The highly popular manga and anime series, One Piece, which first debuted in 1997, often finds itself amidst hot debates. But nothing has stirred up a storm quite like the discourse around its primary character, Monkey D. Luffy.
The question at hand: Is Luffy a hopeful Pirate King or, quite frankly, a terrorist? The answer seems far from black and white.
A few months ago, Hasan Dogan Piker, a political commentator, and Twitch streamer, voiced his thoughts on the Trash Taste podcast, leaning heavily towards the idea of Luffy as a terrorist.
He argued that Luffy’s attacks on a corrupt world government painted him in a light that’s more subversive than your average pirate.
The debate simmered down until recently when a Twitter user revived it by posting a screenshot from Piker’s interview.
Opinions have been polarized ever since, with some Twitter users backing Piker’s stance while others have been offering more nuanced views.
User @Swagkage posted, “Luffy declared war on the world government. He spearheaded attacks on multiple military installations…Hasan is right. Luffy is a terrorist lol.” @ThePokeStriker chimed in with, “Luffy literally burned the flag of the World Government… That’s the most terrorist thing you could do. MY GOAT FR.”
Intriguingly, some Twitter users have offered nuanced views. @Dredg3MTG mentioned, “Luffy is 1,000,000,000% a terrorist. He’s just not an EVIL terrorist… Freedom fighters are terrorists. Revolutionaries are terrorists.”
Piker’s perspective isn’t without some merit. The World of One Piece, created by Eiichiro Oda, incorporates themes such as revolution, resistance, and change. This is reflected not only in Luffy’s actions but also in the overarching narrative of the series.
What are your thoughts on this debate? Let us know your opinion in the comment section.
