Rubick

Biodata

Background and History

Rubick was a takeout delivery worker before arriving in another world. Pirates captured him and forced him to carry ore in an illegal mine. Smoker’s Marines rescued the miners and brought them to Loguetown, where Rubick asked to enlist. Smoker rejected him because he could not give a convincing account of his identity or family 1 2.

Rubick stayed in Loguetown to recover and train, first working at the docks and then becoming deputy security captain at the Rose Bar. There he met Nico Robin, copied her Flower-Flower Fruit power, and proposed an alliance to uncover the Void Century. He told her he intended to guide a capable leader to Laugh Tale rather than lead the journey himself 2 3 6 7 8.

After leaving Loguetown, Rubick trained at the Baratie, traveled with Zoro, and met Nami while pursuing pirate bounties. Garp later took him aboard a Marine warship to investigate his copying ability and brought him to Foosha Village. Rubick fought Luffy there, demonstrated Gear Second using Luffy’s copied power, and spent the following months training with him. They agreed to meet near Loguetown after Luffy found companions 11 14 17 25 27 29.

Rubick subsequently protected the Anderson family from Kuro and used their resources to train. He then killed Arlong and occupied Arlong Park. His demands frightened Cocoyasi Village, although he drove off other pirates and arranged fair trade for the villagers. When Luffy’s crew arrived, Rubick revealed his identity, joined them as their trainer, and began preparing them for the Grand Line 34 35 44 45 47 48.

Appearance

Months of food and physical work transformed Rubick from a gaunt former miner into a broad, muscular man about 180 centimeters tall 1 2.

• After a haircut, he wears his hair short at the sides with a textured top 25.
• His outfit aboard Garp’s ship consists of a gray T-shirt, black cargo pants, brown combat boots, and a brown hooded trench coat 25.
• He uses disguises, including the name Slark in Cocoyasi Village and a mask when testing the Straw Hats 45 47.

Personality

Rubick’s experience in the mine makes survival and independence immediate priorities. He conceals his abilities when he thinks exposure could put him in danger, and he repeatedly delays dangerous voyages or fights until he has trained further. Despite his ambition, he prefers supporting a captain to leading a crew 1 2 3 35.

He initially refuses to kill a defeated pirate, but later struggles with bloodlust while fighting Red’s crew. Seawater interrupts that episode, and Rubick recognizes the need to restrain his darker impulses. He later kills Kuro and Arlong deliberately 6 22 23 34 44.

Rubick also enjoys teasing and theatrical tests. His treatment of Cocoyasi Village and staged confrontation with the Straw Hats obscure his protective intentions, while his farewells show an attachment to people he has trained and traveled with 25 40 45 47 48.

Abilities and Skills

Skill Theft and Arcane Supremacy

Rubick’s Skill Theft, also called Spell Steal, copies another person’s Devil Fruit power; he describes his ability to others as the Copy-Copy Fruit. The copy carries the original power’s weaknesses. Arcane Supremacy strengthens his copied Devil Fruit abilities 1 25 27.

• Copying Robin’s Flower-Flower Fruit gives Rubick her current level of mastery; he can control eight manifested arms when Robin can control six 6 7.
• Robin deduces that he can use only one copied person’s power at a time at that point. Rubick later hopes to develop the ability to hold several powers simultaneously, but has not demonstrated doing so 6 38.

Copied Devil Fruit Powers

• Smoke-Smoke Fruit — Rubick can turn elemental to let ordinary attacks pass through him, extend smoke limbs, and propel himself through the air. Seawater weakens him and grounds him; Haki and Seastone also remain threats 1 22 25 45.
• Flower-Flower Fruit — He sprouts and controls extra hands, using them to manipulate objects while practicing the copied power 6.
• Luffy’s power — After copying Luffy, Rubick stretches his body and uses Gear Second to boost his speed and strength. He can initially sustain Gear Second only briefly and use it once a day 27 29.

Physical Combat and the Six Powers

Rubick develops a boxing-based fighting style through training and later teaches himself Marine techniques 5 39 42.

• Iron Body hardens his muscles for defense; Soru provides bursts of speed, and Geppo lets him move through the air 42 43.
• Immortal Points the Way, his version of Shigan, concentrates force into a fingertip strike. He uses it to incapacitate Chew and to knock Luffy back without releasing the full force into his body 39 43 47.
• He can launch cutting waves with Tempest Kick, though Zoro blocks the waves he uses against the Straw Hats 47.
• He trains to sense attacks without sight as a step toward Kami-e and Observation Haki. He says he is beginning to grasp Observation Haki, but cannot use Armament or Conqueror’s Haki 40 43 49.

Equipment and Items

• Brass knuckles — His early boxing weapon at the Rose Bar 5 6.
• Blacked-out goggles — Used to remove his sight during combat training against Arlong’s crew 43.
• Steel training rig — An Anderson-family apparatus fitted with four one-ton weights 35.
• Going Merry — Rubick leaves the completed ship in Usopp’s care for Luffy’s future crew 40.

Relationships

• Monkey D. Luffy — Training partner and eventual captain. Rubick demonstrates Gear Second to him, then agrees to join once Luffy has gathered companions 27 28 29 48.
• Nico Robin — Ally in the search for the Void Century’s history; Rubick trusts her ability to read Poneglyphs and is romantically interested in her 7 8.
• Roronoa Zoro — Traveling and bounty-hunting companion. Zoro intervenes when Rubick loses control during their fight with Red’s pirates 14 19 22 23.
• Nami — Bounty-hunting acquaintance and later crewmate. Rubick’s staged abduction of her is intended to test Luffy’s crew 17 18 45 48.
• Sanji — Baratie trainer and later crewmate. Sanji rescues Rubick after kicking him into the sea during a sparring match 11 12 48.
• Usopp — Rubick encourages his ambition, protects him from Kuro, and entrusts him with the Going Merry 30 31 33 40.
• Powell Anderson — Friend and supporter who supplies training equipment and later arranges fair trade for Cocoyasi Village 31 35 48.
• Smoker — The Marine who rescues Rubick from the mine and whose power Rubick first copies. Smoker later investigates him after Arlong’s death 1 44 45.
• Garp — Investigates Rubick’s copying ability and assigns him to test Luffy, but declines to train him 25 26 28.

Trivia

• Rubick’s account of a fog-shrouded Dragon Country on the Grand Line, including the surname Hu, is a background story he invents to explain his origins 9 10.
• One reason he trains his copying ability is the hope that combining Devil Fruit powers might someday let him return to his original world; he does not know whether this is possible 38.