Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World)

[Zin Magala]

@Deicide

I can see her building trust with the crew, like with Luffy, but I don't really see her being below Nami when it comes to the status quo of the ship. I feel like the last crew member needs to slide right in like Jinbe, who doesn't disrupt how the crew works. I'm keeping an open mind though so Oda can win me over with the right story.

As far as role on the ship, I'm not going to get into that subject because I feel its a big question mark for everyone right now. Quartermaster is usually given to senior officers on a crew and I don't see a new member getting that role. That doesn't mean there isn't a role for her, I just have no idea what that could be at the moment and that goes for all the other candidates as well.

We'll see what Oda has in store for Boa. I do feel like if she is not in this area of the sea, her chances drop to 0, however that's based on my roadmap and I could be 100% wrong on that.

[SeaOfHope]

Also, @Deicide, what do you think about Luffy changing the branding on Hancock's back to an insignia of the Straw Hat Crew? Been a little theory of mine, since Hancock is always ashamed of having her back seen due to what it represents and the implications of her experience being a slave.

[electricmastro]

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@Deicide

I can see her building trust with the crew, like with Luffy, but I don't really see her being below Nami when it comes to the status quo of the ship. I feel like the last crew member needs to slide right in like Jinbe, who doesn't disrupt how the crew works. I'm keeping an open mind though so Oda can win me over with the right story.

As far as role on the ship, I'm not going to get into that subject because I feel its a big question mark for everyone right now. Quartermaster is usually given to senior officers on a crew and I don't see a new member getting that role. That doesn't mean there isn't a role for her, I just have no idea what that could be at the moment and that goes for all the other candidates as well.

We'll see what Oda has in store for Boa. I do feel like if she is not in this area of the sea, her chances drop to 0, however that's based on my roadmap and I could be 100% wrong on that.

I imagine since Luffy is an Emperor now, more people will start going after their ship in chasing them down. They can handle attackers I’m sure, but I imagine it would start getting annoying to the point they might want a dedicated guard while they sleep.

[Zin Magala]

@electricmastro

I'm not really sold on Ship Guard either. Having a SH always hang back with the ship is something Oda would want to avoid. I mean if you're exploring an island then you're not very good at being a guard. I put Lookout in the same boat. Both those roles have to be open for all SHs so it's not just one character being stuck in those positions all the time.

Whatever the last role is it would have to be flexible like the others, where the character can slide in if needed and be free to do whatever the rest of the time.

[electricmastro]

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@electricmastro

I'm not really sold on Ship Guard either. Having a SH always hang back with the ship is something Oda would want to avoid. I mean if you're exploring an island then you're not very good at being a guard. I put Lookout in the same boat. Both those roles have to be open for all SHs so it's not just one character being stuck in those positions all the time.

Whatever the last role is it would have to be flexible like the others, where the character can slide in if needed and be free to do whatever the rest of the time.

Not necessarily someone who just guards the ship, but one who fends off attackers the others would be too busy with to properly handle otherwise.

I recall when Oda talked about the Straw Hats’ sleep schedules, he mentioned that there had to be at least two crewmates awake at all times on the front and back parts of the ship. Now that Luffy is Emperor, I imagine more people would just start attacking them in the middle of the night, so having someone dedicated who’d fill in the task of fending them all off would be appreciated.

[Zin Magala]

@electricmastro said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@electricmastro

I'm not really sold on Ship Guard either. Having a SH always hang back with the ship is something Oda would want to avoid. I mean if you're exploring an island then you're not very good at being a guard. I put Lookout in the same boat. Both those roles have to be open for all SHs so it's not just one character being stuck in those positions all the time.

Whatever the last role is it would have to be flexible like the others, where the character can slide in if needed and be free to do whatever the rest of the time.

Not necessarily someone who just guards the ship, but one who fends off attackers the others would be too busy with to properly handle otherwise.

I recall when Oda talked about the Straw Hats’ sleep schedules, he mentioned that there had to be at least two crewmates awake at all times on the front and back parts of the ship. Now that Luffy is Emperor, I imagine more people would just start attacking them in the middle of the night, so having someone dedicated who’d fill in the task of fending them all off would be appreciated.

I get what you are throwing down, but you are still placing one character in a position that will always keep them separate from the crew. If Character X is always guarding the ship at night you are removing them from the rest of the crew when the fun happens. Roles like that a best shared with the crew so everyone has the opportunity to hang out with their crewmates.

[Deicide]

@SeaOfHope

I think that's a strong possibility. At some point, something will have to be done with that mark.

