The Straw Hat Pirates are a crew led by One Piece’s protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. Hailing from the East Blue, this crew has gone on to become one of the biggest threats to the World Government. Although much of that is owed to the incredible strength that each individual possesses, their biggest asset remains to be their teamwork.
Unlike any other crew, the Straw Hats work together flawlessly, as expected of a crew united by bonds of friendship. That’s not to say that the crew has never faced failure, however, as there have been instances when they failed to work together and, in some cases, were utterly defeated because of it.
7 When Nami Abandoned The Crew For Her Village
Nami was the second person to join Luffy’s crew after Roronoa Zoro. As the crew got involved in a fight with the Krieg Pirates while looking for a cook at Baratie, Nami used the opportunity to steal the ship and sail to Cocoyashi village. Her absence put the crew in all sorts of danger as the group had to split up, with Zoro being tasked with bringing her back and Luffy and Sanji staying behind to help the cooks against Krieg Pirates.
Had Nami never left, the fight against the Krieg Pirates would’ve been much easier. Ultimately, everyone followed her to Cocoyashi village, and after hearing her cry for help, decided to take on Arlong and his men without second thoughts.
6 When Luffy Fought Zoro At Whiskey Peak
Luffy has absolute trust in his crewmates, as seen several times in the story. In Arlong Park, Luffy refused to believe that Nami actually wanted to leave, and similarly, he chased Robin to the ends of the earth because he understood she was putting on an act.
Surprisingly, Luffy showed no trust in Zoro during the Whiskey Peak arc when the swordsman decided to attack the bounty hunters who were there to kill them in their sleep. Assuming Zoro had killed innocent people, Luffy turned on him and decided to fight him seriously. Had Nami not stepped in between the two, the fight could’ve escalated and put the whole crew in trouble.
5 When Nico Robin Left The Crew At Water Seven
After returning from their journey to Sky Island, the Straw Hat Pirates went to Water Seven to get repairs done on the Merry and to recruit a shipwright. Unbeknownst to the crew, the newest recruit, Nico Robin, was targeted by CP-9, a World Government intelligence agency. Robin immediately disappeared, leaving the crew behind in a chaotic state. Her attack on Iceberg made them a target for the wrath of the city and the entire crew was split on whether to trust Robin or not.
In a shocking turn of events, it was revealed that Robin was actually saving the crew by giving herself up to the Government, which prompted Luffy and the crew to go knocking on the doors of Enies Lobby, the judiciary stronghold of the World Government, and rescue her.
4 When Usopp Fought Against Luffy Over The Going Merry
The Merry was the Straw Hat Pirates’ first ship, gifted to them by Kaya. The ship took them on quite a lot of adventures, but sadly, due to the crew lacking a shipwright, the journey through the waters of the Grand Line left her unable to continue.
Refusing to face that reality and burdened by the fact that he was weak, Usopp decided to leave the crew and fight Luffy. In what became a heartbreaking duel, Usopp lost to Luffy and was given control of the dying ship. Although he still helped them on the way to Enies Lobby, it wasn’t until he apologized to Luffy that he was taken back on the crew.
3 The Crew’s Best Wasn’t Enough On Sabaody Archipelago
Shortly after leaving Thriller Bark, the Straw Hat Pirates planned to travel to Fishman Island and were led to Sabaody Archipelago, where they witnessed the true horrors caused by the Celestial Dragons. As expected, the Straw Hats found themselves in danger after Luffy punched one of them, leading to Admiral Kizaru’s arrival on the island, along with Sentomaru’s Pacifistas.
Although they tried their best to fight off the danger, they simply weren’t strong enough. Realizing this, the crew panicked and split up, only to get wiped out by Bartholomew Kuma one at a time.
2 When Sanji Fought Luffy In A Tragic Duel
Sanji’s past caught up with him at Zou, and this led him to leave the crew temporarily and face his family once again. After being blackmailed, Sanji realized that he was in no position to refuse their command, and when Luffy came to get him back, he decided to fight his own captain.
Luffy knew Sanji was being forced and didn’t fight back, but Sanji still hurt his captain to drive him away from Big Mom’s threat and save Zeff in the process. Shortly after, Sanji faced utter despair, and the one who stepped up to help him was none other than Luffy.
1 When Luffy Abandoned The Plan To Take Down Kaido
Luffy has never been a man to follow a well-thought-out plan, and One Piece’s Wano Country arc solidified this even further. Moments after being told about the plan to attack Kaido during the Fire Festival, Luffy decided to attack him after realizing both Tama and his crewmates had become his targets.
While the rest of the crew were busy following the Akazaya’s plan, Luffy threw caution to the wind and fought Kaido. Despite hitting him with everything in his arsenal, the Yonko took Luffy out in just a single blow of his kanabo and imprisoned him in Udon shortly afterward.
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