One Piece is currently in the climax of the Elbaf arc, where much focus is placed on the Straw Hat Pirates as they head into battle against Nerona Imu and his Holy Knights. The Elbaf arch also officially marks the start of the Great War, as it says One Piece Chapter #1146. With the dawn of the end, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda prepares to complete the crew by adding the final member to the mix and further strengthening Luffy's group.
At the moment, there are 3 primary candidates for the position of the last member of Luffy's crew, and Eiichiro Oda has given many reasons for each of them to join. In the first place, Eiichiro Oda already lined up Vivi to join the crew long ago, but along with her there is also the cursed Prince Loki, and now a new candidate in the form of Princess Shuri. At the end of Elbaf, we will officially find out which of the three ends up joining the crew.
One Piece Chapter 216 And 1130 Set Up Luffy and Vivi's Reunion
Vivi is one of the most important characters in the overall plot One Piece and a character that Eiichiro Oda officially set up to rejoin the Straw Hat Pirates One Piece Chapter 216, officially released on January 28, 2002, in WSJ Issue #9. In this chapter, it was officially confirmed that Vivi would once again want to travel with the Straw Hat Pirates and that when she does, Luffy and the crew would not hesitate to call her a crewmate again. In the final saga of One Piece, things have escalated considerably when it comes to Vivi. On Reverie, her father, King Cobra of Arabasta, died. With CP0 looking for her, Imu wants to get Vivi for herself. She has no safe place left to turn to, and is currently in hiding with Wapol and the Big News Morgans.
“I'll stay here. But if we ever meet again, will you still call me your shipmate?” – Nefertari Vivi reveals that she wants to rejoin Luffy in the future, One Piece Chapter #216
Vivi has sent a message to Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece Chapter 1130, which was officially released on October 21, 2024, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #47, to create a reunion for the two and make a strong case for her to be the last Straw Hat. However, it is unclear if Vivi will rejoin the Straw Hat before Imu comes to her. The other option is just as likely, if not even easier, to leave the door open for other potential candidates to join the Straw Hat team instead.
One Piece officially introduces a 3000 year old mythical Zoan
The Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit class is being set up to receive a new divine addition depicted in the Harley mural in One Piece chapter 1138.
How the Arc of Elbaf lines up Loki and Shuri as potential Straw Hats
Along with Princess Vivi, Eiichiro Oda has also lined up other characters in Elbaf to join the crew, and one of them is the cursed prince of Elbaf, Loki. Although it was originally set up to be a villain with the potential to destroy the world in One Piece Chapter 1130, Loki has befriended Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates already and fights to protect Elbaf alongside them. In fact, Monkey D. Luffy also asked Loki to join his crew right in One Piece Chapter 1152, which was officially released on June 23, 2025, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #30.
“Loki, join my crew, man! If he joins me, then you can't complain if I free him, can you, Hajrudin?” – Luffy asks Loki to join the Straw Hats, One Piece Chapter #1152
That said, the only obstacle to Loki joining the crew is the fact that Elbaf will have no one left to protect them if he leaves. Loki was also given this responsibility directly by his father, King Harald, before he passed away, and as such, he would have to abandon Elbaf to its fate if he were to join the Straw Hat Pirates. Regardless, if Luffy and the crew succeed in defending Elbaf once and for all, then Loki would be free to follow his heart and join Luffy and the crew.
In addition to Loki, there is also Princess Shuri, who was recently created to also become a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. Shuri was the princess of the Esperia Kingdom, who was born as an individual with a celestial bloodline descended from the Manmayer family, as confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1186 on June 28, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31. Shuri was eventually taken over by Nerona Imu and dragged to the Holy Land of Marijoa, where she was completely brainwashed and eventually made into a Holy Knight.
In the Elbaf arc, Shuri is the main princess for Luffy and the crew to save, and one way or another they will save her. Once Shuri is rescued from Nerona Imu, she has nowhere to turn, as Esperia is officially destroyed, as confirmed by Brook in One Piece Chapter #1183. With no one left to turn to and the world government on her back, Shuri could only potentially travel with straw hat pirates and brook. In fact, in the latest Esperia Kingdom flashback, Shuri even stated that she would love to sail alongside Brook as pirates on the seas in One Piece Chapter #1185 on June 15, 2026. Whether or not this will happen depends on whether Luffy manages to save her from her cruel fate in the climax or not of the Elbaf arc.
Shuri: I thought you wanted to be a pirate, Brook?
Brook: My duty comes first. Dreams are a secondary matter.
Shuri: Ah, okay. Well, when you go, I'll go with you.
Brook: You can't!
Shuri: I can!
— Exchange from One Piece Chapter #1185 showing Shuri wanting to become a pirate with Brook.
Why only 1 character can join the Straw Hats permanently after Elbaf
Although there are three candidates for the position of the last Straw Hat, only one of them can actually advance to the crew. This is because Eiichiro Oda has already lined up 10 underlings for Luffy to go up against the other emperors. For example, the Blackbeard Pirates already have 10 Titanic captains, and for the final clash between the Straw Hat Pirates against the Blackbeard Pirates, Luffy would need 10 powerful minions to face the Titanic captains. Likewise, Shanks also has 10 strong minions that follow him into battle. Luffy currently only has nine, and only one more can join the crew.
As such, this person could be any of the three, but the most likely of them all is Princess Vivi, with Shuri second in line. Loki, even if he would be the strongest of the bunch, would have to protect Elbaf, which is why his chances of joining the crew are the lowest overall. With Elbaf already at its climax and heading towards its end, we will find out soon enough the answer to who will be joining the Straw Hat Pirates. We absolutely can't wait to see who Oda chooses as his choice for Straw Hats in the end.
All new One Piece manga chapters by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