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

I can see her building trust with the crew, like with Luffy, but I don't really see her being below Nami when it comes to the status quo of the ship. I feel like the last crew member needs to slide right in like Jinbe, who doesn't disrupt how the crew works. I'm keeping an open mind though so Oda can win me over with the right story.

I do think next crewmate needs to slide right in like Jinbe. I feel an important position like Quartermaster can work if Oda can convince the readers that the character performs its job so well it feels natural, so the position is based on talent and earned by everyone's approval rather than authority.

[electricmastro]

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@electricmastro said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@electricmastro

I'm not really sold on Ship Guard either. Having a SH always hang back with the ship is something Oda would want to avoid. I mean if you're exploring an island then you're not very good at being a guard. I put Lookout in the same boat. Both those roles have to be open for all SHs so it's not just one character being stuck in those positions all the time.

Whatever the last role is it would have to be flexible like the others, where the character can slide in if needed and be free to do whatever the rest of the time.

Not necessarily someone who just guards the ship, but one who fends off attackers the others would be too busy with to properly handle otherwise.

I recall when Oda talked about the Straw Hats’ sleep schedules, he mentioned that there had to be at least two crewmates awake at all times on the front and back parts of the ship. Now that Luffy is Emperor, I imagine more people would just start attacking them in the middle of the night, so having someone dedicated who’d fill in the task of fending them all off would be appreciated.

I get what you are throwing down, but you are still placing one character in a position that will always keep them separate from the crew. If Character X is always guarding the ship at night you are removing them from the rest of the crew when the fun happens. Roles like that a best shared with the crew so everyone has the opportunity to hang out with their crewmates.

No I mean times like this. If nobody wants to be kept seperate, then why are Chopper and Usopp doing this?

[Monquito]

What I mean was that Oda made a case so convincing and compelling with Yamato, that even deniers and neutrals came to admit that he had in fact, really good chances of ending up joining the crew, that was regardless of how much complaints and questions remained for the character to answer, at some point, we all came together to say, yup, thats the one, not even mentioning that deniers had their fingers crossed the last few chapters until 1057, thats never happened with any other post time-skip character at all.

So, Oda right here, had the actual intention to sell us all the idea of nakamization, which, as we keep going on, seems even more pointless every chapter.

We could've spent all that panel-time in several other characters.

I ain't enjoying current Oda's writting.

[electricmastro]

@Monquito said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

What I mean was that Oda made a case so convincing and compelling with Yamato, that even deniers and neutrals came to admit that he had in fact, really good chances of ending up joining the crew, that was regardless of how much complaints and questions remained for the character to answer, at some point, we all came together to say, yup, thats the one, not even mentioning that deniers had their fingers crossed the last few chapters until 1057, thats never happened with any other post time-skip character at all.

So, Oda right here, had the actual intention to sell us all the idea of nakamization, which, as we keep going on, seems even more pointless every chapter.

We could've spent all that panel-time in several other characters.

I ain't enjoying current Oda's writting.

As I mentioned, I wasn’t looking at Yamato’s case as if she was guaranteed, I was just simply looking at how things progressed in regards to what her purpose would be with them. Purpose is prob the #1 factor, if any, when it comes to someone joining, because certainly Zoro, Nami, etc. can’t be claimed to not have purpose in being on the crew, right?

Until Yamato declares she has given up on the idea of sailing and given up on any dream she has, then I’m personally not inclined to think it was all a waste of time. So I’ll just be enjoying myself as more things progress.

[Zin Magala]

@Deicide

I'm open to Oda convincing me. Those are just my thoughts on the matter.

@electricmastro

That's the thing though, Chopper and Usopp are not always guarding the ship. It's shared amongst the crew so it's not always the same character(s) being stuck in that position.

[electricmastro]

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@Deicide

I'm open to Oda convincing me. Those are just my thoughts on the matter.

@electricmastro

That's the thing though, Chopper and Usopp are not always guarding the ship. It's shared amongst the crew so it's not always the same character(s) being stuck in that position.

Well it can always be shared with Yamato and someone else constantly switching if it has to come to that then.

[danie]

@SeaOfHope Sorry but I'm not interested in speculating about that. You saying the version of Big Mom Jinbe nearly threw into the sea was weaker than the normal version of Big Mom, that is just as valid as me saying that- that version of Big Mom was stronger. You say Jinbe doing that doesn't make him comparable to Hancock but I do not accept your premise that Hancock is stronger than Jinbe. What has Hancock done that is comparable to what Jinbe has? I do not value "hype" more than what the characters actually do in the story.

