One Piece entered the final saga immediately after the conclusion of the Wano Country arc, and now, the last stage of the story has officially begun. Eiichiro Oda, the author of the series, is finally focusing on the most important characters in the story, that is, the Straw Hats. However, it is quite apparent in the story that the Straw Hat Pirates are not complete just yet. There is one more member who needs to join the crew, based on Oda's own words, as well as Luffy's initial goals when he set out on his journey.
Fans have been eagerly waiting for the last Straw Hat to appear, and it is in Elbaf that Oda will officially decide who this last member of the crew is going to be. As things stand, most fans believe it to be Loki, but Oda has quietly set up a different character to join Luffy's crew, and it is going to be a princess of a certain kingdom.
Why There Needs To Be One More Straw Hat
Luffy Wanted At Least 10 Pirates Under Him
The first question that needs to be answered is why there needs to be another Straw Hat in the first place. Technically speaking, there is no need for another Straw Hat to join in the final saga, but usually, Oda has an established pattern that he often comes back to in each segment of the story.
The reason why there needs to be another Straw Hat in the final saga of One Piece goes back to the very first chapter of the story, where Luffy set out on his journey. Immediately after setting out, Luffy started counting how many people he would want on his crew, and according to him, at least 10 more people were the bare minimum that he was looking for. This means there can actually be more than one person who can join Luffy in the final saga, but at the very least, there has to be one more, because Luffy wanted 10 people minimum.
Oda has also established other patterns that need to be kept in mind when thinking of the last Straw Hat. For instance, the Blackbeard Pirates, who are going to be the final match-up for the Straw Hat Pirates, have 10 commanders under their commodore, Blackbeard himself. Similarly, the Red Hair Pirates, who are led by red-haired Shanks, have 10 Commanders or Officers under Shanks. Clearly, to form an even match-up, the Straw Hats would need at least one more member, and this member is going to join in the Elbaf Arc. Taking all things into consideration, it goes without saying that Luffy will have to get one more member to join the crew, and the options are plenty.
Who Will Join The Straw Hat Pirates As The Last Member?
Princess Shuri Could Be The Last Member Of The Straw Hat Pirates
Over the years, Oda has teased many characters to join the Straw Hat Pirates after the time skip and be the last member. For instance, in the Wano Country arc, Yamato was teased to be the last member of the Straw Hat crew. In the Egghead arc, Oda teased Bonney to be the last member of the crew, but now, it is apparent that this idea will not be fulfilled. Then, in the Elbaf arc, Oda introduced the fans to Loki, and he too is a solid candidate for the position of the last Straw Hat, especially given that Luffy himself wants to see Loki join the crew. However, there is also an ever-growing support for Vivi to rejoin the Straw Hat Pirates as well. After all, Vivi is a former member of the crew who currently has nowhere to go. Fans would absolutely love for her to return to the Straw Hats, but as things stand, the circumstances don't allow her to rejoin Luffy on his journey to claim the One Piece. This is precisely why a different member must join in Elbaf, and this character has already been established by Oda to be Princess Shuri.
Why Princess Shuri Will Be The Last Straw Hat
The Main Princess Of Elbaf With Nowhere To Go
Princess Shuri is a former princess of a Kingdom, likely from the West Blue. She was introduced to the fans in the Elbaf arc for the very first time as one of the Celestial Dragons bearing the name of Gunko. It is quite apparent that Princess Shuri holds a deep connection to Soul King Brook, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, and this connection goes back over 50 years, before the creation of the Rumbar Pirates even happened.
When Brook first joined Luffy on his adventure, he briefly mentioned that he used to be the leader of the battle convoy of a certain kingdom long ago. This is the kingdom that Princess Shuri belonged to, and her father, the king of the country, was Brook's benefactor, similar to how Shanks is for Luffy. Through one way or another, Princess Shuri killed her own father, which earned her the nickname "the father-killing princess." It appears that she also ended up making a deal with the World Government of sorts, and the Holy Knights got involved in the whole process, which all culminated in Princess Shuri heading to the Holy Land of Marijoa.
The truth behind the events is unknown, but Oda is clearly establishing the fact that Princess Shuri has no memories at all and has been brainwashed by Imu to assume the identity of Gunko, who belongs to the Manmayer family. Another important thing to keep in mind is that Princess Shuri is actively helping Brook and the Straw Hat Pirates in the Elbaf Arc. If it wasn't for her, half of the Straw Hat crew would be practically dead already and would not be playing any role in the remainder of the arc. Shuri not only saved Brook but also freed the remaining members of the Straw Hat Pirates. At this point, Oda has clearly established that Princess Shuri is a victim of Imu's mind control and needs to be saved.
Luffy and the Princesses Of One Piece
In each arc of One Piece, Luffy ends up saving a princess of sorts. For instance, in the Arabasta Arc, this princess was none other than Vivi, and fans saw Rebecca being saved in the Dressrosa Arc, with Momonosuke and Hiyori assuming the role in the Wano Country Arc and Bonney being the princess to save in the Egghead Arc.
In Elbaf, this princess is going to be none other than Princess Shuri, whom Brook is incredibly close to. It must also be remembered that over 60 years have passed since Imu assumed control over Shuri, and as such, she has nowhere to go. Once Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates rescue Shuri and break her free from Imu's control, the only place she can truly go is to the Straw Hat Pirates. Shuri must sail with the crew and possibly become its last member.
Loki Will Not Join The Crew
Elbaf's Accursed Prince Needs To Protect His Home
The biggest pushback to Shuri joining the crew would likely come from the idea of Loki joining the Straw Hat Pirates. This idea certainly has some problems already. For one, Loki is way too big to fit on the Sunny in the first place and would do a better job as an ally of the Straw Hat Pirates instead of a crewmate. On top of that, it must be remembered that Loki has now been forgiven by Elbaf, which means that the country would feel ashamed to let him go without repaying the debt they owe to him. Loki must also protect his own country from Imu and the World Government, especially after seeing what unfolded recently. For this reason, Loki must stay back and rule with Hajrudin, while Shuri goes on to join the Straw Hat Pirates instead.