Could Luffy (gasp!) Take Up Reading?

[sgamer82]

This is something I've wondered about a little while now. It occurred to me that twice now, by Shakky and Nyon, Luffy has been chided for not following the newspapers and, by extension, World Events.

Oda's not one to mention things like this without meaning. Nor is Luffy one to casually disregard good advice when he hears it. So I wonder if this means Luffy, if he doesn't take up following the newspapers himself, might begin relying on someone in his crew to help him keep track (Robin, most likely, barring someone new).

If he realizes that doing so might've made him aware of Ace's plight much sooner, then I think odds are high.

[John Giant]

smite him…..........lol

nah only joking, but on a serious note does this really justify its own thread, like how many pages can this really be discussed.....i think theories/questions that don't deserve there own thread?

not meaning to offend,it just seems unworthy of a thread

[*Meh*]

Well, Luffy has already shown some reliance on Robin in this regard. Back at Water 7, when Garp told Luffy his father was Dragon, Luffy asked Robin to fill him in on who Dragon was, so that he could understand why everybody and their cousin's uncle was freaking out over this news.

As to taking up reading himself, I don't see him doing it very much. He doesn't seem like the kind of person that can keep much stored away mentally for later use. His long term memory seems kind of fuzzy about details- probably a result of his recreational drug use.

[John Giant]

@_Meh_:

probably a result of his recreational drug use.

recreational drug use…..
that had me in stitches, any drugs in particular, or just one giant cocktail ?

[*Meh*]

Well, let's review, shall we?

Alabasta: "Crazy Cactus". Made Luffy hallucinate and behave erratically until Chopper shot him up with a sedative.

Amazon Lily: "Laughing Mushrooms". Made Luffy laugh hysterically, until he tried another(different) batch that made him violent.

Both incidents occurred when Luffy was left unsupervised in a harsh environment (desert, jungle), so it seems that he uses drugs to deal with stress when he doesn't have an audience to help relieve boredom by fighting or playing with.

Maybe after a few quaaludes, Luffy could handle the front page of the Grand Times without harshing his mellow.

[Denimjo]

I think Luffy has finally realized that he needs to start reading the newspapers more, yes; in fact, I was thinking about this just the other day. I expect it'll be part of his maturing process.

To compare: Shanks is a fairly laid back kind of guy that really doesn't go out of his way to provoke fights and seems to be in it more for the adventure than any actual treasure itself. However, he knows the importance of knowing about what's going on in the world around him. How did he find out about Ace being sent after Blackbeard?

He may not read the papers every day, but I expect Luffy will either start scanning them for important information or asking Robin or Nami if anything of importance was in them.

[*Meh*]

It's interesting to note that Luffy is just coming to a realization of how dynamic the world around him is. Especially since it happens just when everything is in a state of flux; partly due to his own actions.

[Zkaiser]

@John:

smite him…..........lol

nah only joking, but on a serious note does this really justify its own thread, like how many pages can this really be discussed.....i think theories/questions that don't deserve there own thread?

not meaning to offend,it just seems unworthy of a thread

You are such a hypocrite.

[sufjan]

i doubt that luffy will take up reading, it seems to against his care free personality. he might rely more on robin for a quick gist on whoever they meet/fighting or hear about

[dirt monkey AL]

Nami is the newspaper reader, so he might just go to her for the funny papers.

[*Meh*]

This is why the Thousand Sunny needs a t.v. Luffy seems far more likely to find a tidbit in the news about something important while channel surfing than to sit down with a newspaper. Then again, the image of an excited Luffy destroying the newspaper in different ways when he finds something of interest would be a new sight gag to look forward to.

[maxterdexter]

I hope that when the crew gets back together Luffy will get more interested in the world that is ahead and the world that is his enemy, there is enough info that slipped him that is close to hurt his crew and his family, Luffy isn't the kind of guy that makes the same mistake twice (unless is for gag purposes)

[*Meh*]

I definitely see Luffy wanting to know more about what's going on around him, but I still can't see him sitting still long enough to read an entire newspaper. Scan, Skim, then Peruse whatever is of interest, maybe. But Luffy is the kind of character that doesn't even wait to hear the entirety of battle strategies aimed at rescuing a friend from a World Gov't. stronghold. When he wants to know something, it's always in the immediate present tense.

As a less preposterous suggestion, I could definitely see Luffy trying to build an information network by getting the Phone Snail numbers of more people as he moves through the Grand Line. It even seemed to be hinted at by Duval giving the crew his number.

EDIT: I meant "less preposterous" in comparison to my remark that they should get a t.v.

[blue-san]

The last episode in anime contained the discussion with Shakey and I thought about that as well.
Luffy or someone from the crew should be paying more attention to what goes around…this would mean that they would know about the Supernovas as they come to AP and so on...

I however think it wont happen, its the typical shounen thing when the main cast knows little to nothing about important things so they can be revealed to them as they go and thus surprising us readers along with it...

Shame though as if anything it would at least be normal they read the newspapers all the time.
(btw we did ocasionally saw them read one like when they got new bounties or something like that...)