I do not watch the anime so I do not know what you are talking about in regards to it. I was talking about Roger calling Rayleigh and Scooper off while they were getting ready to confront Oden. It had "monster trio" vibes. Oden joining very likely intruded on them being Roger's strongest just like Yamato joining would have likely intruded on Zoro and Sanji being Luffy's strongest. I don't see the problem.

[Zin Magala]

@electricmastro

That sounds like what I said: It’s shared amongst the crew. There is no reason to label one character in that role if it’s going to continue rotating. Ship Guard is a proactive role so if you are not always in that position, why have that title?

I’m not saying Oda won’t use “insert role” so character x can’t join. I’m saying character x can join, but their role needs to be flexible and reactive so the character can continue to do SH things with their fellow crew members.

[danie]

@SeaOfHope said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

Also, @Deicide, what do you think about Luffy changing the branding on Hancock's back to an insignia of the Straw Hat Crew? Been a little theory of mine, since Hancock is always ashamed of having her back seen due to what it represents and the implications of her experience being a slave.

The fuck??? That would be fucking terrible. If Luffy must do something about Hancock's "branding", he should remove it all together. Oda can probably rationalize it now with the mythical status of the fruit power. We know Luffy can now turn others into rubber so it wouldn't seem that much of a stretch to me if Luffy could somehow stretch the mark out of her. It sounds very cartoony, I know. Perfect for gear 5!

[electricmastro]

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@electricmastro

That sounds like what I said: It’s shared amongst the crew. There is no reason to label one character in that role if it’s going to continue rotating. Ship Guard is a proactive role so if you are not always in that position, why have that title?

I’m not saying Oda won’t use “insert role” so character x can’t join. I’m saying character x can join, but their role needs to be flexible and reactive so the character can continue to do SH things with their fellow crew members.

I don’t think Yamato doing a guard shift alone would take away from meaningful interaction. Even others do things like Zoro training alone to improve his swordsmanship, Nami making maps alone in her map room, and Franky repairing things around the Sunny. Even then, Oda would figure out how to make it flexible and reactive if it’s really necessary, so I’m sure it would be fine.

[Dragon D. Luffy]

I don't really like Hancock's chances. First, Oda passed on adding her to the cast when she was actually in the story, and the idea of her joining didn't even come up (heck, the only thing she's interested in Luffy is marrying him, and she said no). And her appearances have been slim ever since. The same could be said about Vivi, but at least Vivi was shown wanting to join the crew on panel and bonding with all of them. Hancock joining is a purely fandom notion that the manga doesn't seem to be setting up at all.

She also doesn't seem like someone who would get along with the crew except as a means to get closer to Luffy. She'd butt heads with the other women for being threats to her love, and possibly with Zoro and Jinbe for being strong people who wouldn't really obey her, while weaker members like Usopp and Chopper would obey her out of fear (and Sanji out of lust, ofc).

And she's kind of... evil? I mean, so was Robin, but we were explained why Robin did what she did (survival, and her dream). Hancock casually turns her subjects to stone just because she feels like it, and her backstory didn't actually justify that. She doesn't care about anyone in the world except Luffy, Rayleigh and her sisters, and doesn't seem interested in caring. Sure, she can be a sympathetic character sometimes, and works fine as an anti-hero, but I feel like she would need A LOT more character development to get along with the protagonists without that feeling forced.

[Zin Magala]

@electricmastro

Someone choosing to do an activity alone isn’t the same thing as being in a role that requires your constant attention. Regardless, Yamato’s chances of joining isn’t reliant on Ship Guard being a thing.

[electricmastro]

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@electricmastro

Someone choosing to do an activity alone isn’t the same thing as being in a role that requires your constant attention. Regardless, Yamato’s chances of joining isn’t reliant on Ship Guard being a thing.

I dunno, thinking about it again, could you see any scenario where Yamato could take on any sort of guard role and still satisfy what you’d be looking for? If not, then the alternative would prob be logkeeper, going by the concept art.

[Zin Magala]

@electricmastro

Logkeeper makes more sense as a role to jump in and out of. I don’t know if that would of been Yamato’s role. I can see her writing a journal for herself. It feels a little late for logging the SHs journeys. I thought Apprentice would have worked for Yamato. That felt like a very Oda move. If Zoro ever moved up to Vice Captain then Yamato could have taken over Combatant. Wait, is Combatant still a thing after the last set of bounties?

Beyond that I have no idea. She hasn’t shown any skills other than putting clubs to faces.

