Next Crew Member Speculation (Ver 3.0)

Zik

We really don't know what we are going to get next chapter. Most (including myself) are assuming a timeskip next chapter because of Luffy passing out. However there are a ton of different ways Oda can approach the next several chapters and it IS outside of Hancocks character, the way she has been percieved thus far, to just stand still if Luffy is clearly outside the realm of helping himself. Lets wait and see is all im asking. Even im aware all the stuff she has done may not inquire a strip of her title yet, its all up to Oda where he wants to go with the story.

Even if a time skip occurs as things were just left I'd leave it up to Jimbei to grab Ace's corpse, an unconscious Luffy, and escape.

If there is no time skip and the war continues the most extreme thing I can see happen is Oda have Akainu attack Luffy next. That imo is the only other opportunity for Hancock to step in which would be her most damning offense and then maybe the scenario you suggest could happen.

AGOG

@AdmiralYonkouMt.Bandit:

Even if a time skip occurs as things were just left I'd leave it up to Jimbei to grab Ace's corpse, an unconscious Luffy, and escape.

If there is no time skip and the war continues the most extreme thing I can see happen is Oda have Akainu attack Luffy next. That imo is the only other opportunity for Hancock to step in which would be her most damning offense and then maybe the scenario you suggest could happen.

It'd be a crappy continuation if he goes to attack Luffy…

The climax is Ace dying, so that's the BIGGEST EVENT that we should see from this whole saga, let alone arc.

Whatever happens next is supposed to be pitiful compared to it.

If they basically have an "attack" Luffy part, then that just makes it less impressive and such. And if Luffy attacks him, that's just removing all the progress of this arc and sets it towards the stalling phase since it's back to battle after that.

If Oda were to follow the basics, he SHOULD have Luffy pass out, this forces him to be "unsafe" and since he is basically an enormous symbol, the whole fleet will focus on his safety. Allowing Oda the sense of wrapping this arc through some escape or flashback and wake up scene or whatever...

It shouldn't be a NEW scene where hancock or Jinbei or WB jump in to save Luffy, that would basically make the Ace thing seem insignificant and such...

best thing to do would be to just have Jinbei, or another NW pirate grab the two and jump on the ship as WB and whatever other pirates dare to stand behind for revenge to stall enough time so that the escape ship can go...

Location they go to basically should be somewhere Luffy can recover and rest...

Then, if Hancock does end up coming with him, she'd be a character that COULD HAVE saved Ace all along, but never did... I'd feel she'd have been unwanted if she were to join still.

TLC

@AdmiralYonkouMt.Bandit:

Even if a time skip occurs as things were just left I'd leave it up to Jimbei to grab Ace's corpse, an unconscious Luffy, and escape.

If there is no time skip and the war continues the most extreme thing I can see happen is Oda have Akainu attack Luffy next. That imo is the only other opportunity for Hancock to step in which would be her most damning offense and then maybe the scenario you suggest could happen.

Wow, we actually agree on something. Though I find it mroe likely that Luffy do the attacking and Hancock holding him off but yeah, damning evidence in front of the most justice crazy Marine of all. I find it pretty likely too. Shit already hit the fan unexpectedly with Ace's death when everyone thought it was all over. Any other twists will be just the icing on the cake.

AGOG

@Thousand:

Wow, we actually agree on something. Though I find it mroe likely that Luffy do the attacking and Hancock holding him off but yeah, damning evidence in front of the most justice crazy Marine of all. I find it pretty likely too. Shit already hit the fan unexpectedly with Ace's death when everyone thought it was all over. Any other twists will be just the icing on the cake.

If Oda adds another part similar to Ace, the cake would lose its glamor.

Zik

@AGOG:

It'd be a crappy continuation if he goes to attack Luffy…

The climax is Ace dying, so that's the BIGGEST EVENT that we should see from this whole saga, let alone arc.

Whatever happens next is supposed to be pitiful compared to it.

