One Piece hints that Luffy's mother may be an Amazon Lily Empress

The identity of Monkey D. Luffy’s biological mother remains one of the enduring mysteries in One Piece, even as the series goes through its final saga. Neither the manga, nor the anime, nor other supplementary canon sources such as the SBS section of the databooks have revealed the identity and current status of the main protagonist’s mother, sparking a wide range of fan theories on the topic.

With the release of One Piece chapter 1156, a fascinating new theory has emerged, speculating that Luffy’s mother could be Tritoma, the Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily who preceded Boa Hancock and succeeded Gloriosa and Shakuyaku. Tritoma died exactly 13 years before the current storyline, and with Luffy being 19 years old, the timeframe at least doesn’t hinder the theory.

One Piece author Eiichiro Oda’s decision to provide no details about Luffy’s mother could indicate that her character is unimportant to the main plot, or that she is a pivotal figure whose reveal is saved for a grand moment. Given Luffy’s unconventional family relationships, Oda may prioritize narrative simplicity over adding new parental dynamics.

However, the hypothesis surrounding Tritoma stands out as a compelling theory, grounded in character connections and narrative patterns established within the series.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1156.

The latest One Piece chapter suggests that Tritoma could be Luffy's mother

A fascinating theory

Amazon Lily wasn't among the places that Kuma visited (Image via Shueisha)

When asked about the identity of Monkey D. Luffy’s mother, Eiichiro Oda once described her as a strong, strict, and not particularly beautiful woman. Most fans interpreted this as a reference to Curly Dadan, a mountain bandit from Foosha Village who raised Luffy alongside his foster brothers, Sabo and Portgas D. Ace, at the request of Monkey D. Garp.

Despite her rough demeanor, Dadan deeply cared for the boys. Although Dadan has been the closest thing to a maternal figure in Luffy’s life, she clearly isn’t his biological mother, which leaves the question still unresolved.

Interestingly, when Bartholomew Kuma used his Devil Fruit powers to forcibly separate the Straw Hat Pirates, scattering them across the world, he chose their destinations carefully. Kuma had previously traveled the globe in the hope of finding a cure for Jewelry Bonney’s disease, his journey leading him to Kuraigana Island, Weatheria, the Boin Archipelago, and Tequila Wolf, i.e., the very places to which he would later send Luffy’s comrades.

Luffy's arrival in Amazon Lily (Image via Toei Animation)

Roronoa Zoro was sent to Kuraigana Island, Nami was sent to Weatheria, and so on. As for Luffy, he was sent to Amazon Lily, a women-only island located in the Calm Belt and inhabited by the Kuja tribe. Kuma deliberately selected the locations where he sent each Straw Hat to enable all of them to train and prepare for the New World’s challenges, so it’s reasonable to believe he did the same for Luffy, especially since Luffy was not only the crew’s captain but also the son of his friend, Monkey D. Dragon.

Unlike the places where he sent Zoro and the others, however, Kuma was never shown visiting Amazon Lily. Considering Kuma’s thoughtful approach, this suggests that Luffy’s connection to this island was significant on its own to justify his placement there. With this in mind, it’s intriguing to consider the possibility that Luffy is the son of a woman from Amazon Lily, as in that case, Kuma would have sent Luffy to his mother’s homeland.

Tritoma's Love Sickness

A young Tritoma as seen four decades before the present time (Image via Shueisha)

Based on this theory, the only potential candidate to be Luffy’s mother would be Tritoma, a beautiful young woman who became the Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily after Shakuyaku, who in turn succeeded to Gloriosa. Unfortunately, Tritoma died 13 years before the present narration, her death caused by Love Sickness.

This disease typically affects Kuja tribe leaders who suppress their emotions after falling in love with a man, causing their health to decline until they eventually die. Allegedly, there’s only one way to cure Love Sickness: embracing emotions and leaving Amazon Lily to follow the loved one.

Gloriosa and Shakuyaku both survived the illness by leaving the island, Gloriosa after falling in love with Gol D. Roger, and Shakuyaku after falling in love with Roger’s second-in-command, Silvers Rayleigh. Shakuyaku even married Rayleigh, and the two became a stable married couple.