[electricmastro]

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@electricmastro

Logkeeper makes more sense as a role to jump in and out of. I don’t know if that would of been Yamato’s role. I can see her writing a journal for herself. It feels a little late for logging the SHs journeys. I thought Apprentice would have worked for Yamato. That felt like a very Oda move. If Zoro ever moved up to Vice Captain then Yamato could have taken over Combatant. Wait, is Combatant still a thing after the last set of bounties?

Beyond that I have no idea. She hasn’t shown any skills other than putting clubs to faces.

Well, there’s also the brewer idea, because of Chapter 999’s title and the brewing devices that wear near Yamato and Ace. Sanji even mentioned that didn’t even have any alcohol on board the Sunny, which led to Zoro resorting to find some. That would prob lend more to the interaction you may be looking for if it even had her be in a bartender sort of role, possibly.

[Zin Magala]

@electricmastro

That just sounds like Zoro’s bartender. lol

[electricmastro]

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@electricmastro

That just sounds like Zoro’s bartender. lol

lol maybe.

As for logkeeper, I could see it be a more satisfying role if Luffy decided to go to islands we didn’t see, since there’s apparently at least 100 islands in the One Piece world, so seeing old places with news eyes from Yamato’s point of view + us seeing new islands we didn’t get to see before because of how the log pose pointed before would be pretty nice I’d say, and would make for a nice log in return I suppose.

[Hakase]

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@electricmastro

Logkeeper makes more sense as a role to jump in and out of. I don’t know if that would of been Yamato’s role. I can see her writing a journal for herself. It feels a little late for logging the SHs journeys. I thought Apprentice would have worked for Yamato. That felt like a very Oda move. If Zoro ever moved up to Vice Captain then Yamato could have taken over Combatant. Wait, is Combatant still a thing after the last set of bounties?

Beyond that I have no idea. She hasn’t shown any skills other than putting clubs to faces.

I would say yes cause swordmaster is essentially still a combatant.

[SeaOfHope]

@danie said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@SeaOfHope Sorry but I'm not interested in speculating about that. You saying the version of Big Mom Jinbe nearly threw into the sea was weaker than the normal version of Big Mom, that is just as valid as me saying that- that version of Big Mom was stronger. You say Jinbe doing that doesn't make him comparable to Hancock but I do not accept your premise that Hancock is stronger than Jinbe. What has Hancock done that is comparable to what Jinbe has? I do not value "hype" more than what the characters actually do in the story.

I do not watch the anime so I do not know what you are talking about in regards to it. I was talking about Roger calling Rayleigh and Scooper off while they were getting ready to confront Oden. It had "monster trio" vibes. Oden joining very likely intruded on them being Roger's strongest just like Yamato joining would have likely intruded on Zoro and Sanji being Luffy's strongest. I don't see the problem.

It was shown in the story that Big Mom herself was in a fairly weakened state due to the fact she was suffering from her hunger pangs. Despite that, she became more nimble because of her reduced weight.

That said, I'm more inclined to believe hype of a character stated to be strong by a top tier of the story. Still I won't hold it against you if you believe in feats.

That moment with Rayleigh and Scopper was more about them confronting Oden as he was approaching and neither of them really felt threatened. You can be stronger than a character and have a mildly difficult fight against them, especially since they felt fairly confident in handling the situation prior to Roger jumping in.

@danie said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@SeaOfHope said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

Also, @Deicide, what do you think about Luffy changing the branding on Hancock's back to an insignia of the Straw Hat Crew? Been a little theory of mine, since Hancock is always ashamed of having her back seen due to what it represents and the implications of her experience being a slave.

The fuck??? That would be fucking terrible. If Luffy must do something about Hancock's "branding", he should remove it all together. Oda can probably rationalize it now with the mythical status of the fruit power. We know Luffy can now turn others into rubber so it wouldn't seem that much of a stretch to me if Luffy could somehow stretch the mark out of her. It sounds very cartoony, I know. Perfect for gear 5!

Despite not referring the question to you, not sure how you'll remove a burn mark engraved on your skin by just saying "well, he can do anything now with mythical devil fruit powers. " That's an even further stretch than what I've been saying.

EDIT: Besides, there's nothing inherently wrong in doing something like that. Narratively, turning something from a mark of shame to a badge of pride is something we know Oda has done. Changing Nami's tattoo of the Arlong Pirates insignia into a tattoo of tangerines and a pinwheel and the Sun Pirates all wearing the same insignia branded on them so the crew were all indistinguishable from the freed Fishmen slaves on Mariejois. You're acting like this is some novel concept never done in the story.

[black-leg jex]

The problem with this branding idea is that it only works if Hancock chooses to do it herself, not if Luffy does it. It worked in Nami's case because it was her choice and in the case of the Sun Pirates they all did it to hide the mark and even those without brands got it so that it would be harder for the real slaves to be found. It had meaning.