Whatever happened after that was pitiful; Jimbei's attack, pirate's attacks, Marco and Vista's attacks, etc.

Plus that's just your opinion. WB is still gonna die imo so Ace's death might be the biggest event but it won't be the only one.

Above all that Akainu's sense of absolute justice and sticking to his word supersedes w/e previously was suppose to be impressive. This is still a war. More so than before since the person who was suppose to be saved is dead.

There's no reason Akainu shouldn't want to still kill Luffy as well. I'm just saying I expect someone to save Luffy if it does happen since I think he's unconscious and I don't think that bullshit enraged haki mode is going to happen.

I just see it as a possibility. Time skip/fade to black could still happen and even if it doesn't I don't see Oda doing that with Hancock anyway(making her lose her title by attacking Akainu). I just see it as her chance. There's no reason for after Ace's death in this war for everything else to not at least stay on the level of it. Everybody's not going to go back to fighting. It'll still be kill WB and kill the pirates.

I'm expecting for maybe Kizaru or Smoker to make a move now.

TLC

@AGOG:

If Oda adds another part similar to Ace, the cake would lose its glamor.

I…don't even understand what you're trying to say here. No doubt it's something retarded though.

sheng fu

well~ if luffy get shocked, angery to a certain point, then something will happens~
he remind me of hulk, lol~ anger gives your power to kick ass!

Zik

@Thousand:

I…don't even understand what you're trying to say here. No doubt it's something retarded though.

He's trying to say that Ace's death is the pinnacle of this war/arc and nothing will be higher than that so Akainu won't attack Luffy next since to him that would rival or be bigger than the death of Ace. He feels everything after Ace's death should be nothing worth of mention. So something like Hancock stepping in and losing her title wouldn't happen.

I agree it won't happen but I do recognize it as her chance to do something like I said before.

AGOG

It's not like we need to be there to see anything else in the arc, and stuff…

We know well enough that WB will die, so it's not like we have to see him die.

Oda could just leave it off-panel and then focus on Luffy or something.

I could see Akainu trying again, but he would have to run through all the pirates that stopped retreating and started to charge again. That's a lot of "people" that would be in the way of him attacking Luffy and WB is also close by.

I just think it'd be better to skip all the other details.

Urouge

There are still way too many plot threads which haven't come to a conclusion yet. Examples would be Blackbeard and who opened the damn gates (I'm starting to think it was Buggy-sama). I have a whole list of loose plot threads I posted not that long ago.

brennen.exe

@AGOG:

plot device […] and […] some loop hole […] randomly […] forced plot. […] Am I wrong?

Yes. You are wrong.

Roronoa Zacho

You're discussing where the Log Pose on the Sunny points at?

Now then, the Sunny is currently around SA. The SA is just made of mangroves.

So the Log Pose on the Sunny currently points still @ FI. IDK wheres the point of your
discussion.

Namis Log Pose could be a problem, cause IDK if sky islands have a magnetism. Back in Skypia the Log Pose pointed @ Jaya (well, the part of Jaya which was knocked up into the air). So we dont know if normal Sky Islands can manipulate Log Poses.

AGOG

Brennen, how did it work then?

Crew needs a doctor, they magically got one, right?

–----------------------------

Plot:

I think the important thing is to basically address the escape. WB ordered the crew to escape, Ace died... So, I think that the whole crew will still escape.

That would cover about majority of the people in the whole thing, while WB stays back and sacrifices himself (if he does)... I assume Marco would be in charge of the escape party, him or Jinbei.

They should have at least half of the 47 ships needed to retreat, maybe even less since there SHOULD be casualties.

So, maybe 10 to 15 pirate ships escaping might be fine... or 20 maybe.

They have 2 shown that we see easily, most of them burned.

WB is guarding the siege wall exit, so the NW pirates can easily escape and stuff...

