Monkey D. Luffy is kind of like Jesus. He shows up out of nowhere and convinces a group of total strangers to follow him unquestioningly, at major risk to their own lives and limbs. He has no credentials. No plan. He doesn’t even know what the One Piece is. And yet people follow him. Of course, he recruited his crew exactly like a wannabe messiah (or cult leader) would: when they were down and out. Half of them wouldn’t even be alive if Luffy never showed up. It’s a total trauma bond. Seriously unhealthy.
So who did Luffy recruit first?
Roronoa Zoro
The first to fall for Luffy’s cheeky schemes was the wannabe World’s Greatest Swordsman: Roronoa Zoro. After Zoro ran afoul of a group of marines, he was beaten, tied to a post, and left to starve. Luffy found him after hearing tale of his misfortune from the local townspeople and decided to capitalize on it. He found Zoro at his lowest and convinced him that he could help the pirate bounty hunter achieve his loftiest of goals. Because that’s what cult leaders do: promise you everything.
Nami
What’s this? A runaway teenage girl with no home? No family? And nothing to tie her down? It’s every cult leader’s dream! Luffy found Nami while she was traipsing around the East Blue, stealing from pirates in order to collect enough cash to buy back her village from the notorious Arlong, captain of the Fishman Pirates. Luffy went out of his way to help Nami defeat the dreaded pirate and save her town. Some would call it charity. I call it lovebombing.
Usopp
This poor sap never knew what hit him. Usopp was a wannabe pirate captain living on Syrup Island. He had a simple life, playing pirate games with the local boys and flirting with a rich girl. Then Luffy had to show up and promise him the real deal: a pirate’s life. After helping Usopp defeat his best friend’s evil butler, Usopp agreed to join Luffy’s crew—but only if he could be captain. Luffy said no, there could only be one cult leader—er, captain on his ship. It didn’t stop Usopp from trying.
Sanji
Sanji had everything. He had a job. He had a family. He had a life. Then Luffy ruined it. Sanji was a five-star chef at the floating restaurant Baratie. He, his surrogate father head chef, and his surrogate chef brothers had a good thing going. So what did Luffy do? Ordered one of everything and then DESTROYED THE RESTAURANT in a fight. They tried to make him wash dishes to pay it off, but instead, he broke everything and stole away the restaurant’s star chef to be his galley cook. Tragic.
Tony Chopper
Now, this is just animal abuse. Tony Chopper was a simple reindeer doctor living in the Grand Line, practice his craft and helping others. Then, Luffy showed up and wanted to recruit him—no, EAT HIM. Luffy only tried to recruit Chopper once he realized the little guy had medical skills and was therefore USEFUL to his ridiculous plot. Chopper eventually gave in to Luffy’s pestering, thinking that it was what his mentor would have wanted him to do. Luffy is a master of manipulation.
Nefertari Vivi
Neferati Vivi is the only person to ever have escaped the cult of Monkey D. Luffy. She is the princess of the Arabasta Kingdom and teamed up with the Straw Hats in order to thwart the coup against her kingdom that was organized by the terrorist group Baroque Works. Luffy attempted to gaslight her into joining the Straw Hats by saying that she was a crew member already simply by fighting by his side. In the end, Nefertari refused Luffy, saying that her duties as a princess superseded his inane schemes. If only she had stuck around to warn off the other characters.
Nico Robin
Nico Robin is the sole survivor of a tragedy that wiped out her entire island. Traumatizing backstory? Perfect target for a cult! Nico made her way in the world as an archeologist and historian, studying the mysteries of old artifacts and ruins. Luffy decided that he wanted her on his team. Why? Why does a pirate need an archeologist? WHY LUFFY!? JUST LEAVE NICO ALONE. Luffy found Nico during the events of the Arabasta Saga, where she served as an antagonist. Shockingly, she was never actually invited to join the Straw Hats. She forced herself into the cult and demanded that they accept her. Eventually, Luffy came around. Because of course he would.
Franky
Franky is a 36-year-old cyborg who comes from a long line of shipbreakers. That just SCREAMS Monkey D. Luffy mark, doesn’t it? Franky originally started the story as an antagonist, but Luffy was somehow able to turn the guy around and convince him to become the Straw Hats’ engineer. One would think that the mature Franky would help calm down the stretchy teenage megalomaniac, but one would be wrong.
Brook
Not even the DEAD can escape from Luffy’s clutches. After recruiting Franky, the implacable pirate traveled to the haunted island of Thriller Bark. He found Brook, a skeleton who survived after the rest of his crew died on the island 50 years before. Luffy just loves a sole survivor, doesn’t he? Aside from being the ship’s musician, he is also the second sword. Because cult leaders need to use violence from time to time … or, in Luffy’s case, all the time.
Jinbei
Jinbei was the last member to be recruited by Luffy and took on the title of helmsman … which leads me to the question: WHO WAS DRIVING THE BOAT THE WHOLE TIME? Knowing Luffy, he probably let them just drift aimlessly in the ocean, confident that the winds of fate would blow them on the correct course. Jinbei is a fishman with ideals and joins the Straw Hats in order to help fishmen and humans to coexist. Luffy just LOVES anyone with ideals. It makes them all the easier to manipulate.
(featured image: Toei Animation)
