The Next Straw Hat Crew Member (During Punk Hazard Arc)

[cross777]

While I disagree with Cross's hope of 12-15 crew members (thus I agree with the crew developement issue), I don't see at least two more members post-entrance New World a problem for Oda. So far we've seen new additions in each of the seas (East Blue and Grand Line) so I personally don't believe it doubtful for NW crew members. Afterall, each sea has seen new phenomenon only residents can typically explain. Addition of one or two of these natives will surely benefit the SH crew.

On the same line of thought as above, I believe it's unfair to say Robin and Brook haven't contributed to the crew. While their positions/jobs may not be a typical pirate commonplace, the uniqueness of these abilities fits well into the larger picture of the OP storyline. Just because they don't pull a huge contribution such as navigator or captain, doesn't mean they are any less valuable. If you discount their skills, then the SH's would've wound up with around six/seven crewmates total. Give a little uniqueness.

at least you see my point to some extent. and i agree robin and brook have contributed plenty in there own ways.

[joshecalpoly]

I agree completely, the new crew members would not know any of the hardships they went through or any past enemy encounters but that is also why it makes another character joining likely, once they entered the Grand Line no other member like Chopper or Robin knew what it took them to get there or had any ideas about the dynamic of the crew.

I mean we may think that this is the first case scenerio that any forum has argued on OP but it may not be like when Robin joined i was pretty sure that was more than enough, 'i mean why do SH even need her' and 'it is a obvios sign that Oda is running out of crew jobs' were the ideas running through my mind. But obviousaly were... i've forgetten what i was going to say to tie this together but i hope you've gotten the point from all of this ^^

Besides espionage and cavalry she documents the crews adventures and advises them on legends rumors and historical facts about the areas they were going to. This was a real position and many had the person in charge of this position also be incharge of the contracts that some captains made there crew sign binding them by pirate law and documenting failures to uphold the ships code of conduct. Generally they were there to keep them away from dangerous areas and help make sure history saw them in the light they saw fit. Not to mention its where most of those sea legends come from. (honestly the only time Zoro has acted like a firstmate was after Ussop quit)

Also many ships had bands and musicians that played to entertain the crew. You have to realize theyld be at sea for months at a time in some cases and its easy for a crew to turn on its captain or get restless. Heck nowadays they do the same thing on crewsships for even a few hours at sea. So yes musicians were actually quite common in keeping up moral although rarely was it a crew mates only job as well with Brook many of them were also well trained infantry. In many cases they just had some people who were well versed in drinking songs lead the crew at night. You have to understand not everyone can be quartermaster but many of these crews were huge compared to the SH crew so even a not so well known job was sometimes needed. It is true besides the Helmsman all the main officer positions have been filled since Robin (yes historian and scribe tended to have some power on the ship granted they were low officers and really held little if any authority but were merely advisers and in some cases non active pirates (rarely fought) Actually in some cases the scribe/historian escaped hangings because since they did not engage in acts of piracy they could claim they were there against there will, something many tried and did not succeed in doing. Many were kidnapped since at the time it was more of an aristocratic trait to be well versed in language and knowledge of the world.

They need a helmsman and yes I will repeat what i argued against before the time skip and arguing for now since Jimbei is no longer stronger then Luffy it would not be bad to add him. We know he can fight amazingly and he has a good back story which we have heard and he has a great straightman mentality with a good drop face for comedic effect. Right now they are essentially fixing his mistake and fighting his battle. The helmsman especially before auto navigation (for those idiots that bring up current boats again) the helmsmans job was to have a steady hand understand the current and the winds and keep the crew safe in storms. They also were well versed in tactical maneuvers in case they came under attack something we will likely see more of since Oda has shown more and more sea battles and the world (pirate and WG will be gunning for this crew). They mentioned slightly when they reached the bottom of the sea without a person knowledgeable steering the ship it can take a long time to reach the top or otherwise make it in one piece. Jimbei is now an enemy of the WG and for that reason is banished from his homeland or see retribution by the WG. So for the sake of his people he cant stay there anymore and if Luffy is to be the new protector of the future fishman island he cannot meat the same fate as WB plus he has vowed to himself held protect Luffy. Not to mention it makes them look like they are getting ready for war against the WG

That leaves crowsnest which Robin Ussop and Nami tend to do but Robin more then the others. They are in charge of watching the clouds and seas in order to determine problems with the sea as well as worn of enemy ships and land. Probably the least needed job on the boat and honestly really hard to right in.

