On the surface, this Monkey D. Luffy card from the Straw Hat Pirates [ST-01] Starter Deck appears rather ordinary. However, this particular version of the card has a backstory which almost no other ONE PIECE Card Game cards have—and it’s that backstory which has significantly driven up the card’s value.

In January 2023, this card was distributed as a freebie with issues of animanga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump, the magazine in which the One Piece manga is serialized. That particular version of the card was never sold as part of the actual Starter Deck which it was originally a part of.

The card’s illustration arguably makes reference to the fact that it first came as a package deal with Weekly Shōnen Jump. The imagery used in the background is taken almost entirely from maps and diagrams found in the One Piece manga. In addition, with this card being an alternate version of a card that depicts the series’ iconic protagonist, demand for it was always going to be high once in the open market.

This specific version of this card was never released in English.

As of the latest figures, the price of this version of the Monkey D. Luffy (Straw Hat Pirates [ST-01] ST01-001) card goes for 17,999 JPY (~US$116).

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