Monkey D. Luffy is the protagonist of One Piece, created by Eiichiro Oda for the manga that began in 1997 and the anime adaptation that followed in 1999. His distinctive, carefree laugh became one of his most recognisable traits alongside his straw hat and rubber powers. As One Piece grew into one of the longest running and most popular anime series worldwide, short clips of Luffy laughing were shared across forums, video edits and soundboards, becoming a shorthand for carefree joy among anime fans.