Finally Cabin Boy was common and there job was simple they clean the ship and ran errands in many cases they were in charge of gathering supplies since they were one of the few people that could not be identified that the captain would trust. Yeah maybe Hachi or an unkown orphan

Some ships had barbers tailors. Some had the sense to designate crew who were strong swimmers to be in charge of diving incase they came across or caused a ship to sink or a man went overboard yet in most cases they were not in a good position to save a member when they fell over (storms and ship fights being the common cause. Yet still with idiots like Luffy Brook and Chopper this isnt a bad thing to have and if someone besides Camie (who can be a tailor I guess since Luffy has torn his hat what 3 times now yes I dont like her but in a pure job filling sense she can be useful when not if Luffy sinks) Most other jobs are taken since most SH have double duty like Nami being incharge of the money keeping the peace as well as mapping navigating and weather predictions or how ussop maintains and builds weaponry as well as loads and fires. Yes ship hands can come in handy but after a point but after a while they become infantry and merely that.

Still Oda has promised that the inhabitants of the New World will be different and unique compared to what we have seen before. Who knows what crazy characters will see and ambiguous positions maybe filled for the fun of it or to relieve SH's of double duties as Franky did for Ussop on engineering and shipbuilding despite the fact Ussop helps. Not to mention Oda may add another sacrificial character to the story to push it along (doubtful) but many people do believe Zoro is not destined to make it very far, which may mean someone could come along and be a slightly unwelcomed replacement or any other character he sees fit.

[Gypseslice]

Spoiler!

Besides espionage and cavalry she documents the crews adventures and advises them on legends rumors and historical facts about the areas they were going to. This was a real position and many had the person in charge of this position also be incharge of the contracts that some captains made there crew sign binding them by pirate law and documenting failures to uphold the ships code of conduct. Generally they were there to keep them away from dangerous areas and help make sure history saw them in the light they saw fit. Not to mention its where most of those sea legends come from. (honestly the only time Zoro has acted like a firstmate was after Ussop quit)

Also many ships had bands and musicians that played to entertain the crew. You have to realize theyld be at sea for months at a time in some cases and its easy for a crew to turn on its captain or get restless. Heck nowadays they do the same thing on crewsships for even a few hours at sea. So yes musicians were actually quite common in keeping up moral although rarely was it a crew mates only job as well with Brook many of them were also well trained infantry. In many cases they just had some people who were well versed in drinking songs lead the crew at night. You have to understand not everyone can be quartermaster but many of these crews were huge compared to the SH crew so even a not so well known job was sometimes needed. It is true besides the Helmsman all the main officer positions have been filled since Robin (yes historian and scribe tended to have some power on the ship granted they were low officers and really held little if any authority but were merely advisers and in some cases non active pirates (rarely fought) Actually in some cases the scribe/historian escaped hangings because since they did not engage in acts of piracy they could claim they were there against there will, something many tried and did not succeed in doing. Many were kidnapped since at the time it was more of an aristocratic trait to be well versed in language and knowledge of the world.

They need a helmsman and yes I will repeat what i argued against before the time skip and arguing for now since Jimbei is no longer stronger then Luffy it would not be bad to add him. We know he can fight amazingly and he has a good back story which we have heard and he has a great straightman mentality with a good drop face for comedic effect. Right now they are essentially fixing his mistake and fighting his battle. The helmsman especially before auto navigation (for those idiots that bring up current boats again) the helmsmans job was to have a steady hand understand the current and the winds and keep the crew safe in storms. They also were well versed in tactical maneuvers in case they came under attack something we will likely see more of since Oda has shown more and more sea battles and the world (pirate and WG will be gunning for this crew). They mentioned slightly when they reached the bottom of the sea without a person knowledgeable steering the ship it can take a long time to reach the top or otherwise make it in one piece. Jimbei is now an enemy of the WG and for that reason is banished from his homeland or see retribution by the WG. So for the sake of his people he cant stay there anymore and if Luffy is to be the new protector of the future fishman island he cannot meat the same fate as WB plus he has vowed to himself held protect Luffy. Not to mention it makes them look like they are getting ready for war against the WG

That leaves crowsnest which Robin Ussop and Nami tend to do but Robin more then the others. They are in charge of watching the clouds and seas in order to determine problems with the sea as well as worn of enemy ships and land. Probably the least needed job on the boat and honestly really hard to right in.

