Curate, connect, and discover
People often mistake Luffys indifference for ignorance and I’m here to set the record straight:
Luffy is aware of others and their emotions and what goes on around him, he just doesn’t give a fuck outright until you see him giving one.
Throughout the series we see Luffy beating the crap out of someone who’s an ally, for what at first may seem like no reason but in reality is because they are disrespecting a core belief of his or disrespecting themselves.
A great example is when he slapped Vivi (gay on gay crime lmao). He did so because he not only wanted to “snap her out” of her train of thought but he was also so angry that him and his crew were not being seen as her friends, that he was not trusted enough to be someone she could lean on when he had been there throughout their time in Alabasta. Vivi was also being selfless to a point of self destruction, trying to push away the straw hat crew, thinking of herself as a martyr, the only person capable of saving her country. So luffy had to show her reason in classic Luffy fashion.
Luffy is aware, he’s not just some kid playing pirates like everyone often thinks he is. Luffy strives for true freedom, he challenges the world government, he sees how corrupt the government is and denounces them entirely. He punches a celestial dragon because he doesn’t believe in power structures and believes every asshole deserves to be put in place.
Luffy is an anarchist. To be against the government and to start revolutions requires critical thinking.