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One Piece hints at the look of Monkey D. Luffy's mother, so addressing one of its most unresolved riddles. Though much conjecture surround Luffy's relationship with his father, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, the mother of the future Pirate King is even more elusive.
Though Dragon and his Revolutionary Army play a central part in the Final Saga of One Piece, creator Eiichiro Oda has said that Luffy's mother would never be revealed since he shows no interest in delving into that side of the narrative. But in a second narrative included in chapter #1057, a mystery woman carrying a baby shows up on one panel, inspiring readers to conjecture about her possible relationship to Luffy.
This woman shows up in Shanks' flashback as he is lulling his young daughter Uta. The scene motivates Shanks to sing to his own daughter Uta, who later rises to be a world-class vocalist. Although there is no official confirmation that the figures in this extra story are baby Luffy and his mother, Oda's taste in intentional detail has caused many fans to believe otherwise.
Although some say One Piece has a lot of secrets, fans have always found great fascination in the riddle of Luffy's mother. Born in the East Blue Sea's isolated province of Foosha, a part of the Goa Kingdom, Luffy came from a small village. Leading the Revolutionary Army, his father is among the most sought-after men in the world who freely challenges and aims to destroy the despotic World Government.
Dragon left his son under the care of legendary Navy hero Monkey D. Garp, Luffy's grandpa, after her birth so she might grow to be a great Marine. Not even her name was mentioned ever, Luffy's mother never came up. Six-year-old Luffy's life changed irrevocably when he met Red-Haired Shanks and his pirate crew, who were temporarily stationed in Foosha. Against Garp's dismay, Luffy decided to become a pirate after this meeting; at the age of 17 he finally set sail for his adventure.
The extra narrative in chapter #1057 doesn't fit Luffy's known past since his first meeting with Shanks happened when he was six years old. Still, there is no evidence that Shanks did not visit Foosha prior. The Red-Hair Pirates most certainly knew the village since they utilized Foosha as a safe base. This would imply that Shanks knew Luffy's mother, maybe even Dragon, so strengthening the link between the two rivals vying for the title of Pirate King.
The Identity of Luffy's Mom Still Evasive
Regretfully, the narrative offers few, if any, hints regarding Luffy's mother's identity for those hoping for answers. Everything else is pure conjecture, beyond the reasonable presumption she met Dragon and produced Luffy. Although there is some circumstantial evidence, nothing specific points to Oda purposefully introducing these hints.
Notable Theories Regarding Luffy's Mom
One widely accepted belief was that Luffy's mother, Garp's daughter rather than Dragon's. For a long period, this seemed reasonable; but, One Piece formally refuted the idea that Dragon was Garp's son-in-law. Garp expressly says in a flashback of his training that he cannot believe his son was a revolutionary.
Other fan theories explore more wilder ground, while this theory was consistent with One Piece lore until its debunking. The most well-known hypothesis holds that Luffy's mother is really the villain Crocodile. Crocodile is a trans man, thus this theory is predicated on that. Though this idea has supporters, it lacks strong basis and is refuted by the possible appearance of Luffy and his mother in chapter #1057.
Although the Crocodile theory is quite unlikely, Jujutsu Kaisen supports a similar theory regarding the mother of a character. Other more plausible explanations hold that Luffy's mother is a celestial dragon. Still, the most likely response seems to be that Luffy's mother is not really a character since she is so minor to the story. Oda has been outspoken about his opinion that "mother" is the antithesis of "adventure," and while he might have changed his mind lately or might be teasing fans, it is quite likely that Luffy's mother just has no place in the narrative.
As is often the case with One Piece, new mysteries surface while one mystery seems near resolution. Oda once said, in the SBS for volume 78, that he regards "mother" as the opposite of "adventure," which helps to explain why many of his characters have dead or missing mothers.
This makes it improbable that Luffy's mother will be major story player. Should it be her in chapter #1057, this one panel might be her only one seen. As more information on Luffy's relationship with his father, Dragon, is revealed in the Final Saga, One Piece enthusiasts can still dream of learning more about her.
Designed by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise starting as a manga series following the exploits of the Straw Hat Pirates headed under Monkey D. Luffy. Passionate pirate with an insatiable for adventure, Luffy is cursed with an enigmatic power that bestows upon him different powers he uses to defend himself and his friends. Both of the manga's spawned anime series became among the longest running ones in history. Apart from more than fifty video games created over the years, the series has entered the live-action domain with Netflix's 2023 adaptation.