Straw Hat Pirates

Lore & Background

The Straw Hats are the protagonists of One Piece, and the crew explores the East Blue and Grand Line in pursuit of their dreams including their search for the mythical treasure called the One Piece. During their adventures, the Straw Hats encounter several friends and foes, including other pirates, bounty hunters, revolutionaries, members of organized crime, as well as all three types of great powers in One Piece: the World Government's Marines and allied privateer Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the strongest pirates known as the Four Emperors of the Sea. A boy in the East Blue named Monkey D. Luffy seeks the One Piece and recruits new crew members while gaining a ship and entering the Grand Line. Leading pirates are in a race to find Laugh Tale, the hidden final island at the end of the Grand Line where the One Piece is said to be. The Straw Hats travel with Princess Nefertari Vivi of the Kingdom of Alabasta to save the island from a coup d'état by the Warlord Sir Crocodile, who seeks control over one of the Three Ancient Weapons said to be able to destroy the world. The Straw Hats become infamous worldwide after they escape from a World Government armada known as the Buster Call in the Enies Lobby Incident. Luffy and Zoro are labelled by the press as part of the Worst Generation of pirates as they reach the end of Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line. Two years after the Straw Hats' journey began, they travel underwater together to Fish-Man Island to reach the New World, the second half of the Grand Line. After the Straw Hats save the country of Dressrosa from massacre by Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo, 5,640 pirates from crews captained by Cavendish, Bartolomeo, Sai, Ideo, Leo, Hajrudin, and Orlumbus swear allegiance to Luffy. The seven crews of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet are the Beautiful Pirates, Barto Club, Happosui Army, Ideo Pirates, Tontatta Pirates, New Giant Warrior Pirates, and the Yontamaria Fleet. The fleet pledges to defend each other when needed, and separates. The Straw Hats then form the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance to defeat Emperors Big Mom and Kaido in the Wano Country. Afterwards they are recognized worldwide as a great power led by Emperor of the Sea Luffy and his nine Senior Officers. The territories of Fish-Man Island and Wano swear allegiance to Luffy in exchange for protection. The new Emperor crew then sails from Wano to Egghead, where they escape another, larger Buster Call. The Straw Hats reunite with Hajrudin and the New Giant Warrior Pirates after landing on Elbaph, island of giants, where they are faced with renewed war from the World Government.

In Their Own Story

The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the Grand Line in hues of violet and burnt orange as the Thousand Sunny cut through the gentle waves. Luffy sat at the bow, his straw hat casting a shadow over his grin, while the rest of the crew enjoyed their evening meal on the deck. There was no grand battle looming this night, only the quiet hum of the wind and the laughter of friends who had come from every corner of the world to sail together. In that moment, the weight of the World Government's pursuit felt light; all that mattered was the open sea ahead and the promise of tomorrow.

Reader's Guide

The Straw Hat Pirates are a pirate crew operating primarily in the Grand Line and New World, driven by the captain's ambition to find One Piece. Their composition is unique, consisting of specialists from diverse backgrounds including swordsmen, navigators, chefs, archaeologists, doctors, shipwrights, musicians, and snipers, each fulfilling a critical role while pursuing their own dreams. The crew's primary goal remains the discovery of the final island, Laugh Tale, which requires navigating the treacherous waters of the Grand Line and overcoming the Four Emperors who control the New World. Their methods often involve direct confrontation with corrupt authorities, leading to massive bounties and widespread notoriety. In the broader conflict against the World Government, the Straw Hats have become a pivotal force for change, inadvertently sparking revolutions and toppling tyrannical regimes. They represent the antithesis of the established order, championing freedom and individual will over rigid control and historical suppression.

Did You Know?

• The Straw Hats initially sail the seas aboard the caravel Going Merry before Franky builds a brigantine-rigged sloop-of-war called the Thousand Sunny that is the crew's current ship.
• Luffy and Zoro are labelled by the press as part of the Worst Generation of pirates as they reach the end of Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line.
• After the Straw Hats save Dressrosa from massacre by Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo, 5,640 pirates from crews captained by Cavendish, Bartolomeo, Sai, Ideo, Leo, Hajrudin, and Orlumbus swear allegiance to Luffy.
• The Straw Hats form the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance to defeat Emperors Big Mom and Kaido in the Wano Country.
• Eiichiro Oda first created the Straw Hats in his prototype one-shot, 'Romance Dawn', then refined the artistic style and story elements before publishing the final product a year later as the first chapter of One Piece.