Luffy knew freedom intimately, the heady, rich kind that was often synonymous with piracy. Freedom was open skies and sudden storms. It was finding friendship with unlikely people, and loving those friends unconditionally, not to defy discrimination, but because he was unaware of the meanings of such words. Freedom was never knowing what to expect from each fresh new day, a feeling more delectable than any gourmet dish he had tasted.
Freedom for Luffy was also the absence of regret, or never having reason to. He careened forward without any backward glances, stood firmly by his decisions, and jumped heart first into bed with a green-haired swordsman. There was never a second thought involved – being with Zoro came as naturally to Luffy as breathing or eating. Freedom gained depth and resonance only when there was someone to share it with.