Luffy changing Hancocks brand to the Straw Hats mark comes across as him now being her new owner, rather than herself being free.

[SeaOfHope]

@black-leg-jex said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

The problem with this branding idea is that it only works if Hancock chooses to do it herself, not if Luffy does it. It worked in Nami's case because it was her choice and in the case of the Sun Pirates they all did it to hide the mark and even those without brands got it so that it would be harder for the real slaves to be found. It had meaning.

Luffy changing Hancocks brand to the Straw Hats mark comes across as him now being her new owner, rather than herself being free.

That I do agree with. It would be her decision what to do with the brand on her back. Granted, Koala got the same mark on her back as well as all the Sun Pirates and I believe it's more about what the brand represents rather than a mark of ownership. If anything, it's to wipe away the mark of ownership.

[danie]

@SeaOfHope Fair point. If we go by that page, it is more reasonable to think Big Mom was weaker not stronger. I still wouldn't call it conclusive though.

Not saying "he can do anything now with mythical devil fruit powers", but you can't deny that the point of gear 5 is to allow Luffy to do more cartoony things with-in the confines of "rubber". Stretching the burn mark out of her fits into that. Oda has taken much greater liberties with other devil fruit abilities.

I would just find it trashy for Luffy to put his pirate mark on her even if should would agree to it. It would be like saying she is Luffy's property. It's nothing like what Nami and FIsher Tiger did.

[Deicide]

@SeaOfHope said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

EDIT: Besides, there's nothing inherently wrong in doing something like that. Narratively, turning something from a mark of shame to a badge of pride is something we know Oda has done. Changing Nami's tattoo of the Arlong Pirates insignia into a tattoo of tangerines and a pinwheel and the Sun Pirates all wearing the same insignia branded on them so the crew were all indistinguishable from the freed Fishmen slaves on Mariejois. You're acting like this is some novel concept never done in the story.

Indeed. As always, it's a matter of presentation. Hancock turning the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon into the Straw Hat Jolly Roger could work depending on how it's done. If it's a mark of pride, it's no problem. Especially if she gets into the crew, then it just shows her commitment.

There may be other solutions, of course. But right now, given what was established so far, the mark can't be erased, only replaced.

---

@Dragon-D-Luffy said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

I don't really like Hancock's chances.

Well, I'm sure we are only discussing it right now because of me, and because of the break week and not much else to discuss.

I won't delve into your post point-by-point because, frankly, right now Hancock's candidacy is something out of my head and not based on actual manga events. But if things go somewhat like I imagine, then:

• A character's moment can come anything. Amazon Lily was a very short arc, and it was about Luffy gaining Hancock as an ally, not about exploring Hancock's traumas and resolving them. I always felt the story would come back to her due to that. There's a lot of character potential there.

• Hancock's a deeply traumatized person who tries to keep people away for fear of exposure. She feels people will reject her and treat her as less than human if her mark is found, and that's what causes her to be mean: so she's never vulnerable around anyone.

• Luffy was the first person in a long time to crack her armor, and what she truly needs is to have people she can feel safe around. Once the Straw Hats help her, they may become exactly that.

Hancock's current state is a lot like Nami's or Robin's before they had to face their pasts. Nami was greedy and willing to betray the crew. Robin was unable to count on her friends because she feared their betrayal. Hancock needs to show strength and power, because she's too afraid to be controlled ever again.

[.access timeco.]

This post is deleted!

[SeaOfHope]

@danie said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

Not saying "he can do anything now with mythical devil fruit powers", but you can't deny that the point of gear 5 is to allow Luffy to do more cartoony things with-in the confines of "rubber". Stretching the burn mark out of her fits into that. Oda has taken much greater liberties with other devil fruit abilities.

I would just find it trashy for Luffy to put his pirate mark on her even if should would agree to it. It would be like saying she is Luffy's property. It's nothing like what Nami and FIsher Tiger did.

Outside of the fact that his new abilities enable some level of toon force with its rubber abilities, Luffy stretching something out doesn't remove the property of what's present. From what we've seen, it modifies the composition of what he interacts with. Just saying Luffy can stretch out the burn mark doesn't mean it'll come off since it's still physically on her body.

You find it trashy, but it's not something to be ashamed of. It's just a new mark to represent something more positive. If I go by your logic, we should call Luffy trash for painting (horribly) the Straw Hat insignia over the scars on Laboon's head so he would stop crashing his head against the Red Line. Nothing about that remotely implies Luffy "marking property."