Then there is the marines. They'd have to defeat WB to survive and if they do, they'd have to do it after the NW pirates escape. Then, they'd have to deal with the remaining pirates, since they are bound to have people left behind.

Of those, there may be Crocodile or Buggy or even Mr. 3... They'd have to deal with all those people.

Why'd have to have a few summed up versions of where each and every individual will head after the war. At least the significant ones... Then, we'd have to have foreshadowing of what happened with the future, for instance the next arc.

Other things to mention would just be minor details concerning who won or lost...

I do think that the WB pirates opened the gate.

TLC

@AdmiralYonkouMt.Bandit:

He's trying to say that Ace's death is the pinnacle of this war/arc and nothing will be higher than that so Akainu won't attack Luffy next since to him that would rival or be bigger than the death of Ace. He feels everything after Ace's death should be nothing worth of mention. So something like Hancock stepping in and losing her title wouldn't happen.

I agree it won't happen but I do recognize it as her chance to do something like I said before.

So… I was right, it was retarded.

Agog, do you think Luffy is going to be magically whisked away? The climax has occurred but there's still a batch of plot points to resolve including Whitebeard's final stand and as well as the final escape. Doesn't matter if nothing can top Ace's death, the situation still needs to be resolved and a couple of twists for the final escape would be just the final touches of a masterpiece. Now whether Hancock steps in or Supernovae show up or Straw Hat crew show up or whatever, it's not going to be as straightforward as running away or something cheap like a flasback.

AGOG

@Thousand:

So… I was right, it was retarded.

Agog, do you think Luffy is going to be magically whisked away? The climax has occurred but there's still a batch of plot points to resolve including Whitebeard's final stand and as well as the final escape. Doesn't matter if nothing can top Ace's death, the situation still needs to be resolved and a couple of twists for the final escape would be just the final touches of a masterpiece. Now whether Hancock steps in or Supernovae show up or Straw Hat crew show up or whatever, it's not going to be as straightforward as running away or something cheap like a flasback.

Luffy's near the WB escape group. So, he has the potential to be taken up and removed with ease…

There's no marines near him and Ace's dead body anymore, since after Akainu killed Ace, all the pirates (they were escaping before Ace died) began charging forward and holding off the marines...

Furthermore, there's no more need for any other group to make an appearance except probably Blackbeard. We don't need to see the Supernova appear, they have nothing to offer.

We also don't really need to see WB die on screen, as long as we have enough information that suggests he will die, we can agree to it. The least is that FI will confirm his death or whatever...

So, the only real plot stuff to see is Luffy's survival, NW pirate forces escaping, and basically where Luffy ends up.

The rest doesn't need to be shown because it would only drag the arc more.

If Hancock doesn't have an appearance, then it just means she didn't jump on the ship. Then, we can assume she's going to be safe and sound unless we are told or shown otherwise.

If Mihawk and the rest of the Shichibukai don't get any appearances, we can assume that they're still at MF.

So on and so on. Luffy is the main character, not Hancock or Pirate F. As long as Oda shows us what happens to Luffy, it is basically arc complete.

Zik

@AGOG:

It's not like we need to be there to see anything else in the arc, and stuff…

We know well enough that WB will die, so it's not like we have to see him die.

I think WB's last moments are important enough to be shown now but I could be wrong. I don't see why we need to skip the conclusion of the war just cuz Ace is dead.

Oda could just leave it off-panel and then focus on Luffy or something.

Leave what off panel? If he's not going to show WB's last moments or how the pirates escape he'll at least flashback it.

I could see Akainu trying again, but he would have to run through all the pirates that stopped retreating and started to charge again. That's a lot of "people" that would be in the way of him attacking Luffy and WB is also close by.

All of what ppl?!?!? Luffy is still pretty close to Akainu. At the most 3 ppl are in front of him; Vista, Marco, and Jimbei. Besides lets not act like some marines won't come to back up Akainu to take the attention of the fodder pirates that attacked Akainu.

