Luffy's Straw Hat

Overview

Luffy's Straw Hat (ルフィの麦わら帽子, Rufi no mugiwara-bōshi) is an object from the One Piece series created by Eiichiro Oda. The series first began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on August 4, 1997. It first appeared in One Piece Volume 1 Ch. 1 "Romance Dawn".

The straw hat has had earlier appearances than in the first One Piece chapter. These were in the first two original one-shot chapters in Weekly Shonen Jump titled "Romance Dawn". One of these one-shots was later published in a collected volume called Wanted!. This also contained several other Oda one-shots that had previously been published.

Characters

Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy is the current holder of the straw hat. It was passed on to him by Red-Haired Shanks as a young boy. Luffy guards his hat carefully, and trusts it to few people to even touch. To him, it's considered his greatest treasure. It was this straw hat that earned him the name "Straw Hat Luffy". Though, many in the pirating world often recognize it as the hat of Shanks.

Shanks

It's unknown how long Shanks had owned the straw hat he passed to Luffy. He was seen wearing it as a young man while he was a member of the Roger Pirates. It became an icon of Shanks, and an object he held great value to. He gave it to Luffy as a young boy after he said the same words that Gold Roger, his former captain, had once said.

Gold Roger

It was originally believed that Shanks was the original owner of the straw hat. Much later in the series, it was revealed that Gold Roger, the man who would become the pirate king, had owned that hat. This was back when he was a much younger man just starting to put his first crew together. Silvers Rayleigh remembered Roger wearing that hat when they first met.

Nami

While Nami has not been given the hat by anyone. She is the member of Luffy's crew that he more often gives it over to for save keeping. Possibly to avoid it being damaged in a serious battle. After Nami started to join into the fights a strap was added, but is seems to appear and disappear.

Nami is seen often wearing the straw hat during some special splash pages to chapters, (examples Vol. 40 Ch..379 & Vol. 61 Ch. 595). This can also be seen in the seventh opening to the anime, "Crazy Rainbowstar" by T&T.

Story Arcs

Romance Dawn

The straw hat was passed down to Luffy after Shanks saved Luffy from a sea monster and lost his arm. Frustrated by Shanks teasing, Luffy shouted that he would have a pirate crew of his very own that would be better than Shanks, and he would become king of the pirates. Impressed bu his words, Shanks gave Luffy his straw hat on the promise he would return it to him once he became a great pirate.

Orange Town Arc

The straw hat was seriously damaged during Luffy's fight with Buggy the Clown. Buggy had recognized it as the hat of Shanks and took his past anger out on the hat as Luffy watched. He stabbed it with his three knives. Luffy thought the hat was forever damaged, but Nami was able to repair it.

Arlong Park Arc

After watching as Nami suffered at the hands of Arlong. Luffy placed his straw hat on Nami's head after she asked for his help. This was the first time he ever put his treasured hat into the care of someone else. Nami wore the hat and gripped at it tightly as she watched Luffy fight Arlong for her sake. She placed it back on Luffy's head after he won.

Alabasta Arc

Early in the arc, Ace, Luffy's brother, gave Luffy a piece of paper that he said was important. So he wouldn't lose it, Luffy asked Nami to sew it intto the brim of of his hat.

Luffy actually lost the straw hat for quite some time while in Alabasta. This was after his second defeat at the hands of Sir Crocodile. The had fell from high atop the palace and drifted into the waring crowd below. The fate of the straw hat was unknown until the civil war had ended. A solider had seen the hat and returned it to the palace for it to then be given back to Luffy once he had woken up.

Jaya Arc

For the second time, Luffy handed the straw hat to Nami for protection as Luffy and Zoro refused to fight the pirate crew of Bellamy.

Skypiea Arc

When only Luffy and Nami were left to face God Eneru, Luffy gave Nami the straw hat to watch over as he fought the lightning man. Even after Luffy was tossed off the flying ark, Nami gripped the hat as she was inspired by Luffy to stand against Eneru herself. She managed to escape with Usopp and Sanji's help, and she held onto the hat for the remainder of the arc.

Davy Back Fight Arc

Usopp briefly wore the straw hat during the Davy Back Fight against the Foxy Pirates. The third round was a fight between the captains. Luffy was wearing an afro while he fought Foxy, so Usopp held onto the straw hat.

Thriller Bark Arc

After the victory on Thriller Bark, Luffy finally checked the piece of paper that had been sewn there since Alabasta. He had only recently learned that the paper was an object called a Vivre Card. It's tied to the live force of the person who had it made. To Luffy's shock, the paper Ace gave him was slowly burning. This was a sign that the person is in serious danger.

Amazon Lily Arc

The straw hat was briefly out of Luffy's possession after he landed unconscious on Amazon Lily. He was being treated for his wounds, but placed in jail once they discovered he was a man. Luffy was in a panic when he couldn't find his hat, but it saw one of the women in the crown watching him wearing hit. He simply reached out with his arm and plucked it off her head. All the Kuja Amazons were shocked to see his arm stretch.

Impel Down Arc

Luffy kept Ace' Vivre Card in his straw hat as he invaded the great prison Impel Down. He was trying to use it to guide him to where his brother was being held.

Marineford Arc

Luffy had gone catatonic with grief after witnessing Ace dying before his eyes/ The straw hat had fallen from head head while Jimbei and Emporio Ivankov struggled to keep the unresponsive Luffy alive and away from the relentless Admiral Akainu. The hat had been forgotten, but Shanks discovered it on the battlefield once he arrived to end the war between the Whitebeard Pirates and Navy. He picked up the hat and had Buggy give it over to Trafalgar Law, who was escaping with Luffy via his submarine. Shanks felt that seeing Luffy now would violate their promise.

Dawn island Arc

Trafalgar Law held onto the straw hat while on Amazon Lily. Law gave it over to Silvers Rayleigh once he arrived looking for Luffy. Once Luffy had been calmed of his rampage, Rayleigh returned the hat to Luffy. Luffy would later leave the straw hat at a safe spot on Ruskaina Island while he trained for two years with Rayleigh on how to use Haki.

Fish-Man Island Arc

Luffy had not touched his straw hat for two years. After Boa Hancock arrived to take Luffy back to Sabaody Archipelago, Luffy finally put his hat back on to begin his journey to the New World, the second half of the Grand Line.