One Piece: Are Luffy and Rayleigh Related?

The legend of the One Piece and One Piece also starts with the famed Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. And while a lot have tried to do so, Monkey D. Luffy seems to be the one destined to repeat Roger’s legacy. If you’ve been following the series, you’ll have seen that the two of them are very similar in a lot of ways and that a lot is connecting the two, and one of these connections is Silvers Rayleigh, Roger’s first mate. In an episode of the anime, Buggy stated that Rayleigh was actually Luffy’s uncle. In this article, we are going to explain whether Silvers and Luffy are actually related in One Piece.

Monkey D. Luffy and Silvers Rayleigh are not actually related. Buggy indeed said that Rayleigh was Luffy’s uncle, but Buggy is a well-known source of false information. Since there is absolutely nothing that confirms his statement, it is assumed that it is simply incorrect. This would mean that Rayleigh is Garp’s son and Dragon’s brother, which makes absolutely no sense since Rayleigh is the same age as Garp.

The rest of this article will focus on Silvers Rayleigh and Monkey D. Luffy, as we will elaborate on how the two of them are connected and why they are so similar in so many ways. If you don’t know the whole story of One Piece, we have to warn you that there will be spoilers in the following paragraphs.

Is Silvers Rayleigh Luffy’s uncle?

Before we continue, please read what user Straw-Hat Luffy wrote on the One Piece Wikia:

If you remember, when the Whitebeard war was over and Luffy invaded Marine HQ again along with Jinbe and Rayleigh Buggy was seen speaking with Alvida about it. When he learned that Rayleigh was with Luffy he said “Luffy’s father is Dragon and his grandfather is Garp, so Rayleigh is his uncle”. Well I believe in this theory as Buggy has spent a lot of time with Rayeigh and knows some information that we don’t. But I don’t think it’s his uncle, but his great uncle as he and Garp are about the same age, so they could be brothers. Or maybe he’s Luffy’s grand mother’s brother, who is not revealed yet

(Source)

And while it is definitely true that Buggy said this, this world has ignited a series of theories that tried to prove that Silvers Rayleigh is indeed Luffy’s uncle, i.e., Garp’s son and Dragon’s brother. This would mean that his real name would be something like Monkey D. Rayleigh or the like. But, before we tell you that the theory is complete nonsense and there is no possible way of it being true, let us first briefly explore Rayleigh’s background.

Several decades ago, as Rayleigh docked his boat at a small jetty, Gol D. Roger approached him and asked if he wanted to shake the world with him. Rayleigh initially laughs at Roger’s ambitions but joins him nonetheless. Silvers Rayleigh was the vice-captain and handyman in Gold Roger’s pirate gang. He also commands Shanks and Buggy, whose disputes he repeatedly settled with a few headbutts. He leads one of the last major battles under Roger’s flag against Shiki and his armada.

After Gold Rogers’ death, he goes to the Sabaody Archipelago to become a coating artisan. Here, he and Shakuyaku harbor the Boa sisters Hancock, Sandersonia, and Marigold after escaping slavery and is also often visited by Hatchan, who saved his life as a young boy after it was shipwrecked. Rayleigh learns from the newspaper that his captain Roger’s former adversary, Shiki, has escaped from Impel Down Prison. After Fisher Tiger ravaged the holy city of Mary Geoise, Shakuyaku and Rayleigh offered sanctuary to the Boa sisters Hancock, Sandersonia and Marigold, and Gloriosa after escaping Mary Geoise before returning to Amazon Lily.

As you can see, Rayleigh’s past is a mystery, but we can confirm with absolute certainty that he is not related to Luffy in the way that the theory suggests. Okay, he was very interested in Luffy when he first heard about him and wanted to meet him; he also cares for him a lot and has taught him how to use Haki. But, all of this is because Luffy reminds Rayleigh of his old captain and friend, Gol D. Roger, as Rayleigh sees a younger version of Roger in Luffy. This is why he is so emotional about him, not because he is his uncle.

There is a simple truth about why Buggy’s statement about Rayleigh is false – biology doesn’t add up. Namely, if Rayleigh were Luffy’s uncle, that would mean that he is the brother of Luffy’s father, Monkey D. Dragon, or his unnamed mother. In the first case, it would mean that Rayleigh is Garp’s son, and since Garp and Rayleigh are of the same age, this doesn’t really make sense; it could be that Rayleigh is Luffy’s granduncle, as the theory above says, but that would mean that he and Garp are actually twins and that would make even less sense. As for his mother’s side, Oda could make something there since his mother’s story has not been revealed, but we don’t think it is too likely based on what we know about the story so far.

Who are Luffy’s parents?

Now that we know that Luffy is not related to Rayleigh, who is he related to? Who is Luffy’s family? The identity of Luffy’s mother has not yet been revealed. His family background initially revealed that he was raised by his paternal grandfather, Monkey D. Garp, but not much is known about his biological parents. And while his father’s identity has been revealed, Luffy’s mother’s identity has not yet been revealed.

In episode 314 of the anime, which adapted chapter 432 of the manga, titled “Jack in the Box,” it was revealed that Luffy’s biological father was none other than the revolutionary leader Monkey D. Dragon.

He is the well-known commander of the Revolutionary Army, which is attempting to topple the United Nations. He is widely regarded as the “World’s Worst Criminal” and is the greatest adversary of the global government. The father of Monkey D. Luffy is Monkey D. Dragon. He appears to have high expectations for Luffy, much like his father, Monkey D. Garp. Dragon still appears to accept his son’s conduct today, even though he hasn’t yet introduced himself to Luffy.

He appears in Loguetown to see Luffy leave for the Grand Line and prevent Smoker from capturing him, showing that he cares somewhat for his son’s welfare (perhaps to push Luffy to become more mature). Dragon also seems to be very proud of his son because of all the trouble he has caused the world government.

Based on Buggy’s theory, Silvers Rayleigh would have to be Dragon’s brother, but we know that that is not true, as we have explained. Rayleigh is as old as his supposed father based on this theory… so, no, they are not related.