All Akainu would needs is the help of a couple pacifista to get those 3 worthy opponents out of his way to get to Luffy. Another way although I think it's too far is for Akainu to talk more shit forcing some pirates to rethink if they should obey those final orders and decide to die right there and now. They're probably so filled with pain, hate, anger, sadness that none of their decisions would be cool headed at this point.

I just think it'd be better to skip all the other details.

I don't.
@Urouge:

There are still way too many plot threads which haven't come to a conclusion yet. Examples would be Blackbeard and who opened the damn gates (I'm starting to think it was Buggy-sama). I have a whole list of loose plot threads I posted not that long ago.

Exactly. Oda's going to tie up these loose ends like Colombo

AGOG

Looking at all of these panels, it doesn't seem like there's just a few pirates around them:
http://www.onemanga.com/One_Piece/574/04/
http://www.onemanga.com/One_Piece/574/06/
http://www.onemanga.com/One_Piece/574/08/
http://www.onemanga.com/One_Piece/574/09/
http://www.onemanga.com/One_Piece/574/10/
http://www.onemanga.com/One_Piece/574/11/
http://www.onemanga.com/One_Piece/574/12-13/

Oda has basically surrounded Luffy with a ton of pirates in every direction and they keep coming from each side.

The reason is because on like 572 or something, WB would stall time for the Siege Wall that would "create" an advantage for the pirates due to the whole entire layout. All the pirates can escape through that small breach in the Siege Wall. After that, the marines couldn't do much of anything to rush them, or attack them. It'd be like how they used the Siege Wall to stop them from rushing into the courtyard.

If Oda basically uses this, he could have a lot of "pirates" charge from that entry point in the Siege Wall to protect both Luffy and to allow Luffy + Ace + Jinbei as well as any other notable NW pirate a means of definite escape.

Akainu was pushed further back and the other people are busy looking and admiring the whole scene, so it's not like the group is in big trouble and can't defend against a single admiral.

If Oda uses this, all he would need to do is have some character pick up the two bodies (luffy and ace) and then run towards the Battleship or Squad's ship. Then, Oda would need to make WB continue using his Quake DF to allow them safe escape from the whole place.

After that, it would just be a split screen sort of story telling… Place 1 will basically be the NW pirates and Luffy sailing away from Marineford and the second one will be about WB fighting off to the death.

Oda could have a "farewell" scene like with Bon Clay shown or he could introduce BB in the story and then end it on that note.

Then, we would be able to watch Luffy escape and end up where he stays for as long as need be. New Arc would start and then end when the SH crew would be together... After that, we'd probably have a "newspaper" article telling what happened at the war and all that sort of stuff... A flashback.

I don't really expect Oda to show the death of WB anymore, it's not something WE have to see on-panel. We can have the same sort of thing like when we saw Ace's hat on the ground, but we didn't know how Ace lost to BB.

But, that's just my take on it.

Zik

Oda has basically surrounded Luffy with a ton of pirates in every direction and they keep coming from each side.

Those same pirates were around when Ace was alive and they were escaping and most are fodder to Akainu anyway. They all had their backs to Akainu running away. He stopped them with his speech.

Like I said it wouldn't take much for him to reach Luffy. He didn't walk pass pirates when he was gonna kill Luffy the first time. He leaped in the air and attacked with a falcon punch. He can do it again. Marco and Vista said themselves they let their guard down. It could happen again if Akainu gets back up this time around.

Urouge

Luffy can use Ace as a shield now. He'll be fine.

Zik

@Urouge:

Luffy can use Ace as a shield now. He'll be fine.

Except for that hole.

Urouge

Magma never strikes in the same place twice. :unsure:

TLC

That reminds me, no way in hell Luffy is just going to leave the body.

Looks like we're gonna have a double epic Whitebeard and Ace funeral.

toypajme

@Thousand:

That reminds me, no way in hell Luffy is just going to leave the body.

