The Straw Hat Pirates are a mighty crew that hail from the East Blue of the One Piece world.
This pirate crew has gone from strength to strength, and fans know them to be one of the strongest on the seas right now, especially after the Wano Country Arc, where Luffy defeated Kaido and successfully became one of the Four Emperors of the Sea.
The Straw Hat Pirates are strong, but they certainly are not complete. When Luffy set out on his journey, he set a goal of acquiring about 10 crewmates. Right now, Luffy only has nine, which means that there is room for one last crewmate left on the ship. Of course, fans have always wanted more people to join the crew, given that is one of the most exciting things about One Piece. But, so far, one candidate stands out far more than any others and that person might just be the last Straw Hat.
The Contenders For The Last Straw Hat In One Piece
Yamato Wanted To Join The Straw Hats
Vivi Is Still In The Picture
There are many contenders for the position of the last Strawhat. Fans know this because Luffy has made countless friends all across the seas, some of whom he is not even connected to right now but is sure that he’s going to meet again. At the same time, there are also individuals that Luffy is looking forward to meeting or will meet later down the line. Clearly, there are many individuals who could join in the final saga of One Piece, and fans absolutely cannot wait to see who this person is going to be. Out of the many contenders, these are the few that stand out the most.
There’s always room for you guys on my ship! – Luffy
Momonosuke
The Shogun of Wano, Momonosuke is certainly a very strong contender for the position of Straw Hat. As fans know, Momo was not fully okay with leaving the Strawhat Pirates. But Luffy told him that there was always room for him on the ship, and if he ever wanted to join the crew, all he had to do was let him know, and he would come by and pick him up. Luffy clearly believes Momo is his little brother, and these two share a very special bond. Momo is certainly a very good contender for the possession of the last Straw Hat, but, his duties as the Shogun of Wano essentially mean that he cannot join the Straw Hats just yet.
Yamato
Just like Momo, Yamato is another individual who fans can see joining the Straw Hat Pirates. Although Yamato did not join the Strawhats after Wano, there is absolutely no reason as to why Yamato cannot do it in the future. However, there is an obstacle that could prevent Yamato from joining the crew.
This obstacle is Wano’s protection. Wano needs a deterrent of its own. There’s absolutely no one left to protect the country, and this deterrent is none other than Yamato. Unless Momonosuke grows tremendously in terms of strength, Yamato will have to stay back in Wano and defend the land. This means that right now, Yamato cannot join up with Luffy again.
An Elbaf Giant
Quite a lot of the fans believe that Luffy will pick up the last member of the Strawhat Pirates in Elbaf. Given that Elbaf is a major arc, it is only natural for fans to assume that this is where the next Strawhat will join the crew. However, fans need to realize that there is already a Giant as a part of Luffy’s fleet. This Giant is none other than Hajrudin, who fans now know to be the Prince of Elbaf. It’s clear that Hajrudin is one of the most important characters from Elbaf, along with Loki, that Luffy will get to meet. Clearly, he is one side of the coin, with Loki being the other side, and Luffy has already befriended Hajrudin and made him a part of his fleet. It makes absolutely no sense for Luffy to have a giant join his crew when Hajrudin is right there.
These are almost all the major contenders that fans know are there for the spot of the final Straw Hat, and none of them fit this position perfectly. That said, there is one character that is going to be a perfect fit, and this person is none other than Vivi.
Why Vivi Is The Last Straw Hat in One Piece
Vivi Recently Sent Luffy A Hint
Vivi’s position as the last Straw Hat was set in stone right from when she was seen leaving the crew temporarily. Vivi stayed behind after the Arabasta arc because she wanted to govern her people and help her country rebuild. Ever since then, Vivi has grown tremendously both as a ruler and a political leader, and at the same time, she realized that now is the time to rejoin Luffy. As fans no, Cobra was killed by Imu during the Reverie. Right now, Vivi cannot go back to Arabasta, which means that her duty of serving as Arabasta’s ruler cannot be carried out right now.
Will you still call me your friend? – Vivi
Vivi is with the World Economic Journal at this point in time, but she cannot stay there forever. More recently, in Elbaf, Vivi sent a signal to Luffy, pointing out to him that she was safe and, at the same time, her current location. Clearly, Vivi wants to meet up with the crew, and Oda is setting up a reunion with her.
It is highly likely that Vivi is going to join up with Luffy, potentially in Elbaf, or, immediately after the arc. When Vivi does rejoin with the Straw Hat Pirates, she is going to stay with them, because that is the safest place for her to be. The only time Vivi can go back to Arabasta is after the World Government falls, which means that from that point onward, Vivi will stay with the crew permanently.
This essentially makes Vivi the last Straw Hat, and it also makes sense because the Straw Hats promised that they would still call Vivi a crewmate when she does return. Essentially, the position of Vivi as the tenth Straw Hat is set in stone.
The Full Strength Of The Straw Hat Pirates
At Full Power, The Straw Hats Are Unstoppable
Once Vivi joins the Straw Hat Pirates, they can finally display their full strength. Luffy’s crew will finally be complete, and they will be ready to face off against the World Government. Although Vivi might not have been that strong before the timeskip, Oda will have to scale her according to the current Straw Hats, which means that she will have become many times stronger. This makes even more sense if Vivi truly is tied to an Ancient Weapon, specifically Uranus, Which might be why Imu is seeking her out as well.
Clearly, Vivi’s importance to the crew is going to be paramount, and if she does control an ancient weapon, or has the capability to control it, the Straw Hats will be on an entirely different tier, and clearly the biggest threat to the World Government. This would make the final battle with Imu and his minions even more exciting, and fans absolutely cannot wait to see it.