Summary
Within theOne Pieceuniverse as well as outside of it, theStraw Hat Pirateshave attained vast notoriety. One aspect that distinguishes them is how, asKizaruonce famously remarked, everyone in the crew was “a real monster”, a somewhat sarcastic albeit revealing dig at the abilities of each individual member.
As a lot of Luffy’s crewmates were known in some capacity prior to his recruitment of them, it makes sense that some of them would be pirates before ever joining up with him. Here are the known crews that previously boasted a member of the Straw Hat Pirates among their roster.
9Arlong Pirates
A Token Human
Arlong is a fish-manwho is immensely bigoted against humans. However, his bigotry did not blind him to the opportunity to enrich himself on multiple occasions. After killing Bell-mère, Nami’s adoptive mother, Arlong noticed her talent as a cartographer. He also gave Nami the opportunity to buy her freedom, along with that of her village’s, in exchange for a hefty sum.
She also robbed other pirate crews during this time, such as the Buggy Pirates, whom she ended up fighting alongside Luffy and Zoro, whom she accompanied for a long period. After Sanji joined the crew, Nami revealed her true colors and stole the Going Merry. However, her efforts were all for nothing as her funds to buy back her freedom were quickly confiscated by corrupt marines. The Straw Hat Pirates, at the time a four-man group, instead took out the Arlong Pirates and destroyed Arlong Park. This led to Nami properly joining the crew as navigator, and it became the initial action that gained them notoriety.
8Usopp Pirates
Playing Pirate
Usopp has long held a fascination with pirates. This is at least partially connected to his father, Yasopp, joining the infamousRed Hair Pirates. Usopp spread lies about the crew appearing in Syrup Village in an effort to help his dying mother, Banchina, recover from a disease she was suffering. Usopp also founded a “crew” in the past, but like his earlier exploits, they were largely make-believe. The Usopp Pirates consisted of three boys, who were led by Usopp. They all seemed to generally like Usopp and his lies, which they assisted him in spreading.
However, after the Black Cat Pirates attacked the village, and Usopp subsequently joined the Straw Hat Pirates, the crew was effectively disbanded. The boys continued to spread lies, but Usopp also encouraged them to follow their own dreams, just as he was following his. Since their captain’s departure, the boys have occasionally been seen reviewing Usopp’s exploits in the news, often alongside Kaya, another friend of Usopp, who is currently studying to become a doctor.
7Baroque Works
A Crime Syndicate
Baroque Workswas a crime syndicate and, nominally, not a pirate crew. That said, their goals and the efforts they take to achieve them make them functionally difficult to distinguish from one. This group’s ultimate purpose was to allow its leader, Sir Crocodile, to take over the throne of the Alabasta Kingdom. Nico Robin joined the organization at Crocodile’s behest, valuing her ability to interpret poneglyphs as well as her skill at assassination. Robin’s own motivations were more centered around protection, as she had been continually on the run from the government due to her past as a citizen of Ohara and also a “scholar” who attempted to research the Void Century.
Alabasta Princess, Nefetari D. Vivi, infiltrated the crew alongside Igaram, the head of security in Alabasta. However, after their identities were exposed, Vivi joined the Straw Hat Pirates to ultimately and successfully save Alabasta from the clutches of Baroque Works. Robin attempted suicide after failing to stop Crocodile but was saved by Luffy. This ultimately led her to voluntarily join the Straw Hat Pirates, ironically around the time of Vivi’s departure from the crew. Although Luffy was the only one who accepted the initial request, she quickly used various assets in her arsenal, such as her looks, jewels, and devil fruit powers, to curry favor with most of her crewmates.
6Foxy Pirates
A Temporary Team-Up
The Davy Back Fight is a method of pirate poaching done through various pirate games. The only known regular practitioners are the Foxy Pirates, who often stripped other crews of their essential members to enhance their own forces. After losing a race, Chopper was temporarily extracted from the Straw Hats in this manner. In the anime, Robin was also selected after the Straw Hats lost one of the extra challenges added to the adaptation.
After Luffy defeats Foxy in the final challenge, he reclaims his crew and gives the Foxy Pirates a poorly drawn Jolly Roger after taking their previous one. Since their loss at Luffy’s hand, the Foxy Pirates have indepedently lost a majority of their crewmates as well as their primary ship. It is possible they have repeatedly lost crewmates by way of initiating Davy Back Fights with stronger crews.
