Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 8 - Onigashima)

Take a look back, if you care to:
Vol. 1
Vol. 2
Vol. 3
Vol. 4
Vol. 5
Vol. 6
Vol. 7

With Jinbe finally back among the crew, Luffy has his 9th person at long last! What's ten years between friends, eh?

Now, among the other multiple candidates, we've got the dark horse that is Yamato! How will he/she fare in this race? I imagine we've still got about a year to find out!

No matter who you’re rooting for, whether they be a shoe-in or have a snowball’s chance, you are free to discuss your visions for the destiny of the crew. Who truly knows what the future (and Oda) has in store?

Let’s keep it clean and civil: no flaming, no trolling, no aspersions against each others' moral fiber. Ready…

*BEH-BEN!*

Let me be the first to set this off!! I think Yamato is one to seriously watch! Considering the time and place in the story, Oda chose to Dedicate two dramatic introductions to her. Considering her Inherited Will from Oden and Connection to Ace, I can't but pay attention to where this character goes as it's the first time in a long while I've seen such a unique intro!

Again, no one besides Jinbe will join now, all others are just friends, companions and allies. But Jinbe is not the final Straw Hat, there's one more to go.

In the New World, we will get one nakama per saga (except the final one). This is Yonko Saga, Jinbe's saga. We started the New World with him, he returned in WCI, and now has officially joined in Wano. When the big celebration comes, he will be the only new nakama.

Next saga will be about the Revolutionaries, the Celestial Dragons and the WG. We will see several plot threads returning: Sabo and Vivi, Bonnie and Kuma, St. Mjosgard past, slavery, secrets of the Rocks, Vegapunk, the final Admiral and so on. Enemies will include CP0, the Celestial Dragons the SSG. Who will join there?

I have my bet, but talking about that now is pointless, as no one will agree. Sufice to say it's a long standing female character Luffy owes a great debt to. She hasn't appeared for a long time, but will suddenly have a big importance and nowhere to go.

I think Carrot, Tama and Yamato are possible as SH nakama. I also think they can all be retainers for Momo with Shinobu.

Carrot's chances make the most sense so far.

I wouldn't be surprised Carrot and Yamato both joined.

Yamato
Currently I need a bit more chapters to see if Yamato is indeed the Oden to Luffy's crew (if he gets one) or are they going to be the one helping out Momo after they got rid of the Animal Kingdom Pirates and Orochi's Army? But that really will be based on how they will develop further.

Carrot
I have seen a lot of reasons in the previous topic of why she wouldn't join. But her inclusion in the Whole Cake Island arc has been quite confusing to me and her having a backstory that is has been in the present wouldn't change much to me. Plus, she can still have something in her past that we don't know. Hell Luffy's background story wasn't that crazy untill we saw more after the war so. It will be very important what kind of fight she will have and what development she will have during the war.

Oh well we will find out :). Currently both contenders are quite interesting! (I only include Yamato and Carrot for now).

I recently have been thinking that the last Admiral could be an interesting contender for fourth and last nakama. As it seems he is a womanizer and both Sanji and Brook were that as well (this is a Shower thought ;) )

Oden’s journal is too important of an item in the story to be ignored as a plot device. The entire story shifts depending on whoever finds out about the journal, and then whoever ends up with the journal.

Can’t help but think Blackbeard and co. will end up with the journal at some point.

Depending on what Oden wrote in there, there might not be any need to gather the Road Poneglyphs to find out how to go to Laugh Tale.

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Originally Posted by Deicide

I have my bet, but talking about that now is pointless, as no one will agree. Sufice to say it's a long standing female character Luffy owes a great debt to. She hasn't appeared for a long time, but will suddenly have a big importance and nowhere to go.

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I too agree that Kokoro is a strong final nakama candidate

Depending on what exactly is in the journal, Luffy might not want to know too many specifics or possibly anything at all

--- Update From New Post Merge ---

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Originally Posted by Kurloz

I too agree that Kokoro is a strong final nakama candidate

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Dadan>>>person many of the crew don't acknowledge as a mermaid

Two lengthy posts I did for Tama in the last thread

#2411

#6874




What Oda has said regarding the strawhats

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"every strawhat can become protagonist." Comickers (1998)''

D: Odacchi!! Hello! I'm a fresh young 14-year-old girl! I have a question for you, my beloved mentor! You know about yoji-jukugo, those four-character sayings? (You do, right?) What would you use to describe Luffy's pirate crew? Ishindenshin (communion of minds, telepathy)? Junintoiro (different strokes for different folks)? ...Oh!!! Is it yakiniku teishoku (yakiniku set meal)??? P.N. Gachapin's Cousin

O: Do I know... yoji-jukugo? Do I know them... DO I KNOW THEM??!! YES!! My favorites are "Snake & Crane", "Shaolin Soccer", and "Black Oolong Tea". Now, if I were to describe the Straw Hat Crew with a yoji-jukugo, I'd say... Zendai mimon (unprecedented, unheard of) would do it. That one came up in Enies Lobby. I hope they'll always be the crew that's breaking the mold.

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Would be cool if more people could find some quotes from Oda describing the straw hats!

