One Piece Reveals the Straw Hats’ Fate as Luffy Builds His Crew
The Straw Hat Pirates didn’t just form as a crew in One Piece—they were built around a specific kind of destiny. Monkey D. Luffy officially establishes the Straw Hat Pirates in Chapter 6, where Roronoa Zoro (the series’ well-known “Pirate Hunter”) joins him. From there, the roster expands rapidly: Nami, Usopp, and Sanji are recruited across the East Blue, and the crew’s influence keeps spreading as the story moves into the Grand Line. By now, the Straw Hats are treated as a Yonko-level crew, a status formally confirmed in Chapter 1053 on June 20, 2022. But the bigger shift is what comes next—an apparent upgrade to their “power ceiling,” with the crew reportedly set to host not one, but five different “God” figures from across the One Piece world.
So far, four Straw Hats already carry God-related identities, while a fifth character is positioned as someone who is confirmed to reach that tier. During the Final Saga, Eiichiro Oda is arranging for another God to join the crew, bringing the total to five and—at least in this framing—making the Straw Hats the most formidable collective in the setting.
The Straw Hat Pirates Already Have 4 Characters With Official God Status
Reaching extraordinary heights is one thing; being recognized as a “God” entity is another. The Straw Hats’ first God figure begins with Usopp during the Dressrosa Arc. In that stretch of the story, Oda pivots away from his earlier “Soul King” style gag concept and instead turns Usopp into a God in a way that’s treated as official within the narrative. The people of Dressrosa don’t just believe in him—they regard him as their savior, and he’s explicitly revered as a God. This moment lands in One Piece Chapter 744, dated April 14, 2014, published in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue number 20. From that point forward, Usopp is addressed as a “God,” including on his bounty poster, where the label becomes part of his public identity.
Even if it started as a gag, Usopp’s history shows that jokes in One Piece often evolve into meaningful plot infrastructure later. In other words, Usopp’s God status doesn’t read as a one-off title—it’s positioned as something that still matters in the Final Saga.
“Follow me, and I will guide you? I knew it! You are from the heavens, you are our savior!! Show us the way! What must we do? God Usopp!” — Dressrosa Crowd crowns Usopp a God, One Piece Chapter #744
The next God confirmation arrives with Luffy. In One Piece Chapter 1044, released on March 28, 2022 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue number 17, Eiichiro Oda confirms that Monkey D. Luffy is also a God. The mechanism is the awakening of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. With this Devil Fruit ability, Luffy becomes the Sun God Nika and fights as the “Warrior of Liberation,” opposing oppression. That makes Luffy the second God figure within the Straw Hat Pirates—though the crew already has two more God-adjacent members who are treated as such within the current lineup.
“Possessing a body with the powers of rubber, and fighting in whatever way he fancies, bringing smiles to the faces of people, the Warrior of Liberation…also known as the Sun God, Nika!” — Gorosei hype up Luffy’s God Powers, One Piece Chapter #1044
One of those figures is Roronoa Zoro. As the Straw Hat Pirates’ swordsman, Zoro’s potential for a God-level status is tied to ancestry. He is a descendant of Ryuma from the Shimotsuki Clan in Wano, with the blood connection running through his grandmother, Shimotsuki Furiko. She leaves Wano more than fifty years earlier and establishes a presence in the East Blue, where she marries Roronoa Pinzoro and has a son named Roronoa Arashi. Arashi is Zoro’s father, making Zoro a direct descendant of Shimotsuki Ryuma.
Ryuma held the title of the “Sword God” in the One Piece world, so the argument goes that Zoro inherits the kind of lineage that can push him into becoming a God during the Final Saga—similar to how Luffy’s status is tied to his awakened form. The same overall logic is applied to Sanji, who is connected to the “Demon God Ifrit.” Through that connection to Ifrit, Eiichiro Oda is said to have granted Sanji God-like power, effectively positioning him as the fourth God currently onboard the Straw Hat Pirates.
One more note matters for readers tracking the publication rhythm: One Piece is going on break on July 12, with a new return date officially announced by Eiichiro Oda.
Why One Piece’s Last Straw Hat Will Become The 5th God Of The Straw Hat Pirates
With four God figures already aboard the crew, there’s still room for one more. The series logic presented here is that the “final” God slot could be filled by a range of potential characters, but the starting point is Luffy’s own stated crew requirement. In One Piece Chapter 1, released July 18, 1997 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue number 34, Luffy confirms that he needs at least ten crewmates under him. That aligns with the size and power structure of other top-tier pirate groups—like the ten Titanic Commanders of the Blackbeard Pirates, and also Shanks’ ten powerful officers. In this framing, Luffy is currently one crewmate short, meaning one additional pirate needs to join the Straw Hats.
“Let’s see…I’ve got to get some crewmates first. I hope I can at least find 10 people!” – Luffy declares his desired crewmate number, One Piece Chapter #1
Oda is then said to have set up multiple candidates for that final slot—and the key claim is that each candidate is a user of God-related power. The first mentioned is Loki, the War God of Elbaf. Loki is described as highly likely to join the Straw Hats at the end of Elbaf. The twist is that Loki is officially asked by Luffy to join the crew in One Piece Chapter 1152, dated June 23, 2025, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue number 30. Even though Loki refuses the offer, he remains part of the “in contention” group for the last crewmate.
Another possibility is Shuri, framed as a Celestial Dragon and therefore treated as a “God” within the world’s hierarchy. If Shuri joins the Straw Hats as a former Celestial Dragon, then she would carry that God-level status into the crew. The article also points to Princess Vivi. Vivi is technically described as a Celestial Dragon as well, but due to Lily’s choice to remain in the Arabasta Kingdom rather than move to Marijoa 800 years ago, Vivi has lost that title. Even so, Vivi is still positioned for the future power of Hito Hito no Mi: Model Zaza, making her another possible “God” candidate.
There’s also Jewelry Bonney, argued to be another viable option because her ability allows her to transform into Sun God Nika. Taken together, the conclusion is that all candidates for the last Straw Hat slot hold God power in some form. Regardless of who ultimately joins, the Straw Hats would end the series with five Gods total.
“Appearing to the rhythm of the prayers for rain…Rain God Zaza!” — Saint Killingham explains Rain God Zaza, One Piece Chapter 1182
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The Straw Hat Pirates Are Destined To Surpass The Roger Pirates After Elbaf
With five God-level figures onboard, the Straw Hat Pirates are framed as extremely difficult to outclass. In fact, the argument here goes further: after Elbaf, the Straw Hats could be positioned as the strongest crew in the entirety of One Piece. The story foundation for this claim is Roger’s own warning. In One Piece Chapter 968, officially released January 20, 2020 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue number 8, Roger—then the Pirate King—states he is too early to change the world, and that someone else will eventually arrive and surpass him. In the established interpretation, Roger is talking about Monkey D. Luffy’s crew.
With five Gods on board, Luffy is said to be equipped with the combination of skill, experience, and power needed not only to change the world, but also to bring down the World Government and liberate everyone. That’s the core reason this “God count” matters: it’s tied directly into the endgame theme of overthrowing oppressive structures.
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All of these characters are described as crucial for the Final Saga, with large roles in the ultimate conflict against the Celestial Dragons. The expectation is that the story will eventually reveal just how strong these God powers really are—and how “broken” that strength becomes once it’s fully put on display.
All the new chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
