The Straw Hat pirates, like other crews, have a form of hierarchy in One Piece.

The Straw Hat Pirates are an incredibly powerful pirate crew that are currently considered to be among the Four Emperors. Fans know this pirate crew to be at the center of the story, given that the protagonist of the series, Luffy, and all the other main characters, are a part of this crew. While all the members of this crew are incredibly powerful, not everyone is as dependable in the face of danger.

There are only a select few members of this crew who have shown leadership qualities and have led the crew on many occasions. As such, the command hierarchy of the Straw Hat Pirates, which is heavily debated among the fans, is certainly shared by the very best.

The Leader Of The Crew, Luffy

Of course, when speaking of the leaders of the Straw Hat Crew, Luffy, the captain of the crew, stands at the very top. Luffy is the person who created the Straw Hat Pirates. He set out on his journey to becoming the Pirate King from the East Blue and he acquired the core of his crew in this sea. Luffy created the Straw Hat Pirates and rose to infamy quickly. By the time he entered the Grand Line, he was already an established rookie and, after defeating Crocodile, he put his name on the map even more.

Luffy reached Sabaody quite quickly, however, from there onwards, he faced many challenges that he overcame following the events of the two-year timeskip. Following Luffy’s return, he has matured into an incredible pirate, strong enough to take on the strongest members of the Warlords and, at the same time, even fight against the Yonko. Luffy is tremendously powerful and that is evident from the fact that he carries the status of one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. However, strength doesn’t necessarily mean that a person is a great leader.

That said, when it comes to leadership skills, Luffy is absolutely incredible. He is quite an easygoing person and, to the average eye, he might not even look like the captain, however, Luffy is someone who lets his group be themselves and genuinely loves them for who they are. He understands them better than anyone else, and trusts them with his life. At the same time, the crew trust him with their lives as well and this special relationship is at the heart of his bond with every single member of this group, which is what has made him earn their respect. Luffy is a phenomenal leader and that goes without saying. It is because of this amazing leadership quality of his that he’s one of the Four Emperors of the Sea right now.

The Second In Command, Zoro

When it comes to the leaders of the Straw Hat Crew, fans must remember that this pirate crew does not officially have any leaders after Luffy. The Straw Hat Pirates do not have a First Mate, unlike many other crew. In fact, Oda has made it so that every member of the Straw Hat Crew possesses great skills in different aspects. As such, in one scenario, a particular member of the crew could take charge, while in others, someone else would do the same. That said, many in the world of One Piece believe Zoro to be the second and command of the Straw Hat Pirates. In the absence of Luffy, Zoro would traditionally be the one taking charge and that is why he is the closest to a Vice Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Zoro is incredibly powerful, as is evident from his 1.11 billion berry bounty. However, that’s certainly not all. Zorro is also very dependable in the face of danger. He is absolutely resolute when push comes to shove and he can shield all those who stand behind him with his tremendous might. Zoro can be smart, and, above all, he will never be intimidated by anyone.

As for leadership skills, Zoro certainly knows how to command respect and at the same time, he knows how to go up against the strongest of dangers as well. Zorro isn’t scared to face the might of the strongest and test his skills against them. It is because of this quality that he has access to powers such as Conqueror’s Haki. Furthermore, Zoro aims to be the best swordsman in the world and for someone to take this position, having leadership skills is absolutely necessary.

The Third In Command, Sanji

Following Zoro, the third in command of the Straw Hat Pirates is the cook of the crew, Sanji. While many believe other members of the crew, such as Nami or Jinbe, to be the third in command, Oda has, on several occasions, confirmed to Sanji to be above them in terms of hierarchy for command. For instance, when Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates split up in Dressrosa, Sanji was assigned as the leader of the crew. In fact, Oda officially named the crew the Twirly Hat Pirates, which clearly implied that Sanji was the one in charge. He led the attack against Big Mom, and led the crew all the way to Zou, which was nothing short of impressive. He saved the lives of the Straw Hat Pirates when Bege attacked. He was a true leader there, and, later down the line, in Whole Cake Island as well, while Luffy was fighting against Katakuri. His command was shown to supersede both Nami and Jinbe.

When it comes to leadership skills, Sanji isn’t lacking in anything. Sanji is one of the smartest people in One Piece and he knows how to face dangers smartly. While others might make use of their brawn instead of their brain, Sanji is a combination of both, and, as such, one of the very best leaders that the crew has to offer. At the same time, he’s always ready to risk his life to protect everyone that stands behind him. Without a doubt, Sanji is an incredible leader and one that the Straw Hat Pirates can always rely on.

After Sanji, there are other members of the crew who would ideally take the leadership spot. These characters would be the likes of Nami and, of course, Jinbe. Nami is one character that would ideally take the spot after Sanji, given that she is one of the core members of the Straw Hat crew and that is also very smart, especially when it comes to organizing. Jinbe, on the other hand, is a mixture of everything. He is smart, calculating, and, above all, calm. He is also very strong and a dependable person. Overall, the members of the Straw Hat Pirates are incredibly dependable and can lead in any situation. This is specifically why Oda has never assigned an official Vice Captain for the crew, as all of them are leaders in their own right.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1105, is set to be January 28, 2024.