And here I thought the Caribou joke got old. No, Shinobu is now in there too...

Anyway I still believe the last nakama will be whoever gets the paw fruit, assuming it passed on at all considering Kuma is in a weird braindead cyborg limbo. Sayonara to anyone who doesn't have it :ninja:

A new thread, still Carrot.

Seems like people don't learn. :ninja:

I'm still supporting Carrot, or at least I feel like she's got the best chance out of any currently-introduced characters. Yamato seems like a possibility, but from what we've seen, their goals are based entirely around Wano, which doesn't seem like a good sign given that the same idea can be said for Vivi (save Alabasta), Momo (save Wano), Wiper (reclaim Upper Yard), Rebecca (save Dressrosa), etc. It doesn't seem similar to the goals that the rest of the Straw Hats have.

Maybe that will change once it's revealed that the Scabbards are alive, or maybe it will be expanded upon by the end of the arc. I just feel like it's too early to act like Yamato's a sure thing.

As for Carrot, I just figure that she meshes well with the crew, I've wanted to see a woman on the crew who'd take part in Luffy/Usopp/Chopper's antics rather than staying out of them like Nami and Robin do, and her inclusion in Whole Cake Island seemed weird to me from a writing standpoint. (she's not there to motivate the Straw Hats to go somewhere like Vivi, Momo, Law, Kinemon, etc., and she's not there to provide exposition like Hatchi, Johnny and Yosaku, Pedro, etc., so it raises the question of why Oda has her traveling with the Straw Hats so consistently)

She still needs more focus (though Perospero arriving at Onigashima could provide that), but at the very least, I figure she's more likely than the rest of the characters that we've seen.

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Originally Posted by Megadoomer

She still needs more focus (though Perospero arriving at Onigashima could provide that), but at the very least, I figure she's more likely than the characters that we've seen.

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IMO, her purpose was: first, so one mink would be there to witness Pedro's death and, second, to showcase the minks' abilities, especially sulong, which will be important in the coming battle.

Once those purposes were fulfilled, she quietly retreated to the background. However, there's still one more purpose for her, which is to see Pedro avenged. If she will be the one to do so, or if she will just be a witness, remains to be seen.

Yamato: there's a lot going on about her and I enjoy all those concepts... but at the same time I think everything was revealed too fast like checking boxes. I wish her introduction had a little more room to breath. That said, Yamato is awesome and it'll probably get better.

Unfortunately, I still don't see clues for next nakama other than the character itself being interesting. It could happen though.

Yamato makes me think of those "familial themes" that have been going on with the Yonkous in which their sons/daughters follow their own path instead of inhiritting their parents' will and legacy. Big Mom's children are more obedient in general, but we witnessed how they tend to choose their loved ones over Mama when given the chance. I guess Yamato will have the same importance as Katakuri going further, both of them being future allies of Luffy and probably prominent figures in the world.

And there's this Oden thing going on with her that I have no idea how it'll tie down with the scabbards and the Kouzuki.

Carrot: she's my candidate for next crewmate, although I'm far from 100% sure of it. Don't feel like repeating myself about the reasons.

Tama: there are some suspicious things about her in the narrative which could lead her to joining the Strawhats, but nothing about her characterization, powers and participation makes me think so right now. Also, she's a little child. If there's any time travelling shenanigans or age manipulation with her to make her older, then I'm completely onboard the train.

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Originally Posted by Gizmo

Oden’s journal is too important of an item in the story to be ignored as a plot device. The entire story shifts depending on whoever finds out about the journal, and then whoever ends up with the journal.

Can’t help but think Blackbeard and co. will end up with the journal at some point.

Depending on what Oden wrote in there, there might not be any need to gather the Road Poneglyphs to find out how to go to Laugh Tale.

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the official translation literally says very important things and that shit made me laugh. there is almost certainly information about getting to Laugh Tale in that book.

which then would add to Yamato’s case probably, because he has an intimate knowledge of the text and would serve as the crew’s guide to Laugh Tale.

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Originally Posted by theackwardstation

Tama: there are some suspicious things about her in the narrative which could lead her to joining the Strawhats, but nothing about her characterization, powers and participation makes me think so right now. Also, she's a kid. If there's any time travelling shenanigans or age manipulation with her to make her older, then I'm completely onboard the train.

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Her characterisation is her biggest strength imo, it could easily be on par with any straw hat and it far outshines the other candidates in both her own character and the role she would play in the group. The only thing that is missing, and by quite a lot, is her combat abilities, but the arc isn't over. :cool:

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Originally Posted by JDub

the official translation literally says very important things and that shit made me laugh. there is almost certainly information about getting to Laugh Tale in that book.

which then would add to Yamato’s case probably, because he has an intimate knowledge of the text and would serve as the crew’s guide to Laugh Tale.

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Luffy wouldn’t want spoilers, which is why I don’t think they’d use it (plus it would make their search for the Road Poneglpyhs meaningless)

I would assume any other individual would want it, Emperors or Supernova or the WG or literally anyone else. If word got out, whoever has it would have an X on their back.

Yamato was disappointing; looks too much like Nami and is inspired too much by Oden so no thanks.