Looks like we're gonna have a double epic Whitebeard and Ace funeral.

Well unless Luffy really goes SSJ2 like people are speculating he might not have a choice…

Cyborg_Franky

@Thousand:

That reminds me, no way in hell Luffy is just going to leave the body.

Looks like we're gonna have a double epic Whitebeard and Ace funeral.

o god they do have funerals that are super drawn out and invovle lighting a stupid broken ship on fire…. next few chapters better b actiony and or funny or ima b dissapointed

Urouge

@Thousand:

That reminds me, no way in hell Luffy is just going to leave the body.

Looks like we're gonna have a double epic Whitebeard and Ace funeral.

I thought the idea of a final scene with Whitebeard holding Ace with the water is up to his knees while the pirates sail off seemed like a reasonable alternative.

AGOG

@Urouge:

I thought the idea of a final scene with Whitebeard holding Ace with the water is up to his knees while the pirates sail off seemed like a reasonable alternative.

Yeah, a father holding his dying son as the waves wash them away…

I'd like it if he summoned a big wave.

Underworld1991

@AGOG:

Yeah, a father holding his dying son as the waves wash them away…

I'd like it if he summoned a big wave.

That would be epic, with Marineford crumbling aswell.

Retardia

@Underworld1991:

That would be epic, with Marineford crumbling aswell.

I would like to see Marineford sink because WB Tsunami.
Never ending epicness.

Underworld1991

@Retardia:

I would like to see Marineford sink because WB Tsunami.
Never ending epicness.

Either one will do me.

Herodadotus

Yeah, WB would never abandon a son. I also find it depressing that he told Squardo that he could never bear to watch a son of his die, and then kpow!
I expect Jinbei and WB to stay in Marinford, leaving Hancock and Perona to fight each other for that 10th spot on the Sunny. Mmm… catfight...

Retardia

@Herodadotus:

Yeah, WB would never abandon a son. I also find it depressing that he told Squardo that he could never bear to watch a son of his die, and then kpow!
I expect Jinbei and WB to stay in Marinford, leaving Hancock and Perona to fight each other for that 10th spot on the Sunny. Mmm… catfight...

No. I dont want Jimbei die pretty quickly.

About Hancock and Perona.
My sig describe my prediction about the next crewmember. XD

AGOG

@Retardia:

No. I dont want Jimbei die pretty quickly.

About Hancock and Perona.
My sig describe my prediction about the next crewmember. XD

A whole new flock?

Whoa!!

Tupac's Ghost

I want one reason that anyone, even jokingly/ironically, thinks in the slightest figment of reason that Perona has even a .5% chance at joining. Why she's even been brought up let alone the third most discussed new possible member.

AGOG

@Tupac's:

I want one reason that anyone, even jokingly/ironically, thinks in the slightest figment of reason that Perona has even a .5% chance at joining. Why she's even been brought up let alone the third most discussed new possible member.

Because she's ranked 33 on the polls… She's POPULAR.

zerowellrain

Simply because Zoro was send to the place where Perona is so there is…
and this one
V
@AGOG:

Because she's ranked 33 on the polls… She's POPULAR.

Chopper Madness

@AGOG:

Because she's ranked 33 on the polls… She's POPULAR.

im not dissing perona but 33 is popular?

doesnt that low a number ranking just maker her liked

Herodadotus

@BattleFrankyBot:

im not dissing perona but 33 is popular?

doesnt that low a number ranking just maker her liked

Well, considering that the Shabondy Arc had almost 40 characters in it, I suspect that 33 is pretty good. Not Trafalgar Law 'top 10 in one arc' material, but 33isn't bad at all.

Retardia

@AGOG:

A whole new flock?

Whoa!!

I will change Hancock to Perona if Perona finally joins.