Finally Cabin Boy was common and there job was simple they clean the ship and ran errands in many cases they were in charge of gathering supplies since they were one of the few people that could not be identified that the captain would trust. Yeah maybe Hachi or an unkown orphan

Some ships had barbers tailors. Some had the sense to designate crew who were strong swimmers to be in charge of diving incase they came across or caused a ship to sink or a man went overboard yet in most cases they were not in a good position to save a member when they fell over (storms and ship fights being the common cause. Yet still with idiots like Luffy Brook and Chopper this isnt a bad thing to have and if someone besides Camie (who can be a tailor I guess since Luffy has torn his hat what 3 times now yes I dont like her but in a pure job filling sense she can be useful when not if Luffy sinks) Most other jobs are taken since most SH have double duty like Nami being incharge of the money keeping the peace as well as mapping navigating and weather predictions or how ussop maintains and builds weaponry as well as loads and fires. Yes ship hands can come in handy but after a point but after a while they become infantry and merely that.

Still Oda has promised that the inhabitants of the New World will be different and unique compared to what we have seen before. Who knows what crazy characters will see and ambiguous positions maybe filled for the fun of it or to relieve SH's of double duties as Franky did for Ussop on engineering and shipbuilding despite the fact Ussop helps. Not to mention Oda may add another sacrificial character to the story to push it along (doubtful) but many people do believe Zoro is not destined to make it very far, which may mean someone could come along and be a slightly unwelcomed replacement or any other character he sees fit.

Oh i'm sorry for making you type that but what i meant when i said the comment that you replied to was that until people see reason for the person or their job by seeing them being useful to the crew, they will always question the need for someone joining just because there is no need for them atm.
I used Robin not seeming useful from before she joined as an example to say that anyone that would have ever seen her skills and brought it up in a forum would have been shut down since her criteria didn't have any clear use till she went to work.

But still you made some good points, i have to admit i mostly skimmed it since you've mentioned some of this before and i have to admit that is the longest rant i've ever seen xD.

[cross777]

the thing about the job thing is if oda wants to he can justify any job he wishes to.so thinking about the jobs the "need" is really a non issue. and i still dont like jimbi joining. i mean its like any NFL team adding brett favre, can he still play yes, is he still a strong player yes, is he what he used to be NO.
as for zoro's possible death all i have to say is another swordsmen. i mean we get one that like an student to him then he dies at some point and that student steps up. or something like that but i don;t like the idea of his death.

[milo.leon]

I do think the next crew member will be a fishman (am rooting for Jimbi to join) - this would fit the diverse crew Luffy assembled. Luffy himself says he needs his crew and he trusts them to do the things he can't (navigate, cook, fight with swords, etc). I don't think there must be a specific job to fill now since there's already a cook, navigator, first mate, shipwright, etc.

Everyone has a unique skill/characteristic they bring to the table and I think Jimbi would be a good fit because of the fact he's a fishman (show the world human and fishman can co-exist), is a master at fishman karate (have yet to see anyone defeat Jimbi in this area), and Ace asked him to watch over Luffy (best way to do that is become his nakama). Also so far in the arc, the flashbacks involved either Jimbi and Shirahoshi.

The case I have against Shirahoski is she fits the mold of Vivi. Since the fishman island will be destroyed, she might stay with her people to help facilitate the transition to the surface (become their ambassador / queen?). However, the only knock I have against Jimbi joining is we don't quite know what his "dream" is. Would have to be very ambitious because the straw hat crew sure dreams big.

