Final Member of Luffy’s Crew Confirmed: Yamato aka Oden joins Straw Hats

One Piece fans are unable to contain their excitement any longer. Chapter 1051 has given us everything we’ve been anticipating.

The War in Wano has finally come to a close with Emperor Kaido and the false shogun Orochi defeated for good. The Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai alliance has emerged victorious, and despite several naysayers, the Onigashima Raid has succeeded.

But one thing in particular from the latest chapter stands out, making it a personal favorite for many in the fandom.

Chapter 1051 confirms that Yamato, Kaido’s “son”, will be joining the Straw Hat Pirates as a part of Luffy’s crew. Referring to herself as Kozuki Oden, Yamato tells the Straw Hats that she will be sailing with them from now on.

Sure, this is something that most of us called way in the beginning, but that doesn’t make the moment less special. Yamato is finally a Straw Hat!

How does Yamato join the Straw Hat crew?

Yamato simply proclaims to the present members of the Straw Hat Pirates that she will be joining their crew. 

As the dust settles after the battle, Yamato emerges, telling everyone she’s Kaido’s son. Before the crew can attack her, she assures them that she isn’t their enemy.

We have to remember here that most of the Straw Hat members have not yet been acquainted with Yamato before.

She tells them that she’s been following their exploits in the news for a long time. She says she was aware that the members of the Straw Hat Pirates were weird-looking, but seeing them in person is still a shock.

She then joyfully announces that she’ll be joining them on their voyage hence forth and that they can call her Yamato, although she goes by Oden.

Brook, Sanji, and Robin are overjoyed and welcome her onboard, while Nami, Usopp, and Franky are shocked with the news.

Chopper is ambivalent, while Jinbe, who was the last member to join the crew, states that they would have to get confirmation from Captain Luffy before he’s convinced that Yamato is actually a Straw Hat.

Luffy and Zoro are still unconscious after their fights, but we can expect both of them to welcome Yamato as a Straw Hat member.

Although it’s not official yet, we can be pretty sure that Yamato will be part of the crew. Her character was released along with the other members of the Straw Hats, as part of One Piece merchandise. If this isn’t solid confirmation, I don’t know what is.

Should Yamato be part of the Straw Hats?

Yamato definitely deserves to be a part of the Straw Hat Pirates. Ever since she was introduced, Oda has hinted that she would be part of Luffy’s crew.

Her desire to be free from the island and her father, her wish to go to sea, makes her fit to be a pirate. Her being Kaido’s child puts a twist to it, as does her idolizing Oden.

Back in chapters 984 and 985, we see Yamato yearning to follow in Oden’s footsteps. Finding Oden’s journal in Kuri, she reads of his grand voyage adventures and wishes to be like him.

She wants to be like him so much, that she begins to call herself Kozuki Oden. After the disappearance of the Akazaya Samurai/the Red Scabbards, Yamato says:

“Someone else has to carry on Oden’s will! I want to fight on your side! I’m fighting for Kozuki!”

As we know, the minute “will” comes in the picture, something legit is bound to happen. Yamato carries the will of Oden despite being the child of the man who had him killed. She carries the burden of saving Wano wilfully, and fights for the freedom of its people.

If I don’t fight for the sake of this country, then I can’t call myself Oden!

Yamato is mentally, psychologically, and physically bound by Kaido; Luffy breaks her literal chains, but by welcoming her into his crew and letting her sail with them, he will also free her emotionally. After all, Luffy is the liberator, he is Joy Boy.

Oda pretty much sealed the deal when he foreshadowed Yamato coming aboard the Straw Hat ship. Yamato tells Luffy that as Ace’s brother, he should be giving her a ride on the Thousand Sunny.

Luffy did not refuse. This was clear indication that Yamato would join the crew.

Why Yamato and not Momo or Carrot?

A small population believes that Momo should have become a member of the Straw Hats instead of Yamato. But Momo and Yamato represent two different aspects of Oden.

Momo embodies Oden’s leadership – he, as his son, and the last heir of the Kozuki clan, deserves to become Wano’s shogun and protect and provide for its people.

Yamato demonstrates Oden’s life as a pirate, his adventures as part of the Roger Pirates that made him who he was.

Yamato fits in perfectly with the Straw Hat crew because of her personality, her desire to be free, her connection to Luffy’s brother and Roger’s son, Ace, and her idolization of Oden.

If the Straw Hat Pirates are comparable to the Roger Pirates, we can say that Luffy is like Roger, Zoro is like Rayleigh, Sanji is like Gaban, and Yamato is like Oden.

Given Luffy’s nature – and Oda’s – we know that by the end of the story, Luffy will help Yamato accept herself as who she is. She will still look up to Oden, but stop calling herself by his name and stop using male pronouns for herself.

She will simply be Yamato, Luffy’s nakama.

Momo and Carrot are also Luffy’s allies but they don’t fit as becoming part of his crew. Momo has a kingdom to run, and as for Carrot, it just doesn’t make sense.

Yes, I know, we all wanted Carrot to join the crew. But narratively, she doesn’t bring in anything new to the table.

Yamato makes for a much more dynamic member, with her dream and her will and her connection to the legends.

Carrot will always be an ally but not part of the crew, and that’s totally fine. It’s the same as how Izou and Shinobu are not technically part of Oden’s Scabbards but they still fight among the retainers and are loyal to Oden.

If need be, Luffy can always count on the Mink Tribe and Momo – they don’t have to be part of the Straw Hats to fight alongside him.

Is Yamato the final Straw Hat member?

Yamato is the final member of the Straw Hat Pirates.

If there was more place in the crew, I would even have said there’s a possibility for Carrot to join along with Yamato. But there isn’t.

A lot of people were of the opinion that the Straw Hat crew was complete after Jinbe joined. Luffy’s team size was meant to consist only of 10, so how would anyone else join? I’ll tell you.

At the very beginning of the manga, in chapter 1, Luffy had declared that he wanted 10 people to join his crew before he entered the Grand Line. This is 10 members excluding Luffy himself, who is the captain of the ship.

The Straw Hats expanded in this order: Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, and Jinbe. This makes 9. We can’t forget about Vivi, who also joins the crew in the Alabasta arc. So technically, counting her the Straw Hats are at 10 already.

But, Vivi leaves the Straw Hats after defeating Baroque. Although she will always be Luffy’s nakama and ally, she is no longer an active member of the crew. So, Luffy was always short of one person before hitting the Grand Line.

The tenth and final slot, as many of us guessed, has always been for Yamato. This makes her the tenth and final member of Luffy’s crew.

About One Piece

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.

The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!

Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.