For a long time, One Piece fans believed that Yamato would join the Straw Hat Pirates and if he had, it would have affected one character the most.

Although the One Piece narrative has entered its final saga, the protagonist group, the Straw Hat Pirates, is still short of one crew member who has been much awaited by the fans. While the series saw Jinbe being the latest member to join Luffy and his crew, according to the narrative, they still need one more crewmate to make them complete.

The Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

For the longest time, Eiichiro Oda has been dropping hints about other characters who might join Luffy in his adventure, but none of them has been confirmed yet. From Carrot to Vegapunk, all of these characters have been assumed to be part of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece, but none of them came close to Yamato, who almost boarded the ship.

Yamato was introduced in the Wano arc, and he is known to be one of the strongest characters in One Piece. Ideally, he is the most viable contender for the crew, but if he joins the Straw Hat Pirates, it would not end nicely for one of the crew members. And this crew member is none other than Sanji, the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates and a part of the Monster Trio.

Yamato Has The Most Potential To Be The Next Straw Hat Member

Yamato had a connection with Luffy before he came to Wano. He learned about Luffy through his brother Ace and was so impressed by the character that he waited for him for a long time. Finally, when the two met for the first time, Luffy was a little confused about Yamato, considering he was Kaido’s son. However, when they interacted, the two formed quite a bond.

Both were extremely strong characters who challenged Kaido and wanted to liberate Wano from his tyranny. Not only that, Yamato wanted to travel to the One Piece world, which is why he asked Luffy to take him on his adventure, and Luffy didn’t even think for a second before agreeing. Thus, fans came under the impression that Yamato would be the next Straw Hat Pirate in One Piece.

Yamato, the guardian of Wano | Credit: Toei Animation

However, after the battle of Onigashima, Yamato came to the realization that, in spite of his desire to see the world like Oden, he was greatly needed in Wano. This realization led to Yamato staying back and guarding Wano, but still, he hoped that one day he might be able to sail through the One Piece world along with Luffy.

Yamato Joining Luffy’s Crew Would Have Been Bad For Sanji

While Yamato’s addition to the Straw Hat Pirates would have certainly made the crew stronger than they already are, it would have also disrupted the power balance within the crew. This disruption would have been especially visible in the case of the Monster Trio, as the third member of the trio, Sanji, would have been replaced by Yamato.

The Monster Trio | Credits: Toei Animation

In terms of power and strength rankings, Yamato is much above Sanji, as he has unlocked all three forms of Haki and has an Awakened Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit. Not only that, he is an Oni who is particularly known for their ridiculous strength. His might is further demonstrated by the fact that he is the son of Kaido, the strongest creature in the One Piece universe.

Therefore, if he had really joined the Straw Hat Pirates in Wano, Sanji would have been essentially replaced by Yamato as a part of the Monster Trio. This would have been another injustice to Sanji’s character, who has been facing unfairness within the One Piece narrative for the longest time.