5Nico Robin’s Unnamed Former Crew(s)
Uneasy Alliances
Nico Robin’s life was full of tragedy. With her mother largely absent from the home, suffering abuse at her aunt’s hand, and children bullying her for her Devil Fruit powers, Robin was largely isolated even in her hometown. After becoming a Scholar of Ohara, due to passing an archeology exam, the island of Ohara itself was eliminated due to a buster call, which led to everyone from the island dying, except for Robin.
Unfortunately, Robin was slandered by the government and ended up having to continually travel from place to place for the sake of surviving. She joined “her first pirate crew” at age 8, but like many other caretakers, they ended up turning her over due to the marines placing a target on her. Any other affiliations to pirate crews she had between then and now are unknown, but implied, with her tendency to betray being an alleged aspect of her character. She voluntarily left the Straw Hat Pirates to protect them and contemplated suicide once more but ended up rejecting this notion once they rescued her. She has since been wholly loyal to the Straw Hat Pirates.
4Franky’s Unnamed Former Pirate Crew
Deadbeat Pirates
Born Cutty Flam, Franky was the son of two South Blue Pirates. He sailed with them for the majority of his childhood, but was thrown off the ship by them, and ended up being rescued by a fish-man named Tom. Tom was a shipwright who recognized Franky’s talents and took him on as an apprentice. Franky grew to hate pirates during this time and even rejected an offer from Kozuki Oden to join the Roger Pirates.
Years later, it took heavy persuasion to force him onto the Straw Hat Pirates, becoming the crew’s shipwright. The exact circumstances of Franky’s family’s pirate exploits are unknown. They were capable of entering the Grand Line, but any context for them or their actions is obscured. Whether their crew consisted of anyone besides themselves is also unknown.
3Rumbar Pirates
Lost At Sea
The Rumbar Pirates were a musical crew, with Brook being one of many members in that department. They befriended Laboon, a small whale, for whom they played music, with Brook being closest to the whale. They eventually left him in the care of Crocus, a doctor operating in the Grand Line, who would eventually join theRoger Pirates. Although Brook promised the crew’s return, such a thing would never come to pass.
Yorki, the crew’s captain, and several of their crewmates contracted an incurable disease and ended up having to quarantine themselves as they died from it to protect the uninfected. From this point, Brook became the crew’s captain. Unfortunately, the crew ended up facing foes with poisoned weapons, who killed the ship’s doctor. As the rest of the Rumbar Pirates lay dying, Brook encouraged them to play Binks' Brew, their favorite song, for a Tone Dial. Having eaten the Yomi Yomi no Mi, Brook would be revived from death and be able to play it for Laboon.
Luffy eventually asked the undead Brook to join the Straw Hat Pirates, as a musician was a coveted role in their crew as well. Brook’s adventures with the crew allowed him to be documented in the press, confirming to Laboon that he was still alive and significantly improving the whale’s mood. Although the two have yet to properly reunite, doing so remains a dream of Brook’s.
2Sun Pirates
Fish-Men and Merfolk
The Sun Pirateswere founded by the ex-slave Fisher Tiger. Due to his reputation for freeing many slaves, a number of fish-men, including Jimbei and the Arlong Pirates, rallied around him. They were all marked with the crew’s Jolly Roger, which also served to obscure the brands formerly enslaved members received. After Tiger died due to the marines being alerted to his presence by the parents of a human slave he aided, the leadership of the group changed over to Jimbei. This caused something of a mutiny, as the Arlong Pirates and the Macro Pirates both broke off from the crew during this time.
Jimbei became a Warlord and also brokered alliances with various human pirate crews. He befriended Luffy at Impel Down and grew to greatly respect the pirate. Luffy eventually invited Jimbei to join the crew, which he accepted, but not before an extensive effort to secure his former crew’s safety. The Sun Pirates are one of the few known crews to have contained a future Straw Hat and still be active today.
1Nami’s Former Crews
A Non-Canon Crewmate
The first-everOne PieceOVA,One Piece - Defeat Him! The Pirate Ganzackpredates the Toei anime and also does not pull as directly from the source material. Nami joins the Ganzack Pirates, the main antagonists of the OVA. She eventually double-crosses the Ganzack Pirates, re-affirming her loyalty to the Straw Hat Pirates. InStrong World, she was forced to join the Golden Lion Pirates after Shiki took her crewmates hostage.
Once again, when given the opportunity to betray the crew for her former crewmates' sake, she decided it was the right call. Both of these additions to the narrative are likely done to parallel her membership in the Arlong Pirates within the proper canon, which she was forced to be loyal to due to them effectively holding her and her town hostage.
