In the very first episodes of ‘One Piece,’ Luffy the protagonist and the captain of the Straw Hats crew noted that he wants powerful members as his crewmates and is in search of them. He also says that instead of having a large following he would rather prefer 10 strong people as his journey mates. As the series progresses, we see that he has kept his word and has asked only a few skilled people as his crewmates.
Zoro was the first one to join the Straw Hats, followed by Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, and Brooks. Jinbe was a special case all along. Since their first meeting, Luffy persuades Jinbe to join his journey, but due to various reasons, he rejects the notion. Let’s find out more about why he was hell-bent on rejecting the Straw Hats captain’s orders.
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Why Did Jinbe Reject Luffy’s Proposal The First Time?
Luffy and Jinbe first met in Impel Down when the former was storming the jail in search of his brother Ace. Ace was announced to be executed and was held captive in the lower ranks of Impel Down. In his cell, he met Jinbe, who was also kept there. As Ace proudly shares stories about Luffy, the latter grows as to who he is.
In the Marineford arc, Jinbe not only helped Luffy in freeing Ace from execution but also helped him by saving his life. When Luffy was exhausted and out of his mind on Maiden Island, Jineb stayed close to him and protected him. He also helped Luffy stand on his feet again. Naturally, the latter proposed the Jinbei, the ex-Warlord to join his ship as part of the crew.
He first asked him at Fishman Island, when both met each other after a 2-year gap. Jinbe rejects the notion of joining Luffy’s ship as he has a few commitments and matters to settle before doing so. One of them is to help Fishman Island’s restoration, and the other is severing ties to join Big Mom. Big Mom is one of the Emperors of the Sea, under whom Jinbei worked.
Severing ties with her meant dying, so Jinbe had to sort things out and escape her grasp. Though he joined Luffy’s ship at Cacao Island, he left the crew once again to help his former crew mates. His former crewmates were holding off Big Mom’s gang so that Jinbe could escape. Worried about their safety, Jinbe joins their fight while promising Luffy to officially join his crew after all of this is over.
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Was Jinbe The Last Straw Hats Crew Member?
Jinbe finally joins the Straw Hat crew during the Wano Arc. He was the only member of the crew who held the position of an ex-Warlord and was also the only one who took so long to join Luffy’s gang. Officially he is the last straw hat member, though there are rumors that Yamato may be the 11th one to join. Though he needs Luffy’s approval to do it first.
