Straw Hat Pirates

The Straw Hat Pirates are the central pirate crew in Eiichiro Oda’s manga and anime series One Piece. Monkey D. Luffy founded the crew in East Blue after leaving Foosha Village to pursue the title of Pirate King. Luffy’s defining treasure, a straw hat once associated with Shanks, gives the group its name. The crew’s flag depicts a skull wearing that hat. Their ship was initially the Going Merry, a gift connected to Kaya and the Usopp Pirates; after its destruction, the shipwright Franky built the Thousand Sunny using Adam wood. The crew’s publicly recognized captain is Luffy, whose dream is to find the One Piece and become Pirate King. His original East Blue companions are swordsman Roronoa Zoro, navigator Nami, sniper Usopp, and cook Sanji. Later recruits are doctor Tony Tony Chopper, archaeologist Nico Robin, shipwright Franky, musician Brook, and helmsman Jinbe. Each member has a stated ambition: Zoro seeks the world’s greatest swordsman title; Nami wants to map the world; Usopp aims to become a brave warrior of the sea; Sanji searches for the All Blue; Chopper seeks a cure-all; Robin seeks the true history; Franky wants his ship to circle world; Brook wants to reunite with Laboon; Jinbe’s goal is connected to coexistence between humans and fish-men. Luffy ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, later identified in the story as the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika, and fights using a rubberlike body. The Straw Hats repeatedly oppose the World Government and powerful pirate crews. At Enies Lobby, they burn the Government flag to declare their determination to rescue Robin from CP9. They defeat Gecko Moria at Thriller Bark, challenge a Celestial Dragon at Sabaody, and aid the liberation of Dressrosa from Donquixote Doflamingo. Their victory over Kaido and Big Mom during the Wano Country conflict elevates Luffy to recognition as one of the Four Emperors. In the series’ bounty system, the crew has accumulated exceptional rewards from the Government. Luffy’s bounty reaches 3,000,000,000 berries after Wano; Zoro’s is 1,111,000,000; Jinbe’s is 1,100,000,000; Sanji’s is 1,032,000,000. The group also forms the Straw Hat Grand Fleet after Dressrosa, when seven pirate crews swear allegiance to Luffy. Despite that alliance, Luffy does not treat himself as its formal commander. The crew reaches Egghead after Wano and becomes embroiled in events surrounding Dr. Vegapunk. Its adventures are organized around travel on the Grand Line toward Laugh Tale, the island associated with the One Piece.