Led by Monkey D. Luffy, the Straw Hat Pirates are slowly growing to be one of the most powerful crews in the world ofOne Piece. Hailing from the East Blue, the weakest of the four blues, the crew has achieved tremendous fame and notoriety over the years, freeing several oppressed countries and even making direct enemies of the World Government. In the Grand Line, the Straw Hat crew has only gone from strength to strength. Not only have they wreaked havoc wherever they went but also managed to bolster their forces with some incredibly powerful pirates.
At the end of Alabasta, the crew saw Nico Robin, the key to the One Piece itself, join the crew and this was later followed by the arrival of Franky, a mighty cyborg. Brook, a musician with a keen eye for swordplay, also joined the group shortly before the two-year timeskip. After returning from their training, no further additions were made to the Straw Hat Pirates until the Whole Cake Island arc, where Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea, officially joined them.In Wano, Jinbe officially arrivedfollowing his mission in Whole Cake Island and now, fans are extremely close to seeing yet another character join Luffy’s forces – Kaido’s son, Yamato.
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Yamato’s Journey To Becoming A Straw Hat
Yamato was introduced to the fans as Kaido’s sonduring the Onigashima section of the Wano Country arc. Surprisingly, before this, no mention of the character was ever made, yet when the Red Scabbards and the pirates invadeD the island, Yamato made his presence known. It didn’t take fans long to figure out that he would play a crucial role in the story moving forward given his connections to the likes of Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s brother, who has been ever so important to the story ofOne Piece. Ace knew Yamato from when the two met 4 years before the current events of the story. The hot-headed pirate came to Wano to take Kaido’s head after finding out about the kidnappings that he had been orchestrating. There, he ended up meeting Yamato and formed a great relationship with him, however, being unable to free Yamato from his shackles, Ace left with the promise of returning one day to defeat Kaido and free him.
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Sadly, Ace ended up dying, however, Luffy inherited his will and came to Wano in his stead to free the country. Yamato, realizing this, had been waiting for Luffy for ages. The Straw Hat pirate ended up becoming the person who freed Yamato, along with the entire country of Wano from Kaido and Orochi’s tyranny. The two also ended up forming a great connection with one another, and joined the war of Onigashima together. Luffy commanded him to keep Momonosuke safe – a task that Yamato successfully fulfilled. At the same time, when Luffy was knocked out by Kaido and thrown from the roof of Onigashima, it was Yamato whostepped up in his stead and kept Yonko Kaido at bay, protecting everyone in the process. When Luffy returned, he thanked Yamato for all that he did for him and the country of Wano.
While Yamato was fighting Kaido, he made it known that he would drive him out of the country and also sail with the Straw Hat Pirates following Wano’s liberation. For Yamato, Luffy is the first friend that he has made after Ace, and it would be fitting for him to finally grace the seas of theOne Pieceworld now that Kaido has fallen. Towards the end ofOne Piece 1051, Yamato declared to the Straw Hat crew thathe would be sailing on their ship from now on, marking the beginning of his time with the crew.
What Makes Yamato A Perfect Fit For The Crew
Much like every other member of the straw hat pirates, Yamato is special in his own way. Yamato’s is a story of being trapped; his entire life he has been in chains. At a very young age of eight, Yamato was first chained by his father and forbidden from leaving Onigashima. For his whole life, he wanted to taste freedom, and being someone who looked up to Kozuki Oden as much as he did, freedom meant the world to him. Yamato spent 24 years in shackles before he made his first friend in Ace and although the latter was unable to free him, he held a personal spot in his heart. Ace’s death made Yamato feel even more trapped, giving him a reminder that he is but a slave of his father’s rule and can never leave the island. Upon arriving on Onigashima, Luffy did what he did best and freed Yamato from his chains, which is what he’s already done for almost every single member of his crew. Yamato is, thus, no different from the rest and fits incredibly well with them.
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With every member of the Straw Hat crew, Oda establishes a goal. For Yamato, it is nothing too different from what Oden wanted and that is to experience what freedom is. For Yamato, seeing the many islands of the world and exploring the seas would be the ultimate goal. Just like Oden went to Laugh Tale, Yamato would want to do the same. After all, he does embody the free-spirited nature of Kozuki Oden and would want to go where nobody else has in over 24 years now. In this regard, he’s just like Luffy, and, together, the two would form a great dynamic together moving forward.
Yamato’s relationship with the rest of the crewis also going to be special. With Zoro, he would share the connection of Ushimaru, who once saved him, and with Sanji, he would share a very similar past. The Straw Hat Pirates are a found family and Yamato would certainly fit right in. Although Yamato doesn’t have a set role, for now, Oda can easily create one for him. Fans already saw this with Jinbe, who was made the Helmsman of the crew upon joining. Yamato needs Luffy’s approval to join the crew and, once he gets it, he’s officially going to be the 11th member of the Straw Hat Pirates.