EDIT:

Does that look like marking property to you?

[electricmastro]

@Hakase said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@Zin-Magala said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@electricmastro

Logkeeper makes more sense as a role to jump in and out of. I don’t know if that would of been Yamato’s role. I can see her writing a journal for herself. It feels a little late for logging the SHs journeys. I thought Apprentice would have worked for Yamato. That felt like a very Oda move. If Zoro ever moved up to Vice Captain then Yamato could have taken over Combatant. Wait, is Combatant still a thing after the last set of bounties?

Beyond that I have no idea. She hasn’t shown any skills other than putting clubs to faces.

I would say yes cause swordmaster is essentially still a combatant.

Maybe Yamato could be clubmaster then. lol

[Ivotas]

@SeaOfHope said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@danie said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

Not saying "he can do anything now with mythical devil fruit powers", but you can't deny that the point of gear 5 is to allow Luffy to do more cartoony things with-in the confines of "rubber". Stretching the burn mark out of her fits into that. Oda has taken much greater liberties with other devil fruit abilities.

I would just find it trashy for Luffy to put his pirate mark on her even if should would agree to it. It would be like saying she is Luffy's property. It's nothing like what Nami and FIsher Tiger did.

Outside of the fact that his new abilities enable some level of toon force with its rubber abilities, Luffy stretching something out doesn't remove the property of what's present. From what we've seen, it modifies the composition of what he interacts with. Just saying Luffy can stretch out the burn mark doesn't mean it'll come off since it's still physically on her body.

You find it trashy, but it's not something to be ashamed of. It's just a new mark to represent something more positive. If I go by your logic, we should call Luffy trash for painting (horribly) the Straw Hat insignia over the scars on Laboon's head so he would stop crashing his head against the Red Line. Nothing about that remotely implies Luffy "marking property."

EDIT:

Does that look like marking property to you?

Yes, it does. Luffy is keeping Laboon safe by basically saying "don't damage my property!"

[SeaOfHope]

@Ivotas What is this? Whale insurance protection plan?

[danie]

@SeaOfHope Right. I'm not saying i think it will happen. I just think it would be better than Luffy marking her with his pirate mark. And Oda could rationalize it with gear 5. If you thought Oda went too far with what he did with gear 5 so far, you should probably buckle up. I'm pretty sure we've only seen the tip of the iceberg of what gear 5 will do.

I just don't think what Luffy did with Laboon is anything like marking Hancock with his pirate mark. For starters; it is just paint and it is meant to be funny, yet ultimately it is done for the noble reason of getting Laboon to stop hurting itself.

Under what context would Luffy mark Hancock? Honestly, if the mark must be replaced, it should be by her own mark. More importantly, I hope Hancock eventually decides to pull a Fisher Tiger a frees slaves. It would be great for her character!

[SeaOfHope]

@danie said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@SeaOfHope Right. I'm not saying i think it will happen. I just think it would be better than Luffy marking her with his pirate mark. And Oda could rationalize it with gear 5. If you thought Oda went too far with what he did did with gear 5 so far, you should probably buckle up. I'm pretty sure we've only seen the tip of the iceberg of what gear 5 will do.

I just don't think what Luffy did with Laboon is anything like marking Hancock with his pirate mark. For starters; it is just paint and it is meant to be funny, yet ultimately it is done for the noble reason of getting Laboon to stop hurting itself.

Under what context would Luffy mark Hancock?Honestly, if the mark must be replaced, it should be by something she comes up with. More importantly, I hope Hancock eventually decides to pull a Fisher Tiger a frees slaves. It would be great for her character!

I don't think Oda went too far with Gear 5th, I just think you're overestimating a bit too far on what it's actual capabilities entail. That's like saying Luffy can just remove anyone's scar just because of some vague detail surrounding his abilities under the guise of his creativity.

For starters, Luffy already knows how much the Boa Sisters hate the brands that have been marked on their backs at the hands of the Celestial Dragons and he's fully aware of what it represents. You can say Laboon's mark was done in jest since it was done in paint, but he still marked Laboon's head with his insignia to stop his loneliness of missing the Rumbar Pirates and acted as a promise when they meet again. I can say with the same reasoning if Luffy marks a brand on Hancock's back, it's to remove the stigma physically on her body she belongs to the Celestial Dragons. Just because you have a insignia on your body doesn't mean she is marked as property, it's just to overwrite what was there before and have something you can proudly bare with no shame. I would also extend this to the rest of the Gorgon Sisters.

