten years after the events took place.

The starting members of the Straw Hats (Image via Toei Animation)
The starting members of the Straw Hats (Image via Toei Animation)

In the first half of February, Luffy assembled the initial members of his crew by enlisting Zoro in the Romance Dawn arc, Usopp in the Syrup Village arc, Sanji in the Batatie arc, and Nami after the events of the Arlong Park arc.

In the latter half of the month, the Straw Hat Pirates successfully sailed across Reverse Mountain and entered the Grand Line. This marked the beginning of the Arabasta Saga in One Piece. It was during their visit to Drum Island at the end of February that Chopper joined the crew as their doctor.

In the Arabasta Kingdom, the Straw Hats arrived and kicked off the Arabasta Arc of One Piece in March. The arc concluded on March 8 with the defeat of Crocodile, the former warlord and leader of the Baroque Works. Nico Robin also joined the Straw Hats on the same date, albeit as an unofficial member.

After two days, on March 10, the Straw Hats sailed up a knock-up stream and arrived at Skypiea Island in search of the legendary city of gold. To their surprise, the entire arc took only one day, and they returned to the sea on March 11. The Water 7 Saga began with the Long Ring Long Island arc, where the Straw Hats encountered Admiral Aokiji.

Usopp (left) and Luffy (right) as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Usopp (left) and Luffy (right) as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

On March 18, the Straw Hats arrived at Water 7. This was also the day that Luffy easily defeated Usopp in a fight, resulting in Usopp no longer being a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. The following day, Robin also left the crew. On March 20, the Enies Lobby arc began and concluded on the same day. The Going Merry ship, which the pirates held a grand funeral for, also came to an end on this day.

On March 25, Franky, who had joined the straw hat pirates, constructed the Thousand Sunny and the crew set sail to their next destination. The Thriller Bark arc lasted two days until March 27, when the Straw Hats arrived at the Saboady Archipelago on April 1. On that same day, Kuma separated the Straw Hats and Luffy awoke on Amazon Lily on April 2.

Portgas D. Ace after his death (Image via Toei Animation)
Portgas D. Ace after his death (Image via Toei Animation)

On April 5, Luffy set out for Marineford with Hancock in order to rescue his brother. This was followed by the Impel Down arc, and Luffy reached Marineford on April 11. The battle at Marineford raged on throughout the day and ultimately ended in the tragic loss of Portgus D. Ace. After being rescued, Luffy was returned to Amazon.

Despite losing his composure and acting out on April 26, he eventually regained his senses. With the assistance of Jinbe and Rayleigh, he was able to calm down and send a message to his fellow crew members to reunite after two years. This marked the beginning of the two-month time skip during which Luffy continued his journey as a pirate.

Luffy as seen after the time skip (Image via Toei Animation)
Luffy as seen after the time skip (Image via Toei Animation)

After undergoing intense training for nearly two years, the Straw Hats made their way back to Sabaody in February of the present timeline. This was then followed by several arcs including the Fisherman Island, Dressrosa, Whole Cake Island, Wano Kingdom, and finally, the ultimate saga of One Piece.

The current storyline in One Piece is known as the Egghead arc. In April, the Straw Hat Pirates arrived at Egghead Island. When taking into account both the time before and after the time skip, it can be calculated that Monkey D Luffy has been a pirate for four months. This fact may come as a surprise to many fans, considering the series has been ongoing for over two decades.

Concluding Remarks

Monkey D Luffy as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Monkey D Luffy as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

This also highlights the exceptional nature of Monkey D Luffy. Unlike many of his fellow pirates from the worst generation who have been at sea for over two years, Luffy was ready from the beginning to confront the ultimate threat of the Grand Line – the World Government – thanks to his time skip training.

This interpretation is not an official part of the canon storyline. It is a fan analysis created by a group of dedicated One Piece enthusiasts. Therefore, it should be taken with a pinch of salt and enjoyed for entertainment purposes only.

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