As one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, Monkey D. Luffy is undoubtedly one of the most powerful individuals in the world. Needless to say, he is also the strongest among the members of the Straw Hat Pirates. But that doesn’t mean he is the most important member of the crew. That title goes to Nami, the Navigator.
Some people might find it strange that the strongest person in the group is not the most important one. But it’s not really as odd as you might think. Sure, when it comes to combat, Luffy is the best. But as pirates, they spend more time sailing the vast ocean than battling enemies. And when it comes to seafaring, nobody in the crew holds a candle to Nami. Let’s break it down.
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The Importance of Navigation in a Pirate’s Voyage
Navigating the Dangerous and Unpredictable Grand Line
With the unpredictable weather and dangerous sea monsters, navigating the vast ocean in the world of One Piece is already difficult as it is. But things get even more complicated the moment the Straw Hats, or any other pirates and sailors for that matter, enter the Grand Line.
A regular compass is useless in this part of the world because each island emits its own magnetic field. Not to mention every island also has its own unique climate system. This means anybody who wants to sail through the Grand Line has to master the use of a special kind of compass called the Log Pose and quickly adapt to the extreme weather that can change at the drop of a hat.
As the captain, Luffy is the one who decides where they should go next. But it is Nami, the crew’s navigator, who knows how to get them there and handle whatever challenges come their way. That’s how a rookie pirate crew like the Straw Hats can scale the Reverse Mountain, ride the Knock-Up Stream, and steer clear of the underwater volcanoes near the Fish-Man Island.
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Nami’s Extraordinary Skills as a Navigator
From Reading the Map to Predicting the Weather
Having a competent navigator is crucial to the survival of a ship. This holds true for pirate crews, Marines, and civilian ships alike. Thankfully for the Straw Hats, Nami is an extraordinary navigator. Even before she joins the crew, Nami already possesses a remarkable skill in navigation, cartography, and an unparalleled instinct for reading the weather. This is a small example of how good she is as a navigator.
Nami fell sick during their voyage from Arabasta to Drum Island. But even though she suffered through a 104°F fever, Nami could still feel a slight change in the air and told the crew to alter their course immediately. They were confused at first because the sky looked clear, but they followed her instructions anyway. Minutes later, a huge storm descended from the sky. Had they stayed in their original course, they would’ve sunk. Everybody, especially Vivi, couldn’t believe how accurate Nami’s prediction turned out to be.
Amazing...They say that cyclones on the Grand Line happen without warning, and yet...!!This girl doesn't just use the wind and sky to predict the weather. It's as though she feels it in her bones!!!
— Vivi, chapter 130
Nami’s navigation skill grew even further during the two years she spent learning about Meteorology and other related fields under the esteemed weather scientists of Weatheria. Armed with her knowledge and the Clima-Tact, she can predict, and even manipulate, the weather.
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Notable Nami Moments
At this point, it’s clear that the Straw Hats would have lost their way long ago if they didn’t have Nami as their Navigator. This article already offers some examples of her extraordinary skill as a navigator. But since there’s no shortage of Nami’s brilliance in the story, here are a few more of her notable moments, each of which happened at different stages of their adventure.
From Logue Town to the Reverse Mountain
The first moment happened right before the Straw Hats entered the Grand Line. They were visiting Logue Town, the last island in East Blue, before entering the Grand Line, mainly for shopping and sightseeing. The sky was clear, but Nami immediately sensed a change in the air and rightfully predicted the upcoming storm.
Once they set sail on the ocean, Nami quickly deduced that the only way to cross the Red Line was by climbing a massive upstream known as the Reverse Mountain. She reached this conclusion even without detailed knowledge of the Grand Line’s entrance, simply by studying the chart and noticing how currents from the four oceans converge there, creating the powerful ascent. Thanks to her accurate deduction, they can safely climb the Reverse Mountain.
Riding the Knock Up Stream
The second moment happened when the Straw Hats were in the Grand Line. One of the ways to get to the Sky Island is through a powerful pressurized water stream called the Knock Up Stream that can propel a ship upwards beyond the clouds. To do so, they needed to predict where the Knock Up Stream would appear next. Not only that, they also had to sail towards a massive thunderstorm called the Emperor Cloud.
Once they entered the Emperor Cloud, Nami had to navigate the ship towards the center of the thunderstorm, where they would find a massive whirlpool. In order to successfully ride the Knock Up Stream, the ship has to be right at the center of the whirlpool. Once the Knock Up Stream appeared and launched the ship upward, Nami had to make sure that the ship could sail vertically following the upward current. Otherwise, they would free-fall back to the ocean.
Hoist the sail!! Now! This isn't just a wall of water! It's the ocean! We can sail on it the way we would any current. The heat from the steam and the explosion have created a blast of warm air. If we're just going up against the sea and wind, we can navigate it!
—Nami, Chapter 236
From Zou to Whole Cake Island to Wano Country
Unlike in the earlier seas, the New World offers fewer chances for grand displays of navigational prowess. Yet these treacherous waters still give Nami plenty of opportunities to reveal her subtle flashes of brilliance.
- When Nami, Sanji, Chopper, Brook, and Momonosuke went to Zou ahead of Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats, she managed to complete the journey in about a day. It took Luffy, who was aboard Bartolomeo’s ship, ten days to complete the same journey. And by the way, Luffy and the other Straw Hats were utterly miserable throughout that journey.
- In the latter part of the Whole Cake Island arc, Nami, Jinbe, and several other Straw Hats had to escape from the Big Mom pirates’ fleet. Unfortunately for them, they have to go back and forth because they need to pick up Sanji and Luffy. Thanks to Nami’s stellar navigation and Jinbe’s skill at the helm, the Thousand Sunny outsailed Big Mom’s fleet for the entirety of that short voyage.
- Out of every country that the Straw Hats have ever visited, Wano Country easily has one of the most treacherous waters. Dark clouds that covered the sky, the waves that moved erratically, giant rock pillars standing tall all over the place, and the giant Koi fish that can destroy the hull of a ship. Yet despite all of those obstacles, Nami successfully guided the Thousand Sunny to the shores of the Wano Country.
So there you have it. Luffy may be the strongest, but a Netflix. S a pirate crew that spends most of its time sailing the vast, dangerous, and unpredictable ocean, it is Nami, the navigator, who is undoubtedly the most important.
One Piece is available to stream on Netflix.
One Piece
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- August 31, 2023
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