Koala and the Sun Pirates aren't owned by Fisher Tiger because he branded them. Ace and Marco weren't owned by Whitebeard just because they bore his insignia. The marks are there to represent the meaning behind them. The "Mark of the Flying Hoof" was to symbolize you were a slave to the Celestial Dragons. Not every mark branded on a character represents property. I don't mind if Hancock comes up with an insignia either way, I'm just pointing out that having the Straw Hat insignia branded on a character doesn't automatically equate to slave ownership.

[danie]

@SeaOfHope Again, I don't think Oda will do it. I just think he could rationalize it with gear 5 and it would be better than Luffy marking her with his pirate mark. I mostly expect Oda to expand on the "sun god" aspect of gear 5. I don't think Nika was just called that in metaphor or simile.

Important distinctions are that Fisher TIger was not "the sun", his pirate symbol was graceful, and the markings were clearly done for a noble reason. Luffy is "strawhat", his pirate symbol is not graceful, and it would be much better for Hancock to replace the symbol with a graceful symbol of her own. Hancock being someone who is infatuated with Luffy, doesn't help

Ace and Marco were Whitebeard Pirates and they didn't put his mark on themselves to cover something up. It is to show they are proud members of the Whitebeard Pirates, so unless Hancock becomes a Strawhat Pirate and will be constantly showing the mark off, it is not comparable.

[Ivotas]

@SeaOfHope said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@Ivotas What is this? Whale insurance protection plan?

Exactly. Who wouldn't want a insurance protaction plan by Monkey D. Luffy. Countless countries that suffered from tyrrany can vouch for the effectiveness of made protection.

[SeaOfHope]

@danie said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@SeaOfHope Important distinctions are that Fisher TIger was not "the sun", his pirate symbol was graceful, and the markings were clearly done for a noble reason. Luffy is "strawhat", his pirate symbol is not graceful, and it would be much better for Hancock to replace the symbol with a graceful symbol of her own. Hancock being someone who is infatuated with Luffy, doesn't help

Ace and Marco were Whitebeard Pirates and they didn't put his mark on themselves to cover something up. It is to show they are proud members of the Whitebeard Pirates, so unless Hancock becomes a Strawhat Pirate and will be constantly showing the mark off, it is not comparable.

The Straw Hat, funnily enough, extends past someone like Luffy. If anything, it may be related to Joyboy, considering the history we know starting from Roger and the possibility of what the giant Straw Hat Imu has locked away symbolizes. Luffy's Straw Hat is part of his identity, but its beyond simply him. Once again, if you want to make the claim in regards to Hancock having her own insignia, you can. But Luffy is not solely Straw Hat, it represents way more than that as we keep seeing in the series and it's by no means negative based on Luffy's track record.
EDIT: Arguing that Fisher Tiger isn't the Sun doesn't work when it's the name of his crew and everyone that has the insignia are related to him and its a signature way to identify a member of the Sun Pirates. Doubly so considering what their crew represents. You're arguing about imagery now.

The mark still represents their belief in being recognized as Whitebeard's "sons" as we've been told. The meaning behind it is more important than just having allegiance to their crew. Koala wasn't a Sun Pirate, but her brand was there to represent no longer being a slave and being accepted among Fishmen who have a history of hating humans. You're looking at it in black and white.

spoiler

EDIT: I'm not saying you can't feel that this is wrong. My point is you're viewing this as Luffy marking property when that would never be the case nor has it been represented in the series as so with the exception of the Celestial Dragons because that's what the Mark of the Flying Hoof means.

spoiler

[danie]

@SeaOfHope Oh you are right about the strawhat very likely being connected to Joyboy or whatever, just like the Sun Pirates symbol ls likely connected to Nika, and that's kinda my point. The Sun Pirates symbol is a symbol greater than themselves, so it seems very appropriate that they branded themselves with it in the context that they did.

What can a strawhat possibly represent though? As far as I know, it is just something to mark "the one", and we are not just talking about a strawhat marking but a Strawhat Pirates marking. It's not the same.

Under what context would Hancock get the Strawhat Pirates mark? If it's not by joining the crew then it just seems distasteful to me. If you insist on Luffy needing to replace the celestial dragon mark with a mark of his own, then it would seem much better for it to be a mark of the sun similar to the Sun Pirates'. It works perfectly considering Nika is the"Sun God" and the "Warrior of Liberation".

[SeaOfHope]

@danie said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@SeaOfHope What can a strawhat possibly represent though? As far as I know, it is just some-thing to mark "the one", and we are not just talking about a strawhat marking but a Strawhat Pirate marking. It's not the same.

