Monkey D. Luffy's goal is to become King of the Pirates, following in the footsteps of Gol D. Roger, who was executed by the orders of the World Government.

One Piece has consistently implied that its protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, is following in the footsteps of Gol D. Roger, the ...

Gol D. Roger was a charismatic individual, and his mere words could convince someone like Kozuki Oden to leave the Whitebeard Pirates. Roger was fearless, and he looked death right in the eyes.

Also, Gol D. Roger's execution marked the end of the Golden Age of Piracy, a time when pirates ruled the seas and challenged the authority of the World Government.

Gol D. Roger might have died long before Luffy formed the Straw Hat Pirates but that hasn’t stopped the swashbuckler from making appearance in the shonen series.