The Straw Hat Pirates adventure in the final phase of One Piece still requires one more member to accompany them. As Luffy stated at the beginning of the series, he needs ten members, excluding him, and as of now, his crew only has nine members (excluding him). Therefore, it is confirmed that Eiichiro Oda will select one other character who will find the One Piece with Straw Hat Pirates.
Although there are a lot of contenders for the role of the tenth Straw Hat member, in the form of Yamato, Boa Hancock, Jewelry Bonney, etc., it looks like Oda has already hinted at the next Straw Hat Pirate. It is none other than Vivi, the unofficial member of the crew who parted ways with them during the conclusion of the Alabasta saga.
In the past few months, Vivi’s importance has significantly increased in One Piece, and she has been carrying a big target on her back as she hides from the World Government. Now the only way for her to survive and get back her kingdom of Alabasta is with the help of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Vivi’s Importance in One Piece
Vivi has been deemed a significant character since her debut during the Reverse Mountain Arc. Originally portrayed as an antagonist, Vivi slowly becomes one of the closest allies of the Straw Hat Pirates, sailing and enjoying with them until they parted ways after the Alabasta arc. While fans thought that her role in One Piece would have been over, Oda had other plans.
He brought a new connection where Vivi was revealed to be related to Nefertari D. Lili, one of the mysterious founders of the World Government. Not only that, she also had a connection to Imu, the main antagonist of One Piece. Thus, her character became a lot more important than she originally was, putting the biggest target on her back.
During the Levely meeting, Vivi was abducted by the CP0 agents, but she somehow found an opportunity to escape along with Wapol. As of now, she is hiding on Morgan’s ship, and her next plan of action is not yet revealed in One Piece.
Eiichiro Oda Plans To Make Vivi The Last Straw Hat Pirate
While it has not been officially confirmed, Eiichiro Oda plans to make Vivi the final member of the Straw Hat Pirate. This is hinted from her recent actions in One Piece. Fans recently learned that Vivi tried to inform the Straw Hat Pirates about her situation during the Elbaph arc when they saw an X on Luffy’s arm. This was a hint that Vivi was fine and evidently flying with Morgans.
This can also be Vivi’s way of asking the Straw Hat Pirates for help to rescue her and protect her from the World Government. Secondly, she now has no other place to go as Cobra is dead and her kingdom of Alabasta will be flooded with World Government security. Thus, the only viable option for her is to rejoin the Straw Hat Pirates.
Vivi was always a part of the Straw Hat Pirates, but because of her political situation, she could not sail with them. But now, she can only get her normal life back when the World Government is defeated, and for that, she will have to return to the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece.
One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
