The following article contains spoilers from the Marineford arc in One Piece.
Whether you watch the One Piece anime, the live-action, or even read the manga, you’ll immediately notice that Luffy has a handful of traits that immediately catch your eye. First, there’s his iconic Straw Hat. Secondly, his distinctive red and blue attire. Thirdly, his scars.
At the time of writing, Luffy has two prominent scars that are immediately noticeable when you look at him. He bears a scar under his eye, a well-known mark dating back to his childhood when he chose to stab himself in the face to prove his toughness. The other scar is on his chest, forming a large ‘X’ across it.
While fans caught up in the story already know the grisly details behind Luffy’s chest tattoo, some new fans joining the magnetic fun may have come across a picture of Luffy and wondered exactly where that gigantic scar comes from.
How did Luffy get his chest scar?
Luffy’s ‘X’ scar on his chest was the result of one of the most daunting moments in his life, which occurred during the Marineford arc. When Luffy witnessed his brother Ace being killed in front of his eyes, he went into complete shock and entered a comatose state. At that moment, he resigned himself to facing death at the hands of Akainu, unable to move or flee from any attack.
It was then that Jinbe leapt to Luffy’s rescue, attempting to shield him from Akainu’s sight by escaping as fast as he could. Despite Jinbe’s efforts, the Admiral managed to pursue them, thrusting his fist through Jinbe’s body until he reached Luffy. This resulted in the fishman enduring a life-threatening magma attack that eventually burned its way to Luffy’s chest, leaving him with a major scar in the shape of an ‘X.
While all of these events happened during the Marineford arc, it isn’t until after the two-year time skip that we finally learn about the infamous chest scar and how it all unfolded. Despite being a somewhat minor injury compared to Jinbe’s chest hole, Luffy’s burn was still life-threatening, and the reason why both Straw Hats pirates are still living and breathing lies in Law’s efforts and immediate surgery that kept them alive.
The chest scar will always serve as a reminder of the events at Marineford. Despite losing his brother, Luffy will always bear the scar as a constant reminder of the day that changed his life. Fortunately, our main character is still Luffy, and if anything, he proudly displays his scar, not giving it a second thought.