Monkey D. Dragon as seen in One Piece (Image via Toei Animation)

The current Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, contracted Love Sickness from her infatuation with Monkey D. Luffy, but managed to mitigate the symptoms and survive by spending time close to Luffy. However, her crush on Luffy persists, leading to frequent humorous gags where Hancock offers to marry him, only for Luffy to refuse, but she comically misunderstands this as proof of his interest in her.

If Tritoma was indeed Luffy’s mother, she likely contracted Love Sickness from falling in love with Monkey D. Dragon. Their paths may have crossed during the events surrounding the kidnapping of Boa Hancock and her sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold.

Hancock was abducted and enslaved by the Celestial Dragons at age 12. She is currently a 31-year-old woman, which places the incident approximately 19 years before the present narration. At the time, the Pirate Empress in charge was most certainly Tritoma.

Due to her role, Tritoma likely sought to rescue Hancock and her sisters, which could have led to her encounter with Dragon’s Revolutionary Army. As the only organization directly opposing the World Government, the Revolutionary Army would have eagerly assisted someone wronged by the despotic Celestial Dragons.

Dragon and Kuma's conversation about Dragon's son (Image via Shueisha)

The One Piece story suggests that Pirate Empresses are prone to fall in love with notorious figures. As the founder and supreme commander of the Revolutionary Army, and a man hailed as “The World’s Worst Criminal,” Dragon fits this model. Dragon charisma probably captivated Tritoma, leading to a love story that eventually resulted in the birth of their son, Monkey D. Luffy.

As it’s well known, Dragon distanced himself from Luffy to protect the child from those who might target his son. He left the infant Luffy in the care of his own father, Monkey D. Garp, who, in turn, entrusted him to Curly Dadan after spending some time training him.

Amazon Lily’s customs forbade males from living on the island, so Tritoma couldn’t have raised the child. Thus, both may have agreed to leave him with Garp. Unable to live with her loved one, a man wholly devoted to his cause, and separated from her son, Tritoma’s health deteriorated under the weight of stress and depression. This ultimately led to her death, which happened when Luffy was six years old.

As a close friend of Dragon and a former member of the Revolutionary Army, Bartholomew Kuma likely knew this, which could explain why he later chose to send Luffy to Amazon Lily.

A subtle hint or a glaring red herring?

Tritoma and Luffy do resemble each other (Image via Shueisha)

An easy and immediate counterargument to the theory that Tritoma is Luffy’s mother would be the statement remarking that all Kuja women who return pregnant to Amazon Lily always give birth to females. However, this would not necessarily disprove the theory. By the way it’s worded, the statement likely applies only to births delivered on Amazon Lily.

Tritoma could have given birth elsewhere, unaffected by the mysterious force of nature that causes babies born on the island to be female. It should be noted that Tritoma’s character was only briefly introduced in the SBS of One Piece volume 109, before actually debuting in the One Piece manga in chapter 1156. This installment, which delves into the past to narrate the events leading to the God Valley Incident, features the Kuja Pirates from three generations ago.

Among them is a young Tritoma, depicted as a beautiful girl of slender frame with a warm, joyful smile and a kind demeanor. Her cheerful expression and shoulder-length dark hair may bear a striking resemblance to Luffy’s, but what’s truly interesting is that Tritoma’s first and only manga appearance occurs in chapter 1156.

Amazon Lily as seen in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

In Japanese, the number 56 can be read as “Go” (5) and “Mu” (6), forming “Gomu”, which can be seen as a nod to Monkey D. Luffy, who ate a Devil Fruit whose Japanese name was initially stated to be the Gomu-Gomu no Mi.

One Piece author Eiichiro Oda is known for loving numerical references and frequently weaving them into his story. The unique coincidence with the number of this chapter may hint at Tritoma being the future mother of the main character. Granted, knowing Oda’s penchant for misdirection, this could also be a red herring.

So far, Luffy’s journey in One Piece has emphasized bonds forged through adventure and shared experiences rather than blood ties. The sudden introduction of Luffy’s mother in the story could conflict with this theme. Still, fans have been speculating on her identity for years, and the author’s ambiguity on the topic only fuels further speculation.

One Piece hints that Luffy's mother may be an Amazon Lily Empress

The latest One Piece chapter suggests that Tritoma could be Luffy's mother

A fascinating theory

Tritoma's Love Sickness

A subtle hint or a glaring red herring?

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