Luffy? Find out what the name of the protagonist of One Piece could have been

Monkey D. Lufy, also known as Straw Hat, is the main character of “One Piece”, a manga written by EiichiroOda which was published in Japan in July 1997, and follows the protagonist joining several other pirates on a long journey across the sea in search of fame, power and riches contained in the largest and most sought-after treasure in the world.

The one-day Pirate King has also had his story adapted into anime and live-action productions over the past few decades. But long before he graced the pages and screens, the beloved figure who can stretch like a rubber band could have had another name, and what’s more, another origin.

Another protagonist?

It turns out that when the story was still in its early stages, everything was quite different. This is because some prototypes of ‘One Piece’ show that the narrative started with the provisional title “Forward”, and had as its main character Monkey D.Pao, a possible thief!

The revelation came with the release of the Blu-Ray version of the anime ‘Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation’ in Japan, since, in addition to following the production, fans who purchased it had access to the sketches of some characters made more than 30 years ago by Oda.

That’s because, ‘Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation’ was sold with a booklet called Katai Shinroku that contains interviews with the mangaka and some sketches of the initial concept and design of what would become the life’s work of the creator of the universe starring Luffy; check it out!

Even though Pao didn’t make it into the final version, much of him is noticeable in Monkey D. Luffy, since, in addition to the same surname, in the illustration, he wears a bandana with a circular pattern similar to those seen on Devil Fruits, the mysterious fruits that give powers to those who ingest them.

In the story published by OdaLuffy eats a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit called the Gomu Gomu no Mi, whose pattern is most similar to that found on the scarf tied around Pao’s head.

From the design of the bandana, it is also possible to believe that more than changing the protagonist’s first name, his origin was also changed before reaching the shelves. This is because, in Japanese culture, this pattern is commonly associated with thieves, so it is likely that Oda wrote the character as a thief and then adapted the story to turn him into the pirate known to fans.