Warning: the following article contains spoilers for One Piece’s Wano arc for anime-only watchers.
Throughout the entirety of One Piece‘s long run, countless faces have come and gone across its thousand episodes and chapters. Whether the character’s journey derived from a past filled with criminal activity as a pirate or as an antagonist towards our favorite group of perfectly imperfect Straw Hat crew, each character introduced received its deserving moment of growth and development. Recently, one of the characters finally reached a moment of introspection in this convoluted story and it was none other than the mysterious Rayleigh.
Since his first appearance in episode eight, the audience has met with Rayleigh from time to time. From his flashback with Roger, the King of Pirates, to his most recent becoming the savior of Amazon Lily, the Kuja Pirates, and, their captain Boa Hancock post-Wano events, Rayleigh has resumed his role in the story since his last appearance in Amazon Lily. Sometime during the anime, Buggy refers to Rayleigh as Luffy’s uncle, understandably causing the looming question of whether the main character is related to the powerful piracy force that is Rayleigh, so we’ve come to clear all your understandable concerns.
Are Luffy and Rayleigh related?
Rayleigh’s first appearance in One Piece dates all the way back to the first East Blue saga. Initially introduced as the former right hand and first mate of the most powerful crew in the world, anchored by Gol D. Roger, Rayleigh was once a part of the most feared pirates in the One Piece universe. Capable of still causing shivers among the rookies in the pirate stratosphere, this older fighter became Luffy’s most needed mentor when the Straw Hat swore to become stronger in the infamous two-year gap, teaching the young pirate patience and most of all, the most efficient way to control his rampaging Haki.
Despite being called “Luff’s uncle” by Buggy, Rayleigh and Luffy are nothing but friends with a mentor/mentee relationship. The familial term uncle is often used in Japan to refer to older males in a friendly setting, and Buggy, as a well-known debauchery pirate, would certainly not be referring to any blood ties between the Straw Hat and the Dark King. Moreover, it would not be the first time such a revelation would come at an oddly specific time, but a lot of Luffy’s own family tree has already been revealed, albeit with undoubtedly many more mysteries to be solved in the future.
Aside from being his mentor, friend, and important figure in Luffy’s life, Rayleigh’s presence in the story will continue to set ablaze some of the most essential moments in the story, especially once more information is unveiled regarding his battle with the fourth emperor, Blackbeard.