[duo014]

Maybe luffy can't read, mabe he can only read numbers and wanted posters xD

[flandrian15]

I think it is in Luffy's personality that he doens't read papers. He doesn't want to get to know something in such a boring way. All he wants to know he will get to know by his owm means. . . Having known the supernovae would for instance have been boring for Luffy.. .

[Rori]

letting Luffy read newspapers would be boring lol, there's no surprise news anymore and such. then again my opinion

[Silence]

Why read when Robin has practically an encyclopedic knowledge of virtually everything and everyone in the OP universe? It would take a lot of the kick out of things to come if Luffy stopped reacting with childish shock to every little thing and looking to Robin, Nami, or Sanji to explain things to him.

[grunk]

Short answer: No.

Long answer: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[DaeJi]

In order to read Luffy would have to sit still for long periods of time, something I don't think he has in him. Besides, Nami and Robin read the paper and know a bit about the world so he can just ask them. Although, Luffy does need to mature as the story continues so he should at one point at least read one book.

[Roku Ou Gan]

he'll make brook sing the news every day to make it interactive and fun.

[flandrian15]

Luffy probably doesn't even understand the word interactive

[Fiasco.]

This thread is still alive?

It would been better if you had a theory that Luffy couldn't read which would support another theory that would state One Piece is in a world where schools don't exsist….but this, stop the pain.

[Airflow]

No. If Luffy defeats the next villain by reading about them in the paper and planning ahead, I will eat Oda.

[Jane Doe]

hey, if luffy start reading the newspaper
he'll become a smart captin….....
Robin and Nami will get kicked out of their job
(of being informative and stadegy and ordering newspaper)

in one piece
Girl = smart
Guys = all brawl and no brain

[CCC]

@Airflow101:

No. If Luffy defeats the next villain by reading about them in the paper and planning ahead, I will eat Oda.

This. We'd no longer have amazing landscape spreads or stupefyingly massive special attacks, accompanied by "DON"s if the crew knew what was coming before they reached their next destination/enemy.

[Denimjo]

@CCC:

This. We'd no longer have amazing landscape spreads or stupefyingly massive special attacks, accompanied by "DON"s if the crew knew what was coming before they reached their next destination/enemy.

We could still have that upon the realization that gasp! the protagonists knew something that we (the readers) didn't ahead of time.

[raj]

Him reading would make for a boring read

[*Meh*]

Given that Luffy can be rather gung-ho when he tries something new, coupled with his tendency to blow through money like a Category 2 hurricane, what are the chances that he'll spend half a million berries or more on buying every newspaper he can get his hands on?

[barkadat3p]

I'm ok with him reading a newspaper, like some people said it's an essential part of him maturing as a captain knowing the important things happening in the world. Him reading say a history book is out of the question…

[Jane Doe]

Hey, check out this filler episode
http://onepieceepisode.blogspot.com/2008/07/episode-134.html
this is what happens when luffy take up reading ^.^ robin's rainbow mist series

[Aldaron42]

For the person who said the guys are all brawn and no brain…well, I know it was a facetious generalization, but I still would like to point out that (ignoring the fact that Chopper is a doctor) Sanji might just be the most brilliant of the entire group!

His foresight and tactical prowess saved the Strawhats in Enies Lobby after all!

[Neuro]

@Aldaron42:

For the person who said the guys are all brawn and no brain…well, I know it was a facetious generalization, but I still would like to point out that (ignoring the fact that Chopper is a doctor) Sanji might just be the most brilliant of the entire group!

His foresight and tactical prowess saved the Strawhats in Enies Lobby after all!

But Sanji is soon to become a Tranny

[flandrian15]

and tranny's can't be smart?

tranny does not equal woman

[Jadosra]

I do believe that there's no need.

As long as Oda continues to give US (The readers) important details of the world (such as Ace VS Blackbeard and Shanks VS Kaidou), it doesn't matter.

In fact, its worse…

As Luffy wouldn't go all randomly and lose the first round, to use something that would make us "WOW" later.

[Conekiller]

@duo014:

Maybe luffy can't read, mabe he can only read numbers and wanted posters xD

Luffy has been shown to be able to read before. I don't recall exactly when, all I remember is thinking "Ah, so Luffy IS able to read!"

[Squilly]

@Conekiller:

Luffy has been shown to be able to read before. I don't recall exactly when, all I remember is thinking "Ah, so Luffy IS able to read!"

I think that was in Water 7, where Nami handed him the newspaper that had the article about Iceberg being shot. Well, I thought that as well when I saw that.

[Ivotas]

@Conekiller:

Luffy has been shown to be able to read before. I don't recall exactly when, all I remember is thinking "Ah, so Luffy IS able to read!"

It was at Arabasta when the entered Crocodile's casino. There was the sign that said "VIP's left, Pirates right" and Luffy chose the right path because of it.

[Jadosra]

But it was Usopp who read "Pirates" there, Ivotas

[Ivotas]

He did? Well yeah, that much for that point of mine.^^

[Jadosra]

At least in the anime, IIRC, might be different in the manga.