One Piece: What will Yamato's role in the Straw Hats be?

With One Piece chapter 1051’s official release this weekend, it seems that Yamato will finally be a Straw Hat pirate, as many fans have long theorized would happen. While her joining the crew is exciting, it raises the question of what role she will assume in One Piece's main pirate group.

In other words, Chopper is the ship's doctor, Nami is the navigator, and Sanji is the cook, but Yamato's role remains unknown as of the current issues. While there are several options, one historically accurate option within the series' animated landscape appears to be the ideal fit for her.

Follow along as this article breaks down exactly what Yamato’s role in the Straw Hats will be in the future of One Piece.

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One Piece’s latest member is perfect fit for historically accurate role on pirate ships

Yamato’s role

As previously stated, the upcoming One Piece chapter 1051 appears to confirm Yamato's membership in the Straw Hats. While it's thrilling to see her join the group, she still needs a formal role, just like the rest of the Straw Hat pirates.

While there are several options for what Yamato’s role can be, one historically accurate position seems to fit her perfectly. The quartermaster of a pirate ship was traditionally responsible for a number of things, the most relevant of those in this context being record keeping.

Historically speaking, a quartermaster’s record keeping duties centered around treasure looted from other ships. The quartermaster would be the one who indexes the loot before dividing it up equitably amongst the rest of the crew as per their specified shares.

While Nami would most likely fulfil the traditional aspects of this role due to her love for money, the quartermaster role can be slightly adjusted to suit Yamato. As explained previously, this set of duties was regarded as record keeping for the quartermaster, with a conventional emphasis on loot and sharing said loot.

One Piece fans have seen a travel record keeper on a pirate ship before in the form of Kozuki Oden, a name which Yamato calls herself by. The original Oden kept track of his adventures throughout his entire lifetime, including while on Whitebeard’s and Roger’s ships, even detailing the latter crew’s journey to Raftel.

Yamato frequently refers to herself as Kozuki Oden, even introducing herself to the other Straw Hats as such, thus the connection is obvious. Yamato's perfect role would be that of an adjusted quartermaster, specifically keeping track of the Straw Hat's exploits throughout the rest of the story.

The role not only fills a void for the Straw Hat crew, but it also serves as a perfect end to her arc. Yamato has always wanted to be Kozuki Oden, and taking on this role would be the ideal way for her to truly embody the persona.

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In summation

While Yamato’s joining the crew has divided the One Piece fanbase somewhat, it’s nevertheless a momentous occasion in the series. One of the most exciting parts of reading author Eiichiro Oda’s story has been seeing what new friends and crewmates the Straw Hat pirates find along their journey.

Furthermore, every crew member up to this point has played a significant role on the ship, whether this intention was made retroactively or before they joined. It’s a safe assumption that Yamato’s joining the crew will be no different, in which case, the role of the quartermaster with a focus on record keeping is perfect for her character arc.

Follow along for more One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2022 progresses.