One Piece surprises everyone by revealing that Luffy’s dream is not actually to become the Pirate King, but something even bigger and more outrageous.
Just when fans of One Piece thought they knew everything about the protagonist, Straw Hat Luffy, Eiichiro Oda’s best-selling manga surprised everyone by revealing that Luffy’s real dream is not actually to become the Pirate King. Readers always assumed that this was the Straw Hats captain’s final goal, but chapter #1060 of One Piece showed that Luffy has another, even bigger dream to achieve.
In chapter #1060 of One Piece, the Straw Hats discuss recent troubling developments concerning Luffy’s sworn brother, Sabo, who is a fugitive after being accused of murdering King Cobra. Luffy remembers that, as kids, he, Sabo, and Ace all swore an oath to one day set sail as pirates to achieve their dreams. Sabo said he wanted to see the world and write a book about it. Ace wanted to become a famous pirate and prove that his life was worth something.
Luffy’s words regarding his own dream were not explicitly shown in the original sequence (in chapter# 585), but they left his brothers speechless, so everyone just assumed that he said he wanted to become the Pirate King. However, chapter #1060 clarifies that Luffy’s real dream is something completely different, as his fellow Straw Hats are shocked by the revelation.
Luffy’s True Dream Leaves the Straw Hats Stunned
One Piece by Eiichiro Oda, chapter #1060
In the very first chapter of the manga, which came out 25 years ago, Luffy declared his intention to become the Pirate King, a title that in history belonged to only one man, Gol D. Roger. Since then, Luffy’s journey has been following the same journey that One Piece’s Roger embarked on until his death: recruit a powerful crew of friends and allies, explore the Grand Line, and reach the final, hidden island of Laugh Tale, where Roger’s legendary treasure, the One Piece, lies.
This always seemed to be Luffy’s goal, not for the power that being the Pirate King entails, but because, as the Straw Hat captain said, “the one who is the most free is the Pirate King“. Complete freedom always appeared to be Luffy’s ultimate objective, but Oda later teased that there is a lot more behind that.
The manga or the anime do not show Luffy’s words when talking about his dream, leaving the mystery hanging, but from the Straw Hats’ reactions, it is clear he was not talking about becoming the Pirate King, which then must be only a means to his real goal. There has been a lot of speculation after this on what Luffy’s real dream in One Piece is.
There is a good chance that his dream still has to do with freedom, as this is the concept that motivates all of Luffy’s actions: how to be free and how to protect his freedom and that of his friends. To leave the entire crew speechless, however, it must be something outrageous like abolishing the World Government, the tyrannical organization that rules the world, but this would perhaps be too predictable, so the question remains open.
Luffy’s Dream Is A Mystery in One Piece, But it Doesn’t Change Him
Twenty-five years after its debut, One Piece is still capable of surprising its fans, forcing them to reconsider everything they knew about the protagonist of the story. However, the revelation that Luffy’s final goal is not to be the Pirate King does not change the character abruptly. Whatever Luffy’s real dream will be, it will play into his motivations and philosophy of life in the way that they have been established throughout the course of One Piece.
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