Goals
Luffy - become pirate king
Zoro - become #1 swordsman in the world
Sanji - find All Blue
Nami - draw a map of the world
Robin - figure out the void century
Franky - sail the world in the ship he built
Chopper - sail the sea with his nakama / become the best doctor
Brook - see Laboon again
Jimbi (or other fishman) - ???

[Blackriot69]

^While I'm still undecided with whether a fishman will become the new crew member this arc or not (and I specifically don't Jinbei to join), I do like the idea of a fishman's dream of trying to show the world they can live peacfully with other races. Not only this but I could see a possible dream of exploring the world above like Chopper wanted to.

[xace13x]

I do think the next crew member will be a fishman (am rooting for Jimbi to join) - this would fit the diverse crew Luffy assembled. Luffy himself says he needs his crew and he trusts them to do the things he can't (navigate, cook, fight with swords, etc). I don't think there must be a specific job to fill now since there's already a cook, navigator, first mate, shipwright, etc.

Everyone has a unique skill/characteristic they bring to the table and I think Jimbi would be a good fit because of the fact he's a fishman (show the world human and fishman can co-exist), is a master at fishman karate (have yet to see anyone defeat Jimbi in this area), and Ace asked him to watch over Luffy (best way to do that is become his nakama). Also so far in the arc, the flashbacks involved either Jimbi and Shirahoshi.

The case I have against Shirahoski is she fits the mold of Vivi. Since the fishman island will be destroyed, she might stay with her people to help facilitate the transition to the surface (become their ambassador / queen?). However, the only knock I have against Jimbi joining is we don't quite know what his "dream" is. Would have to be very ambitious because the straw hat crew sure dreams big.

Goals
Luffy - become pirate king
Zoro - become #1 swordsman in the world
Sanji - find All Blue
Nami - draw a map of the world
Robin - figure out the void century
Franky - sail the world in the ship he built
Chopper - sail the sea with his nakama / become the best doctor
Brook - see Laboon again
Jimbi (or other fishman) - ???

1st off the ship really doesn't have a first-mate, and if they did the first-mate would be Nami. The first-mate takes charge when the captain's not around, or in Nami's case even when the captain's around.
Now when it comes to Jimbi it's more then that we don't know his dream, Jimbi is already a well known pirate captain, joining the Strawhats would be a big demotion.

[milo.leon]

1st off the ship really doesn't have a first-mate, and if they did the first-mate would be Nami. The first-mate takes charge when the captain's not around, or in Nami's case even when the captain's around.
Now when it comes to Jimbi it's more then that we don't know his dream, Jimbi is already a well known pirate captain, joining the Strawhats would be a big demotion.

Jimbi was never a captain - he served under Fisher Tiger. After Tiger died, he became a warlord.

I consider Zoro the first mate because he was the first to join Luffy and he does have a good understanding of the pirate code on a ship - the only time he had to act as a first mate was when Usopp left the crew. But I see your point about Nami taking charge - after all Zoro/Luffy aren't really interested in that sort of thing.

[Sirxxx]

Zoro is definitely first mate, since the first mate also has to step up to defend the crew if the captain goes down/is rendered immobile. And we're definitely not gonna see any badass two page spreads with Nami standing frontmost with her arms crossed. I don't care how many time skips we go through.

I wanted Shirahoshi to join (badly), but while she does have a fearsome ability, she doesn't seem tough enough to endure what the strawhats are about to get into in the New World. But I guess the same can be said of Robin, and she's holding up just fine. I would accept Jimbei, just because the crew could SERIOUSLY use another super-strong physical brawler (compared to just the normal strong ones, Chopper and Franky). Also, he certainly has a unique fighting style that could prove advantageous against future fruit users!

[Blackriot69]

I have nothing against a fishman joining, just not Jinbei. He is, as I have said numerous times before, more of an ambassador more than anything. While he exhibits the strength and intellect which would possibly fit well in the SH crew, he otherwise isn't a good fit. In general, if a fishman were to join, I wouldn't mind it happening down the line in the NW. Personally I believe we need some new face to join, not someone who has already had ample time within the story, and has also been higher than a pirate in the heirachy of the plot. The SHs are all rookie pirates who've come together, and for a former Warlord and Whitebeard Era pirate to join I believe would blemish Luffy's eminent new era.