There are thousands of theories that come with such a popular Anime as One Piece. Some of them are fun and lighthearted, others are dark and grim, and a few are just out of left field and ridiculous. But many of these theories work around the main character: Monkey D. Luffy. The rubber Straw Hat who just wants to become the King of the Pirates.
One such theory is that Luffy will die before he becomes the Pirate King. This is one of those theories that fans don’t want to be true, but it is also very interesting to examine. Especially given what we know of the lore and some of the other characters. Here’s what you need to know about this theory… including the sobering realization of how likely it might be!
What We Know About The D’s.
The will of D is a powerful thing, and Monkey D. Luffy is said to possess that spark that will allow him to change the world. Many characters with D. in their names have been said to impact the entire world through their actions. Monkey D. Luffy is one of them. But the interesting thing about the will of D is how death comes for them.
When we’ve seen D characters die, they die with a smile. Gol D. Roger died with a smile on his face, as did Portgas D. Ace at Marineford. It is highly likely that if and when Luffy dies, he will die the same way. Probably while defending his crew from a powerful enemy.
Luffy Has Been Putting A Toll On His Body
In many anime, most characters are able to fight for a long time against very powerful opponents. They might get injured or be laid up for a while as a plot device, but many anime handwave the strain that constant fighting puts on the bodies of the main cast. It is the same with One Piece. But a lot of Luffy’s skills and battles have brought him close to the brink of death.
Even if Luffy becomes the pirate king and achieves his dreams, it might come at the cost of his life. He’s got a lot of powerful enemies to fight through. While he can tap into these abilities to battle them, they might be the things that kill him in the end. Though he might prefer that, going out after a life of adventure. After all, pirates never seem to pass away in their beds!
The Gear Forms Are Taxing
While Gears 2, 3, 4, and 5, are extremely powerful abilities that have saved the day more than once, they come with a serious cost. Gear 2 quickens and raises Luffy’s blood pressure, and the fast pumping of blood could easily tear apart his insides. This is actually a real-life medical condition called idiopathic cardiomyopathy. The heart enlarges due to high blood pressure or other factors, but it doesn’t go back down to normal size.
The heart pumps harder than normal for a few moments but then gets weaker because it isn’t able to pump blood normally. While Luffy is made of rubber and his innards likely have some elasticity to them, that’s still a stretch his body isn’t used to making. Especially whenever idiopathic cardiomyopathy can lead to heart attacks and even heart failure. As he uses the form more often and much longer, he raises the risk of serious health issues.
The Trouble With The Other Gears
While Gears 3, 4, and 5, haven’t been shown to have too much of an impact on Luffy’s life, many fans think differently. For example, Gear 4 leaves Luffy exhausted and unable to move if he reaches its limit. His body is probably going into overdrive in order to keep up with that level of power. That damage doesn’t just go away.
Luffy would shrink down to the point where he couldn’t defend himself after he used Gear 3. While his training eventually allowed him to overcome these side effects, it’s still troubling. Even Gear 5 shows that Luffy faces extreme exhaustion and that his body visibility ages after it reaches its limit.
Emperor Ivankov
With the power of being able to alter hormones, Emperor Ivankov is a fantastic ally for Luffy and the Straw Hats. However, when he saved Luffy’s life during the Impel Down arc, he needed to take something in return. He put Luffy’s body through immense pressure in order to save him from Warden Magellan’s venom. While Luffy’s now enhanced immune system was able to fight back against the venom, he lost 10 years of life.
Later, during the war at Marineford, Luffy was beaten into the ground in his attempt to save Ace. Unable to move, he begged Ivankov to give him an energy steroid so he could continue fighting. While he did get the steroid, it was made clear that his body was going into overdrive and not actually repairing any damage. By the time the war had ended, his body had taken twice the damage.
Luffy Might Die, But It’d Be What He Wants
While Luffy might die after becoming the pirate king, that’s honestly what he wants. He wants a life of adventure and to have fun, and he isn’t the type of character to just die in his bed. While Luffy likely could live out the rest of his days with his crew as the Pirate King and the next worldwide legend, much like Gol D. Rodger, he’d probably move to die and kick off a new age of adventure with his death.
He is a free spirit. Someone who has been charged into dangerous situations without regard for anything but his friends. He doesn’t care how long he lives, he just wants to make that life worth living. But the most important fact to know is that however he dies, it is going to be a death that will shake the entire world to its core.