It is only about predictions though. :p

sheng fu

we haven't see perona's face for ages~

Cobalt Water

I'll say this… The next crew member will most likely be a Female, so Hancock can maybe be the next crew member.. but knowing Oda he'll either have perona join, or surprise us all and have someone else from the past that joins I dunno who though.

madmanricky

@sheng:

we haven't see perona's face for ages~

don't jinx us please

Chopper Madness

tooo lateeee u forgot to knock on wood

what if the mercenary duo remake an apperance and fill the last two slots!! theyve prolly been trainin this whole time

MmmBug

@BattleFrankyBot:

im not dissing perona but 33 is popular?

doesnt that low a number ranking just maker her liked

In a poll of 300 characters that's pretty high and not only that… the only girls ahead of her in it were Nami, Robin and Vivi if I remember correctly.

So she's 4th in girls at the time of the poll and not even on the crew. The poll is a little old by now tho. :/ Characters like Hancock aren't on it since she wasn't in the manga at the time.

Edit:
@Tupac's:

I want one reason that anyone, even jokingly/ironically, thinks in the slightest figment of reason that Perona has even a .5% chance at joining. Why she's even been brought up let alone the third most discussed new possible member.

The biggest reason for me is not that she's with Zoro but that everything she owns is on the Thousand Sunny. Why wouldn't she follow Zoro back to the ship if all of her stuff is there?

The other point of this is, why bother to put all her belongings and treasure on the Sunny instead of the mini Thriller bark ship Moria, Hogback and Absolom used?

There's a lot of suspicious things that don't make any sense or give any reason for Oda to continue stringing her along, unless he intends for her to join the crew.

As of right now, out of all the crew member candidates, Perona is the only one that pretty much met every strawhat.

Luffy usually asks people or shows interest in people he wants to join. He showed interest in her powers but never had much time to ask, plus she was on the other team at the time.

Luffy's had plenty of time to ask the other candidates but has never done so, although I admit he has other things on his mind.

Nami seems to have taken an interest in her as well. They both have a mutual love for treasure and Nami thought about her on SA when Zoro was pinged away.

Zoro obviously knows she treated his wounds and you have to admit he was nearly dead when Perona found him.

Sanji already calls her by a nic-name Cutie-chan.

Usopp is her rival, she definitely wants to get even. Even if it's just to pull on his nose while he's sleeping, and more or less making things miserable for him. xD

Chopper will be the cutest thing ever for her. She'll be holding on to him all the time and hugging him while he calls her an a**hole which Perona would probably love. :D

Alright I'm done. I guess that's by bi-weekly vote for Perona out of the way. ^^;

KingofSarus

@AGOG:

Because she's ranked 33 on the polls… She's POPULAR.

Aye! Don't fuck with Tupac's Ghost… he'll cap yo azz foo...

Retardia

@BattleFrankyBot:

tooo lateeee u forgot to knock on wood

what if the mercenary duo remake an apperance and fill the last two slots!! theyve prolly been trainin this whole time

The mercenary duo.? Who.?

KingofSarus

@Retardia:

The mercenary duo.? Who.?

Johnny and Yosaku

Retardia

@KingofSarus:

Johnny and Yosaku
[qimg]http://th05.deviantart.net/fs36/300W/f/2008/279/b/7/Johnny_and_Yosku_are_Happy_plz_by_SoulsofArt.jpg[/qimg]

Maybe we meet them again at the NW.
As a powerful bounty hunter.

Anyway. SH didn't need more swordsman though.

KingofSarus

@Retardia:

Anyway. SH didn't need more swordsman though.

A seriously badass swordsman and a musical perverted swordsman is enough.

GetsugaZoro

LOL i miss Johnny and Yosaku but i dont want them to join haha, anyway unless they have gotten really strong they cant even enter the grand line since they couldnt even beat some wanted east blue guys without Zoro's help.

They are probably cleaning plates in Baratie.

Ivotas

@AGOG:

We had Don Atchino in the anime, might have a group like them appear around the NW some time?

That was anime filler. Not really something that matters in a manga discussion.