Who will be the next crewmember of the Strawhats [spoilers]

[DJ Trouble]

Originally Posted by Crimson Reaper

All in all it could be said that we've yet to meet the next/last crewmember at all and these ideas planted in our heads about Boa/Buggy/Bon Clay/etc joining is just Oda's way of keeping us on the edge.

This is definitely possible. I hadn't even considered it because I really want Boa to join. xD And there was the thing about an old enemy becoming crew, too, wasn't there? I guess they could make an enemy on Fishman Island, like they did with Franky, and then turn it around. But that's not Boa joining, so I don't like that idea.

Originally Posted by yaluckyboy

I was originally sceptical at the thought of Ace joining, but things in the Manga just keep pushing and pushing to that idea. I mean if Whitebeard dies or disbands the crew (this is becoming more and more likely) then Ace will need a new crew to join and I am sure Luffy would gladly offer a position on his crew.

There's nothing in the manga pushing Ace to join the crew. The manga is pushing towards Ace becoming the leader of WB's crew and aiming to be the Pirate King himself, not become a subordinate of his brother who he considers weaker than himself.

Originally Posted by james0246

Juggling 10 + 1 characters is already hard enough, especially since it requires the creation of sufficient character development for each character, as well as new villains that each character can fight during the course of any arc (If the D-Team (Chopper, Nami and Usopp) get reduced to just fighting fodder and not named villains, then I would be very upset). So, I find it hard to believe that Oda would go too far afield of his initial pledge of 10 + 1.

Besides, there are still 2 more spots to be filled before we need to worry about this possibility.

I honestly don't think Oda would have too hard a time giving all the characters enough spotlight. I like that reasoning for the crew staying small though. There's no reason to make things harder on himself.

Originally Posted by james0246

Well, they are the weakest members of the Strawhat crew...

Based purely on strength
A-Team - Luffy, Sanji and Zoro
B-Team - Franky, Brooke, and Robin
C-Team - Chopper
D-Team - Nami and Usopp

*I am never sure where to place Chopper...

Oda has always been able to cross the "team" lines by having weird battles or having various members help each other in their respective battles. If Oda adds too many crew members, though, this balance could be destroyed.

I've always thought the levels of the crew to be more like this. Chopper gets his own level simply because he's got the power, but not the mentality to always use it, and definitely not the experience to use it to its fullest potential. Of course, Nami and Usopp are just weak. xD Poor things.

Oh, but I didn't take into account the based purely on strength disclaimer. xD That definitely gives more reasoning for your layout. I can definitely agree with it like that.

[Lord Uiruu]

I honestly want Hancock to join.... But if anything, the most realistic is that no one join in Marineford and when they get to Fishman Island there'll be a major scary villain dude and a good guy. Defeats bad guy and good Fishman guy joins. Actually, that would be pretty damn awesome too. In fact, I want there to be a major arc at Fishman Island regardless of crewmate or not because 1. It'd be awesome and 2. what position would he/she fishman fill?

That's my two cents.

[janipani]

Ace can't join, he is Luffy's brother and brothers go separate ways if they are not a duo. Ace is also not a extreme character like the ones Luffy usually prefers around him. Best thing is look for someone, who is either extreme or whom Luffy has given new point of view on living.

[Rainbowman]

I just thought of another reason why Boa Hancock should not join the Strawhat crew let alone be Luffy's so-called "future wife" in the series:

"Love indeed is powerful, but love also tends to be blind."

^This quote is as close as I could try to put it when I heard it from the Tales from the Crypt (season 2) episode, "The Switch" where the old millionaire says that love is powerful and his butler states that love tends to be blind. You guys should check that episode out sometime.

[Vampire]

^Knowing Oda, anything is possible; and that quote means nothing since One Piece is run on it's own agenda. I'll say all these theories on who joins next is very hard to follow and sometimes they're even vague or just a coincidence so I'll leave it at that and Oda will in time, show us his answer on whether there WILL be another crewmember or not and who it would be. Besides, I think they have all the essential members for a crew; but don't get me wrong, I would love to see another crew mate.

[Nikolaos]

The idea of Crocodile being changed into woman and joining strawhats is just gorgeous. I still hope that somehow it will be him, even as a man. Just imagine that, with both mr 0 and mrs... Whatever, we'll have a mini-Baroque Works. Also imagine Croc dancing with Luffy, Chopper and Usopp.

[Rainbowman]

Originally Posted by Vampire

^Knowing Oda, anything is possible; and that quote means nothing since One Piece is run on it's own agenda. I'll say all these theories on who joins next is very hard to follow and sometimes they're even vague or just a coincidence so I'll leave it at that and Oda will in time, show us his answer on whether there WILL be another crewmember or not and who it would be. Besides, I think they have all the essential members for a crew; but don't get me wrong, I would love to see another crew mate.

As do I, as long as it's someone I could respect. One who isn't a threat to all the other members especially Nami who I would want to be married to Luffy. They are my link to creating my own characters into the story media.

[yaluckyboy]

If ever Mr 2 Bon Clay ever got out of Impel Down, I think it would hilarious if he joined after Iva turned him into female.

[Myssa Rei]

After an archive binge, I'm leaning towards someone who isn't already overwhelmingly powerful (at this point) to join the crew. So while I'm personally tickled at the thought of either Jinbei or Hancock joining, nope, they're far better suited as close and powerful allies than crewmembers. The type you'd expect to come to the heroes' aid during the final showdown and stuff.

