This article covers:
- Yamato is confirmed as the 10th crewmate
- The reasons why
- The wolf indispensable to Ragnarok
The Conditions for the 10th Crewmate, the 11th Pirate
In chapter 1, Luffy said he needed 10 crewmates. With Jinbe now the 9th, there’s at least one more spot to fill.
And honestly, it can only be Yamato, right?
“11” Is the Number That Represents a Samurai
Try typing “samurai” on a Japanese keyboard a few times. After 侍 and SAMURAI, doesn’t 士 come up?
The character 士 — from 武士 (bushi/warrior) — is itself read as “samurai.”
Write “11” in kanji and you get 十一. Stack it vertically and it becomes 士.
Luffy is #1, Jinbe is #10, so the 11th pirate would be the “士” — the Samurai.
So who among Wano’s samurai would join the crew? Until recently, Kinemon was the top candidate.
The reasoning was based on a number wordplay with Devil Fruit powers.
Devil Fruit Powers and Number Wordplay
It was well known that “the Straw Hats’ Devil Fruit users can be represented by numbers 1–10.”
Following that wordplay, the 10th crewmate would have to be the Fuku Fuku no Mi user and samurai Kinemon — no other option seemed possible.
The “Three Musketeers” from Punk Hazard — Brook with ice one-sword style, Kinemon with flame two-sword style, and Zoro with flying slash three-sword style — were also pretty cool.
But! After 25 years of the manga, it was revealed that Luffy’s power wasn’t the Gum-Gum Fruit after all — and that blew the entire number theory apart!
(Note: the related article below was written before the “Nika” reveal. Please give me at least a little credit for how close I got.)
So with Kinemon unable to stand out among the Nine Red Scabbards in raw strength, never beating a Beast Pirates commander one-on-one, and barely able to finish off an injured Kamazo… his moment has already passed.
An aging samurai past his peak joining as a crewmate just wouldn’t be satisfying.
Besides, Jinbe — a former Warlord of the Sea — just joined, so whoever comes next needs to top that level of excitement for readers.
For example, someone who:
- Carries the will of the greatest samurai in Wano
- Has Emperor-level strength
- Possesses Conqueror’s Haki
- Knows the secret of the “One Piece”
- Has a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit
- And is a sexy older woman…
Why Yamato Joins the Crew
Well, there’s a certain attractive character who checks every single one of those boxes. Already beloved by a huge fanbase — yes, largely for those “side boobs” — Yamato joining as the 10th crewmate would send readers into a frenzy.
By the way, what exactly is Yamato’s reason for going to sea? Reading Oden’s logbook and getting excited about adventure?
There’s also this:
Ace’s Only Regret
There was the matter of Luffy’s “dream” that a drunk Ace accidentally blurted out. When Yamato heard it, rather than laughing, they were moved to tears.
Taking Ace’s place — watching over Luffy’s dream through to the end. That might be Yamato’s true purpose.
The Wolf Indispensable to Ragnarok
I believe the final arc of One Piece will be modeled on Ragnarok from Norse mythology — a great war on a massive scale.
In Norse mythology, the army of monsters and giants led by Loki storms the realm of the gods, Asgard, with the giant wolf Fenrir and the great sea serpent Jormungandr leading the charge.
The ship used in that battle — Naglfar — has already appeared in One Piece. It’s the warship of Hajrudin’s Giant Warrior Pirates.
Yamato in place of Fenrir, and Momo in place of Jormungandr — leading the charge in a great battle as they storm the holy land of Mary Geoise…
Which would mean Elbaf’s prince Loki would also end up fighting alongside the anti-World Government forces, right?