The Straw Hat Pirates are led by the protagonist of One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy, and currently stand as one of the Emperors' crews of the seas. Right now, Luffy has nine powerful members under him, with the last being Jinbe, who officially joined the crew in One Piece Chapter 974. Since then, the Straw Hat Pirates have had no additions, but it is only a matter of time before another individual ends up joining to finally complete the crew.
To that end, Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, is lining up a God as an addition to the ranks of the Straw Hat Pirates, and this God is one that is currently active in the Elbaf arc. As many fans would have guessed already, the most likely addition to the ranks of the Straw Hats is the God formerly named Gunko, and currently known as Princess Shuri of Esperia.
Princess Shuri was originally known as Gunko and made her debut in One Piece chapter 1134, which was officially released on December 23, 2024, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Double Issue #4-5. Back then, Gunko appeared as a villain in the story, and her actions that saw her deal damage to two Giant guards within Aurust Castle, followed by her pummeling of Loki in the Underworld, certainly made her seem like a major villain in the Elbaf arc. However, it wasn't long until we figured out that Gunko was actually being controlled by none other than Nerona Imu and was fully brainwashed.
In the climax of the Elbaf arc, specifically One Piece chapter 1183, which was officially released on May 25, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 26, Eiichiro Oda expanded upon Gunko's past. It was revealed to us that she was originally Princess Shuri of Esperia Kingdom. Due to being born to a Celestial Dragon named Manmayer Gurau and holding the ability of bipolar irises, Shuri was taken to the Holy Land of Marijoa and kept there ever since. Due to becoming a Celestial Dragon, Shuri ascended to godhood and was recognized as a God all over the world of One Piece. Now, this very god is joining the Straw Hat Pirates, following the events of the Elbaf arc, according to Eiichiro Oda's setup.
"If that wasn't a hallucination and the Princess was actually a victim back then, then can I please ask your support in putting my faith in Princess Shuri once again? Would you give me your strength to save the Princess?" — Brook and Straw Hats head to save Shuri, One Piece Chapter #1186
In One Piece chapter 1186, Brook confirmed to us that he wanted to rescue Princess Shuri from the clutches of Nerona Imu. Almost every arc of One Piece has a major princess for the Straw Hats to save, and in this arc, that role goes to none other than Shuri of Esperia. Her connection to Brook further highlights her importance to the arc, and once she is saved, she will have nowhere left to go because Esperia has been completely destroyed. Furthermore, in One Piece chapter 1185, Shuri mentioned that she wanted to sail the seas with Brook, setting her up as the best addition to the Straw Hat Pirates, be it permanent or temporary. To that end, the Straw Hats are getting a God of their own on their crew, and that is something that we absolutely cannot wait to see.
Shuri: Didn't you want to become a Pirate,
Brook: I'm happy to put my dreams on hold while I repay my debts to his majesty.
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