Pounce D. Luk/Personality and Relationships

Personality
Considering his background, that of a enslaved cabin boy at the hands of a set of rather unscrupulous pirates, one would imagine that Luk would not be very friendly towards the idea of piracy, much less become a pirate himself. However, his befriending by Fleury managed to change that view, embedding him with an idea of what a "true pirate" should be. This is a philosophy that Luk has stuck with every day of his life since, and it is an ideal that he is constantly trying to reach. Wanting to become a pirate among pirates so as to spread it around the whole of the world and to every pirate on the sea, he has vaguer dreams of grandeur. The position of Pirate King isn't enough for him; he must reach something far bigger, more encompassing, for his dream to be fulfilled (at least in his mind). This ideal has also highly effected how Luk interacts with others, at least on the surface level. Quick to make judgments about people, he is thus prone to surprise when they turn out far more evil or kind than he expected. Thankfully, he is also quick to change his view of them, at times switching perspectives on them multiple times over the course of their interaction, such as his meeting and conversations with his future shipwright Rembrandt Silve. He devotes himself fully to each new perception and acts accordingly, often shocking others with how his attitude can change even mid-conversation.

Ever-attempting to reach his goal (with no crystal-clear way of actually doing so in his head), Luk can commonly be found with a notebook or other note-taking device somewhere on his person, ready to be drawn and used at a moment's notice. This is especially apparent in his interactions with fellow pirates, some bounty hunters and revolutionaries, and even the occasional Marine. So long as he believes that they have good ideas or methods that will help him reach his goal, Luk will jot the best notes down he can about it. This note-taking ranges in subject, from combat to casual interaction with one's peers and subordinates; generally, anything Luk finds interesting or useful. This notebook can often appear from nowhere, even if the young pirate has no current place in which to realistically store it out of sight.

His ideal has also lead him to develop what some might describe as a warped sense of justice. Showing open contempt for those that don't live up to his ideal of what a person of that position or job should be, Luk is quick to correct them anyway possible. While not adverse to simply discussing with them and showcasing his beliefs, he prefers playing the man of action whenever possible. He will either demonstrate by himself what they should be doing or straight-up engage them in battle depending on his level of annoyance or anger at them. While often a trouble to both him and his crew, the various "degrees" of this anger can prove useful at times; he is much less likely to take action if their infractions are, in his view, quite minor, though if they escalate than his responses due likewise. His own perceptions aside, Luk has also demonstrated a strong hatred of injustice and is quick to act against it, not mindful of the consequences such actions would cause. In his own words, if something happens in front of him, he refuses to ignore it. Likely an extension of his view of what a true pirate should be, this refusal to stay quiet no matter where he is causes as much trouble as his highly judgmental nature, though it has also won Luk admirers of various degrees, and has even helped shift future crewmates to their decision of joining him on his journey. For no matter their goal, Luk will support his friends in their endeavors, freely offering advice as to how they can accomplish it and standing by them when their goal is challenged no matter the situation. He also accepts advice towards the achievement of his own dream, but is much more picky and analytical of that advice than what he gives himself.

He generally presents a more reserved and almost prickly persona when around strangers or people whom he has had limited interaction with. He is slightly quiet and a tad more confrontational, quick to speak out when he disagrees with them or has something to say he feels is important. Luk is described as the sort of person who allows his emotions to boil up freely, though they are not always apparent until they actually boil over, upon which they explode. This can range from anger (beginning with shadowed eyes, advancing to a darkly clenched fist, and finally reaching the point where he decks someone without reservation). His background as an effective slave has lead him to be naturally on the quiet side, but he has also learned how to express himself freely. This generally results in him expressing his emotions on his face without appearing to change posture or his aura shifting. From his usual happy-go-lucky smile to a gaping, surprised mouth to even outright hostility, Luk can keep his actual physical position unchanged. This gives others the impression that he is adept at keeping his cool, even though this is not necessarily the case, as he can "explode" freely from this position at will. This has lead to him being labeled as "unpredictable", an apt description when encountering him for the first time.

Around his crew and close friends, however, Luk shifts somewhat. Kind and much more expressive, he gains a relaxed demeanor around them. Interacting with his crewmates freely and at often random times, he derives genuine pleasure from simply hanging out with them. His posture is much more fluid, he is easier to read, and his emotions rise to the surface much more frequently. Unafraid to confide to any of them, Luk values their friendship perhaps more than they realize. He has demonstrated a constant desire to remain with them, willing to sacrifice limbs or even his life in order to help them when they need it. While he can stubborn and hard-to-please around more distant acquaintances, Luk is more flexible when it comes to the members of his crew, and is always ready to listen to their side of it (even if he refutes their point immediately afterwards). He also appears more open and willing to discuss his personal philosophy and those of others with his close friends. However, he has a slight aversion to expressing his own personal insecurities and troubles to others, for varying reasons depending on the exact situation, who he is speaking to, and what the problem he is dealing with actually is. This more relaxed and open persona can on occasion extend to others, as Luk possesses sympathy for those in similar situations to those he has been in. When encountering people in this state (especially children), he comforts them easily and without any awkwardness on his part (usually), offering advice from one who has been there and any encouraging words in his arsenal. Often, he leaves them with that, exiting without a word and desperately hoping what he did worked for the better.