So, another 'yea' to the Strawhats possibly getting their new crewmate at Fishman Island. I mean, wasn't Luffy asking for a fishman all this time?

[kizaru23]

well honestly i don't want anyone to join the crew to soon because Oda said he would probably only go up to ten people in the crew and there are already 9, so i feel he still has enough time in the series not to rush the last member. So i wouldnt be mad if Oda waits a while to have the next member join.

Also i wouldn't want a powerful person to join the crew like Jimbei or Hancock cause i want all the crew members to be around the same level, so i wouldn't be surprised if Oda just has a random character meet them in another arc and join the crew like he usually does. A person in who they help or need help from.

But types of characters i wouldn't mind joining are a merman when they go to merman island that would be interesting. Also a Logia user but one who hasn't mastered their fruit and is just learning so he could grow with the crew. And a Giant would be weird but awesome on the S.H.C.
Anyways that's my input

[AceD]

Originally Posted by Tenryuken

Franky > Sanji.

Luffy, Zoro and Sanji are known as the monster trio , them three should be the strongest members till OP ends.

[Kafriel]

Whoever it is, they better have a decent backstory...Brook's was a lot less moving than everyone else's (except Zoro perhaps), so after having so many characters, most with an amazing personal arc, I'd love to see what else Oda can come up with

[Lord Uiruu]

Take back whatever i said before about Ace being the most likely Straw Hat... eh heheheh.....
Not so likely anymore is it?

[Myssa Rei]

Originally Posted by kizaru23

well honestly i don't want anyone to join the crew to soon because Oda said he would probably only go up to ten people in the crew and there are already 9, so i feel he still has enough time in the series not to rush the last member. So i wouldnt be mad if Oda waits a while to have the next member join.

Note that Brook was tagged the 'Eight' in the Chapter introductions. Depending whether or not you could the Thousand Sunny as a part of the Strawhats, that's still room for two more crewmates.

I do agree that it's likely that if and when the newest crewmate joins, it won't be someone already powerful.

[kizaru23]

Originally Posted by Myssa Rei

Note that Brook was tagged the 'Eight' in the Chapter introductions. Depending whether or not you could the Thousand Sunny as a part of the Strawhats, that's still room for two more crewmates.

How silly of me yeah sorry i meant 8. :P
But whoever it will be i'm sure they wont disappoint.

[lonewolf777]

Besides the reasons already mentioned for Hancock to join (dying if she leaves Luffy, having openly betrayed the WG and possibly losing her Shichibukai status), I thought of another. There haven't been many characters who don't join the SH crew who have a backstory as developed as hers. I think back to the Shichibukai, and none of them have a past of which we know worth mentioning. Besides that, it's very rare for a character so vaguely linked to the SH's to have such a detailed history. An exception I can think of is Wiper. But I think Oda gave her a sad story intentionally to make her fit in with the crew.

[Myssa Rei]

Well, one doesn't need a well-developed background right away. The motivations can actually come later. Hence why I'm leaning towards someone who hasn't been introduced yet to join the Strawhats.

I like Hancock, but she kind of stands out from the rest of Luffy's crew in soooo many ways, in power and in attitude. Ditto for Jinbei. Which is why I prefer them to become close allies instead of members of the crew.

[ArabianLuffy]

For now on Luffy's side Jinbei and WB pirates I think at this time skip he will lead those pirates before meeting his crew. His crew haven't got stronger enough. The idea of the time skip for Luffy not to see his crew for maybe a year or over is kinda possible. They need long time to get the strength to be ready for New World. I think the time Luffy will spend will be with Jinbei and WB pirates after that what he's gonna learn and what kind of changes we'll witness. I bet the time skip will start after this arc since WB died the New Era will start after his death.

[Slayerx]

I really doubt Jinbei on the grounds i expect him to turn into an enemy... despite what he and Luffy have been through together he seems to harbor some resentment over what happened to arlong

Originally Posted by ArabianLuffy

For now on Luffy's side Jinbei and WB pirates I think at this time skip he will lead those pirates before meeting his crew.

I expect Luffy to go into a nice long coma due to how far he's been pushing himself

Originally Posted by lonewolf777

Besides the reasons already mentioned for Hancock to join (dying if she leaves Luffy, having openly betrayed the WG and possibly losing her Shichibukai status), I thought of another. There haven't been many characters who don't join the SH crew who have a backstory as developed as hers. I think back to the Shichibukai, and none of them have a past of which we know worth mentioning. Besides that, it's very rare for a character so vaguely linked to the SH's to have such a detailed history. An exception I can think of is Wiper. But I think Oda gave her a sad story intentionally to make her fit in with the crew.

I think one plausible problem for Hancock's background, is the flashback... every strawhat, or strawhat to be has been getting nice long detailed flashbacks; the only exception being ussop's whose was kinda brief... Hancock had her shot at a flashback and all the juicy details was told to us in exposition form as opposed to being shown like the other starwhats; her background is one that could have taken 2-3 chapters to tell... sure you could say oda could still show that flashback, but when it comes down to it we have to ask what the point would be to show us the flashback when we already been told all the high points.

[Ace of Dragons]

Originally Posted by SlayerX

I really doubt Jinbei on the grounds i expect him to turn into an enemy... despite what he and Luffy have been through together he seems to harbor some resentment over what happened to arlong

But wasn't that a mistranslation of him actually feeling grateful for Luffy stopping Arlong?