Warning: contains spoilers for One Piece chapter 1055From the earliest days of the One Piece saga, Monkey D. Luffy has consistently maintained his easy-going, almost childlike approach to life, friendship, and pirating. However, with the World Government now marking him as one of the most wanted pirates on the seas, Luffy finally seems to have taken stock of his position as a Yonko, and the responsibilities it forces on him as a leader of an infamous pirate crew.
Luffy's "fly by the seat of your pants" pirating has always been a feature rather than a bug to his persona. It has proven shockingly effective not only in battle but also in convincing others such as Nico Robin, Brook, and potentially Kaido's son Yamato, to join his crew. In other instances, such as in One Piece #309 where Luffy's impulsive agreement to play in the Davy Back Fight led to temporarily losing Chopper to the Foxy Pirates, and other members of the crew being put through enormous amounts of avoidable stress. Despite the ongoing dismay of several members of the Straw Hat Pirates' brain trust, Luffy's lackadaisical attitude does not befit someone so focused on being the Pirate King. Perhaps, more importantly, is the fact that Luffy's attitude has trickled down to other members of the crew such that their discipline and effectiveness have also been compromised at times which have also led to disastrous results. Despite these ongoing vulnerabilities in Luffy's pirate management, his elevation to Yonko in One Piece seems to have impressed upon him the need to change what has gotten him to this point in his quest for greatness, and adopt a more "professional" attitude personally while also demanding the same of his crew.
The most obvious evidence of this growth is illustrated in One Piece #1055. While readers were led to believe, in the previous chapter, that Yamato, Momonosuke, and the Nine Red Scabbards were able to battle Admiral Green Bull without Luffy and the other Straw Hat leadership knowing, it is revealed that they not only knew of the battle, but had been observing it for quite some time.
It's a small point in a chapter that is otherwise loaded with action and discovery, but it is a key reveal that confirms just how much Luffy and his crew have grown. In the early history of the Straw Hat Pirates, it would have been unimaginable that Luffy could have the patience to not join in the melee to help his friends. In fact, many of their adventures began with him, or others, recklessly charging into a situation without a plan or strategy. In this case, if they joined in the battle a number of potential problems could have developed. First, they would have upset Momonosuke's wish to show that he can defend One Piece's Wano Country without assistance. Second, they would have eliminated the opportunity for Shanks to slyly contact Luffy through his use of haki. Lastly, they would have made it much easier for Admiral Green Bull to attack Luffy.
While Luffy still exudes the "joy boy" pirating style that made him famous, his rise to Yonko status has clearly made him a bit wiser, calmer, and patient. It also seems to have helped him think more critically about how he should approach any given situation, from battlefield tactics to inter-crew management. As he begins his final push for the One Piece, a bit of maturity will be necessary if he has any hopes of overcoming the threats that lie ahead.