Kizaru, not Vivi, may be One Piece's next Straw Hat Pirate

The One Piece crew has undergone considerable changes throughout the story's decade-long run. In the first few chapters of the series, Luffy had already stated that he wanted to recruit ten crew members. The current crew members count is up to nine, which has created a wave of anticipation around the potential new member or returning member who will become a permanent part of the main crew.

Although many fans have been expecting Vivi to be the last crew member, Kizaru— who had his highlight during the Egghead Island arc— might be another strong candidate as a potential Straw Hat member. This is mainly plausible due to the power imbalance between the Blackbeard and Straw Hat crew which arises from Kuzan, an admiral who is part of the Blackbeard crew currently.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.

One Piece: Kizaru might join the Straw Hats to balance out Kuzan from the Blackbeard crew.

Blackbeard as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The Straw Hat pirates have been the antithesis of the Blackbeard crew, partly due to their initial rivalry in chapter 223. Although not much about Blackbeard was known during that time, later arcs established him as much more ruthless, cunning, and opportunistic compared to Luffy. Luffy, by contrast, mostly functions based on chivalry, and would not betray anyone.

Blackbeard's goals and the methods he employs to achieve those goals have made it clear that the Straw Hat crew versus the Blackbeard crew will be one of the highlighted events in the series finale. The power dynamic is currently tilted in the Blackbeard pirates' favor due to the presence of Kuzan, a former navy admiral.

Kizaru might be one of the easiest ways for Oda to balance both crews. Kizaru was one of the three navy admirals introduced in the series, alongside Kuzan and Akainu. Although much of his personality remained unclear, the Egghead Island arc made it evident that he simply follows orders as a matter of duty.

Kizaru does not differentiate between good and evil. He goes on a mission to eliminate Vegapunk, one of his closest associates and friends.

Akainu as shown in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Kizaru was evidently holding back in his efforts to eliminate Vegapunk, a fact repeatedly emphasized throughout the arc via dialogue. The conclusion of the arc also depicted the emotional turmoil Kizaru experienced after having eliminated Vegapunk. This struggle is similar to Garp's struggle during the Marineford arc, where he wanted to save Ace but was hindered by his responsibility to the navy.

Given the current power imbalance between the Blackbeard and Straw Hat crews, it is possible that Kizaru finally parts ways with the navy. He may join the Straw Hats to resolve his emotional turmoil.

Final thoughts

One Piece is currently in the Elbaf arc, with the current chapters simply serving the purpose of exploring Elbaf. Given that it is one of the final few arcs of the series, it is possible that the Navy gets involved in the Elbaf conflict and Kizaru joins the Straw Hats there.

The One Piece anime is currently on a long break, which will persist until April 2025. The manga, however, is currently ongoing, and One Piece chapter 1134 will be released on December 22, 2024, and will be available for reading on Shueisha's MANGA Plus platform.