Japanese meaning of おれは海賊王になるんだよ!! 偉くなりてェわけじゃねェ!!

Reading: AI

おれはかいぞくおうになるんだよ！！えらくなりてぇわけじゃねぇ！！ (ore wa kaizoku-ō ni naru n da yo!! erakunari tee wake ja nee!!)

English Translation:

I'm going to be King of the Pirates!! It's not about wanting to be important!!

ONE PIECE (ワンピース) Monkey D. Luffy (モンキー・D・ルフィ)

Original Scene & Cultural Context

Scene in the Original Work:

After the battle in Dressrosa, many powerful warriors offer to become Luffy’s subordinates. Luffy refuses, saying he aims to be Pirate King for freedom, not to rule over others.

ドレスローザでの激闘後、多くの猛者たちが「子分になりたい」と名乗り出るが、ルフィは海賊王になるのは地位や支配のためではなく自由のためだとして断る場面。

Cultural Context:

This reflects the Japanese storytelling theme that true leadership is based on personal conviction and independence, not authority over others. In shōnen manga, rejecting hierarchical dominance is a recurring motif.

これは、日本の物語において「真のリーダーシップは他者を支配する権威ではなく、自らの信念と独立性に基づく」というテーマを表している。少年漫画では、序列や支配よりも自由を選ぶ姿勢が繰り返し描かれる。

Grammar & Learning Points

Grammar Point

• [おれは] = First-person pronoun “ore” + topic marker 「は」
• [海賊王になるんだよ] = Verb phrase with explanatory のだ + よ for emphasis, meaning “I will become Pirate King.”
• [偉くなりてェ] = Colloquial contraction of 偉くなりたい (“want to be important/powerful”).
• [わけじゃねェ] = Colloquial form of わけではない, negating the reason or intent.

Trap for English Speakers

Might assume “Pirate King” means political or hierarchical dominance, but in Luffy’s case it represents ultimate freedom and the ability to sail the seas without restraint.

Example

Basic Example

おれは焼肉キングになるんだよ!!食べ放題のためじゃねェ!!

I'm going to be the King of BBQ!! It's not about the all-you-can-eat!!

Applied Example

おれはゲーム王になるんだよ!!モテたくてやってんじゃねェ!!

I'm going to be the King of Games!! It's not about being popular!!