Having been "raised" by rather cruel and authoritative people, Luk has a disdainful look on anyone with any amount of power, and seeks desperately to not become like those who surrounded him as a child. While he takes a certain joy in defying authority, he also has a sort of twisted respect for them, acting at least initially polite. Though this appears to grate him badly, it takes a serious action for him to throw away respect completely and engage them; he is notably more happy and relieved when this occurs.

Ironically, he also strives to fill his position as captain the best he can. Tying in with his obsessive note-taking, Luk tries to find a balance between being an authoritative leader and allowing his crewmates the freedom they need to fulfill their own dreams. While he possesses no small amount of charisma, appearing confident and unflappable, as well as being sympathetic and always willing to offer encouragement, to say nothing of smaller traits, he also has no idea in many situations how to take the proper lead. He also has a lacking of confidence when in an unfamiliar situation, though he attempts to appear totally in control. The result is a common state of inner panic, and a buildup of stress that he takes out in his battles whenever possible. Due to his at times alarming spontaneity and yet baseline calm and content demeanor, he has been called a perfect fusion of his father and his mother's better traits, though he has also inherited his father's tendency to not often realize something he did was wrong until long after the fact or when directly confronted by it.

In combat, Luk maintains a fusion of his two baseline attitudes. Remaining reserved and his mind constantly thinking of the next step to take, he also expresses frustration or surprise more openly with his body language as well. He proves surprisingly strategic in a fight: when outmatched physically by ---'s blood-enhanced form, he rapidly applied his use of the Ito Ito no Mi in order to cut him so as to disrupt the blood flow within his enemy, all while maintaining a safe distance to launch the attack safely. He also demonstrates a certain aptitude for traps, doing them mid-battle when no one is noticing, though he personally prefers a head-on battle whenever possible. Still, resulting to trickery and clever motions during a battle is acceptable to him so long as he is facing someone considerably stronger them himself. When he believes himself to be on the verge of victory, Luk appears confident, even blatantly cocky, to the point of grinning openly and making mocking comments to his enemy in the best cases. However, this attitude can crumble quickly if the tables are turned, and in his surprise it takes a bit to return to his original state. He is visibly frustrated when one of his attacks or traps is avoided or countered perfectly, occasionally mumbling dirty things about his opponent under his breath. He is also prone to losing control of himself in the most intense of battles, screaming at his enemy and doing all he can in order to make sure that they fall down and stay down.

Luk suffers from a bizarre form of mysophobia, compelled to clean up any mess or dusty area on his ship. Often doing it at night, he sneaks out of his room fully-armed with all the cleaning equipment he can carry and carefully "purifies" every section of his ship, from the largest pile of garbage to the smallest cobwebs he can find. This initially leaves his crewmates mystified, as their ship becomes sparkling clean overnight. He appears ashamed of this trait, derived from his days as a cabin boy with the Love Pirates, and tries to hide it from his friends as long as possible. Indeed, most habits and behaviors associated from that time period cause him shame, and even recalling the experience is something that he would rather. It is for this reason that he hides the small set of whip scars on his body, and displays open embarrassment and chagrin when the situation calls for them to be disclosed. To him, this period of life embodies the ultimate failure of his ideal and who he wants to be. Even though he hadn't developed that dream at this point, he doesn't come to acknowledge this fact (or become more comfortable with this period of his life) until much later on, after confronting their reformed crew and battling their captain. Even afterwards it remains a sore spot for him, and future meetings with them have proved quite awkward for both parties.

He shows a predilection for outside sports and more physical games, though he is not entirely useless at games such as chess or cards (though he almost always emerges at the losing end of such activities). Generally-speaking, he is willing to attempt anything his crew is doing, often appearing with the proper supplies seemingly from nowhere. Fitting with his Devil Fruit, he excels most at games that involve a great deal of movement. Luk has also shown an enjoyment of more quiet moments, often simply lying down under the sun for its own sake, and can apparently fake being asleep or unconscious quite well due to long hours of doing this. Having never had a chance for certain childhood experiences and games, he is eager to attempt them again even as an adult, no matter how weird it looks. He adheres more than anyone else to the idea that one is never too young to do something that they want or love.

Luk is an explorer, always enjoying seeing new places and showing no fear when faced with any sort of imposing structure, beast, or even person. He possesses some amount of self-preservation, though it can at times be disregarded in favor of further adventure and battle (the two being equally common). He enjoys finding undiscovered islands, often attempting to plant their flag them and coming up with names for them himself, being incredibly disappointed if he realizes that others know of its existence and that a name has already been assigned to it. If he's feeling particularly petty that day, Luk will utterly disregard that name and refer to it by the one he (or a crewmate) picked for the rest of time.

While not unaware of the fairer sex, Luk has rarely expressed overt interest of any kind in them. However, when unexpectedly placed in a sensitive situation of this nature he has a tendency to become incredibly flustered and embarrassed. Joining in on the more perverted members of the crew's activities when enough are doing it, he still displays a certain awkwardness, though also has seemingly no regrets about taking part and occasionally taking part in his fellow's comments and admirations. He is naive and inexperienced in this regard, but not utterly deaf to it.

Curiously, while he possesses an around-average ability to read, Luk only seems capable of reading basic print or his own handwriting only. That of others is incomprehensible to him, and he requires aid in deciphering it, something that has hindered him more often than not and causes untold amounts of frustration.