@Zik:
Yeah but I'm not seeing how any of that has anything to do who with who will be next nakama or how or when they will join unless you're really holding Oda to your idea that the next nakama will only come after Wano.
I'm just not getting where you came you with that.
If Oda has decided to trim down some story elements so he can finish One Piece in a reasonable amount of time. Then these changes will affect when or how a character is introduced. This is my understanding of his 5 year comment. That he will not indulge in his creativity and focus on getting to bigger set pieces.
For instance, in an interview it was said that Green Bit and Dressrosa were meant to be two different islands. If that had been the case then the story elements would have been different. Maybe the character would be the same, but given each island its own arc, then it gives more breathing room for the cast to be expanded upon, etc.
Again, I've admitted, I cannot tell what these changes are, or their effects. And to be fair, I am just doing like everybody else and speculating. The same way I thought chapter 1000 would have Luffy declaring he was going to be the pirate king, and it did. But, because of what I considered a faster pace, I thought that Zoro would also reopen Kaido's wound. Now, the second part didn't happen. But I am pretty certain Zoro will reopen that wound, but with off-paneling here and there, I just don't know exactly when.
You're not saying it is the case but even bringing up that scenario is a reach and seems pretty convoluted without evidence.
I don't think we will have evidence of those kind of things until way after Wano or One Piece is over.
To repeat, I am basing these ideas on the notion that Oda is cutting down on his story. It is not really important if I am wrong or not. Maybe, he isn't cutting down at all, but that seems unlikely. Why off-panel cathartic moments like Dog and Cat fighting Jack or the retainers confronting Kanjuro?
It'd be like if I said Oda wasnt sure if he wanted a male or female to join next so instead he landed on the compromise of a female that identifies as a man.
Which would be an interesting guess if turned out to be true. Anyways, I think hyper-focusing on the behind the scenes, or in this case, what I think is happening behind the scenes is a bit trivial.
Yeah but you just said you came up with this guess before Wano. So literally before characters like Yamato and Tama and any other new character was introduced so you wouldn't have even known who shows signs of joining.
And my reasoning back then was because the crew had not had a challenging adventure in which the crew tackled the problem together. The split in Dressorsa, Zou, WCI. And with the addition of Jimbe in the works since Fishman Island, Wano being the first adventure in which the crew was altogether and they had to break their limits. Adding a new crew member in the mix besides Jimbe seems too much.
And after almost 100 chapters in, my opinion has been unchanged. Even though Tama and Yamato each have appeals to them and connections to Luffy, I just find their purpose in the story to be different. Same way I think Carrot has a different role than being part of the crew.
Technically, Jinbe officially joined during Whole Cake island. Its literally where he told Big Mom he was leaving, put his life on the line, and announced he would be a strawhat. Given when he shows up in Wano I'm not sure how that's the arc that makes it official even if now the entire crew is present on the island.
Jimbe's joining has been in the works since Fishman Island. Personally, he was part of the crew since then, but I agree technically he joined during WCI. However, after that gorgeous double spread with the entire crew together. It just makes me more certain that the fact the crew is finally reunited completely is something important and will be explored before adding even another member.
That aside I'm not sure a nobody else can join so we can show how strong the crew has become along with its latest member. As this process goes sometimes the new member only actually joins at the end of the arc like with Franky or Robin instead of being asked right off the bat like Brook or Sanji.
The crew's strength does not only have to be physical. And I do not see why a nobody cannot join?
Yeah, I just don't think this made up stipulation you have really works.
Ah, well, just think of it as me being: well technically Yamato was a character no one even heard of before, so if he joins, then I was technically right about the newest member being someone completely new. And in very small letters (and if you consider Onigashima a new island…that is...I don't...but I could). In other words, it ain't that serious. If Yamato joins, I would have been wrong about it being after Wano, but I will jokingly pretend I wasn't.
Besides that there's nothing stopping another new character from joining the crew in the next arc.
I 100% with that. There is nothing stopping the new member joining at any point in time really.
My only deadline, which again is personal, is Luffy meeting Shanks. I think their meeting should happen when the entire crew is complete. But again, not something mandatory.
As far as guesses/predictions go, I've said it before in here but I feel like Oda is gonna give a pretty clear message that the crew is locked in for the rest of the story/there will be no one else joining once that last member does join. If he doesn't outright say it publicly.
Unless I missed Oda clarifying that Luffy's initial comment of at least 10 crew members (not including himself) actually meant only 10 characters are officially joining.
I think so too. Luffy will say something about it.