The Straw Hat Pirates are one of the four Emperor Crews, having ascended to this position following the release of One Piece chapter 1053 on June 20, 2022. Since then, Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have grown considerably in terms of strength, but their numbers remain the same, with Jinbe being their last recruit.
As far as the Emperor crew goes, the Straw Hat Pirates are certainly lacking in firepower, and Eiichiro Oda is looking to mend this with the inclusion of a new Paramecia Devil Fruit ability user in the climax of the Elbaf arc. As things stand, One Piece is looking to expand the Straw Hat Pirates by giving them the last fruit user, and despite Loki, a powerful Mythical Zoan user, being linked to the crew heavily, the final member of the crew is likely to hold a Paramecia ability, as officially set up in the climax of the Elbaf arc.
One Piece’s Elbaf Climax Lines Up Aro Aro no Mi As The Most Probable Devil Fruit For The Straw Hats
The Straw Hat Pirates have gone from strength to strength over the years, and right now, they stand tall as one of the Emperor Crews of the One Piece world, shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Shanks’ Red Hair Pirates, Buggy’s Cross Guild, and Blackbeard’s Blackbeard Pirates. That said, being a Yonko crew isn’t enough when one aims to become the Pirate King. Luffy must aim to reach even higher levels, and as such, he needs even greater strength. To that end, Eiichiro Oda is adding one more member to the Straw Hat Pirates. This was already set up in the very first chapter of One Piece on July 18, 1997, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #34, when Luffy stated that he wants at least 10 members on his crew. At the same time, when looking at the Red Hair Pirates and the Blackbeard Pirates, both the crew captains have 10 members under them. Luffy, at the moment, has only 9, leaving behind space for one member to join the crew.
“Let’s see…I’ve got to get some crewmates first. I hope I can at least find 10 people!” — Luffy announces he was 10 people, One Piece Chapter #1
Most fans would assume that Loki, with his Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Nidhoggr, is going to be the next ability user of the Straw Hat Pirates. However, as things stand, it is likely to be Princess Shuri from the Esperia Kingdom, who holds the power of the Aro Aro no Mi. The reason behind this is simple: Brook intends to save Shuri no matter the cost. Following her rescue from the clutches of Nerona Imu and the World Government, she has nowhere left to go, as Esperia has officially been destroyed, making the Thousand Sunny her only possible destination.
“A long time ago, truly a long time ago! She was just a child, and I was a young man too! It was in a country that no longer exists… Esperia! Esperia was a land of music, full of workshops crafting instruments of all kinds!” — Brook confirms the destruction of Esperia, One Piece Chapter #1183
Why Shuri Is The Likeliest Candidate To Join The Straw Hat Pirates After The Imu Battle In Elbaf
Princess Shuri might not have been the biggest candidate to join the Straw Hat Pirates at first. However, as the events of Elbaf continued, Oda started throwing more light on her dark past and revealed to us that she was actually a victim of Nerona Imu and the World Government. Shuri was born in Esperia, as was shown to us in One Piece chapter #1184, but the mystery behind her birth wasn’t uncovered until the release of One Piece chapter 1186. Shuri is technically the daughter of a Celestial Dragon named Manmayer Gurao and Lady Candelle, who was, at one point, the wife of King Reuven. Shuri inherited the power of Bipolar Iris, known to manifest only in a select few individuals, which ended up being the main reason why Nerona Imu wanted her.
After being Domi Reversed and the Kingdom of Esperia being completely wiped out, Shuri went to the Holy Land, where she was then raised as Imu’s personal servant. She eventually served as a God’s Blade and rose to the rank of a Holy Knight, which is a position she maintains to this day. In the Brook flashback, if one thing was made clear to us, it is that Shuri is a Princess in need of rescue. Most One Piece arcs have their own princesses:
- The Arabasta arc set up Vivi as the main princess to rescue.
- The Fishman Island arc set up Shirahoshi as the princess to rescue.
- The Dressrosa arc set up Rebecca.
- The Wano arc had Hiyori
- The Egghead arc gave us Jewelry Bonney.
In Elbaf, the Princess to rescue is none other than Shuri. In One Piece chapter 1186, released officially on June 29, 2026, Brook stated that he wanted to put his faith in Princess Shuri once again, and needed the help of the Straw Hat Pirates to rescue her. After such a declaration, her rescue is a certainty, and she will be freed from the clutches of Nerona Imu no matter what. It was also confirmed by Brook in One Piece chapter 1183 that Esperia has been destroyed, meaning she has no place to turn to. Shuri also stated in One Piece chapter 1185 that she would love to sail the seas as a pirate with Brook, which means that the only destination for her is the Straw Hat Pirates, making her the strongest candidate for the position of the last Straw Hat.
Shuri: Didn’t you want to become a Pirate,
Brook: I’m happy to put my dreams on hold while I repay my debts to his majesty.
Shuri: Then, when the time comes, I’ll sail with you!
— Shuri confirms her dream is to sail with Brook as a pirate, One Piece Chapter #1185
Shuri Will Boost Straw Hat Pirates Drastically With Her Paramecia Aro Aro no Mi Power
Shuri holds the power of the Aro Aro no Mi, and it is quite a deadly ability that she can manipulate to a tremendous degree. In her battle against the likes of the Straw Hat Pirates, Shuri took down four members in the blink of an eye in One Piece Chapter 1146 on April 21, 2026, those being Jinbe, Usopp, Nami, and Brook. Furthermore, she also dealt deadly damage to Loki when he was chained in the Underworld. It must be remembered that Loki is the same guy who survived a fall from the Sun World to the Underworld as a newborn baby. To even remotely injure him is a massive feat of strength, and Shuri almost made him pass out using the power of the Aro Aro no Mi.
Shuri is an incredibly powerful fighter, way stronger than an average Yonko Commander, and someone who can hold her own against an Admiral. Shamrock even believed that Shuri was strong enough to fight against Loki. If she goes on to join the Straw Hat Pirates following the conclusion of the battle against Nerona Imu in Elbaf, her Paramecia-type Aro Aro no Mi is going to be a significant boost for the crew.
All that said, it must be remembered that Shuri is likely to lose access to Nerona Imu’s Depths Covenant, which means that her powers will be significantly nerfed after this arc. Still, she is going to be a massive asset to Luffy and the crew, and we absolutely cannot wait to see what her Paramecia ability is going to bring in the arcs to come.
All the new chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