Under what context would Hancock get the Strawhat Pirates mark? If it's not by joining the crew then it just seems distasteful to me. If you insist on Luffy needing to replace the celestial dragon mark with a mark of his own, then it would seem much better for it to be a mark of the sun similar to the Sun Pirates'. It works perfectly considering Nika is the"Sun God" and the "Warrior of Liberation".

Straw Hat Pirate insignia would link back to Luffy and his crew, but ultimately the insignia brand represents everything Luffy, the new coming of Joyboy and future King of the Pirates, represents: freedom.

I'm not gonna debate what you prefer. I just wanted to state why Luffy using his crew's insignia to mark over Hancock's mark branded on her body wouldn't be narratively detrimental or wrong as you may think. And as I've said, Koala wasn't a member of the Sun Pirates, but the significance of the Sun Pirates brand bears more meaning in what it represents.

[danie]

@SeaOfHope Yes, I shouldn't have said what I said about Hancock replacing the celestial dragons mark with the strawhat pirates mark. I just find it distasteful when their is much better alternatives, and I don't know under what context it wouldn't feel so jarring except if she joins the crew, which I just can't see.

Koala may not have been a sun pirate but she was a former slave on a ship with former slaves, so it was very fitting for her to get the sun pirates mark when she did.

[electricmastro]

@danie said in Next Straw Hat Crewmates (Vol. 9 - Yamato vs. The World):

@SeaOfHope Right. I'm not saying i think it will happen. I just think it would be better than Luffy marking her with his pirate mark. And Oda could rationalize it with gear 5. If you thought Oda went too far with what he did with gear 5 so far, you should probably buckle up. I'm pretty sure we've only seen the tip of the iceberg of what gear 5 will do.

I just don't think what Luffy did with Laboon is anything like marking Hancock with his pirate mark. For starters; it is just paint and it is meant to be funny, yet ultimately it is done for the noble reason of getting Laboon to stop hurting itself.

Under what context would Luffy mark Hancock? Honestly, if the mark must be replaced, it should be by her own mark. More importantly, I hope Hancock eventually decides to pull a Fisher Tiger a frees slaves. It would be great for her character!

I don't think Luffy would be someone to mark people with his symbols, but it's interesting you mention that slave freeing idea, since I had thought the same with Yamato since she was imprisoned in chains herself and may try to embody the Nika/Joy Boy association of the trying to help out slaves.

[Shin10 Bukuro]

I'm not too thrilled with a lot of talk I see about the "roles" on the Strawhat ship. People seem to be confused into thinking that the various Strawhats have something along the lines of a "menial part time job" on the ship. Something they can do in order to contribute.

But the roles the various Strawhats have are character-defining. There's a thematic line that runs through the entire character, and their role is something that they're top-tier at, world-wide. For each and every crewmember, their role is something they would be doing regardless if they were sailing the seas with Luffy or not.

So, thinking of a role for a Nakama is not a matter of saying "Is there a detail in the background somewhere I can link to being their role?"

[Deicide]

@Shin10-Bukuro I like your reasoning and agree. I feel the last crewmate will have a role that he/she excels in it.

It’s why I came with quartermaster for Hancock: making people cooperate with her (be it via intimidation, seduction or feigned helplessness) is ingrained in her personality. All her gags are about it.

Do the SHs need a quartermaster? Well, that’s up for the story to say. But, if she ends up as the 11th, I feel that role would fit perfectly for her.

[Zin Magala]

@Shin10-Bukuro

Is this directed at me? lol

What you’re saying is 100% correct but I never said the roles weren’t important to the character. The role for the 11th will be a big part of their being, but it won’t be one that limits how Oda writes said character.

There is a difference between Hancock being a Quartermaster and Yamato being a Ship Guard. One gives Oda the freedom to showcase their skill and hang with the crew. The other is constantly hanging back with the ship.

[Shift]

@Shin10-Bukuro I mean, Jinbe's a great helmsman no doubt, but he's always had such a broad range of talents that helming a ship was one possibility out of many for a long time.

[Shiebs]

Do we think the new person who will join already has a bounty or will they get it after joining the Straw Hats

My money is still on the straw hats finding out they have a job they need filled and then miraculously finding someone who fits that bill on the island they're headed to

That's how it happened for, Nami, Sanji, Chopper and Franky and I could see it happening again

[Zin Magala]

I don’t think a bounty is required but it’s hard to say when the next round of bounties will be.

I find it hard to believe that they are still missing a role as important as the characters you mentioned. Maybe it’s important to the story like Robin’s.

[Shiebs]

That's definitely a possibility, I think I said the same thing a few pages ago

would be cool if the last member was an alien, that would be great

not gonna happen but it would be cool