Yamato is a crucial character in One Piece as the Oni Princess. She first appeared in the Wano Country Arc and is one of the powerful allies of Straw Hat Pirates who possess a devil fruit.
She is the daughter of Emperor Kaido. He groomed her from a little age to be the next emperor.
However, Yamato develops a strong admiration for the Samurai, Kozuki Oden. After Oden was executed Yamato decided to name herself Oden, also adopting his mannerism and personality.
As a result, she chose to identify as a son to Kaidou, Kaido and his crew openly call her his son.
Sadly her choices put her at odds with her father, and she spent a big part of her life in prison on Onigashima.
During her stay in Wano Country, Yamato made friends with Portgas D. Ace. After learning of Ace’s passing, Yamato patiently awaited the arrival of his sworn brother, Monkey D. Luffy.
Yamato initially wanted to be a part of Luffy’s crew, but finally decided to stay on Wano, even if she still plans to join them later.
Although Yamato could have been a strong addition to the crew and all the circumstances were in her favor she made a different decision. Let’s all unravel all the reasons and factors behind Yamato’s surprising decision about joining the crew.
What is One Piece?
Eiichiro Oda is the author and designer of the Japanese manga series One Piece. Since July 1997, it has been serialized in Shueisha’s shnen manga magazine Weekly Shnen Jump, with individual chapters bundled into 105 tankbon volumes as of March 2023.
Monkey D. Luffy, a youngster whose body got the grades of rubber after mistakenly eating a Devil Fruit, is the protagonist of the novel. Luffy explores the Grand Line with his pirate crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, in chase of the late King of the Pirates Gol D. Roger’s ultimate prize, comprehended as the “One Piece,” in order to become the next King of the Pirates.
The manga inspired a media franchise since it was turned into a festival film by Production I.G and an anime series by Toei Animation, which debuted in 1999. Toei has also created 14 animated feature films, one original video animation, and thirteen television specials. Numerous companies have created merchandising and media, such as trading card games and multiple video games.
Viz Media licensed the manga series for English language release in North America and the United Kingdom, and Madman Entertainment licensed it for release in Australia. In 2004, 4Kids Entertainment licensed the anime series for an English-language release in North America, but the license was eventually dropped and bought by Funimation in 2007.
Who is Yamato?
Kaidou’s son is Yamato. Yamato, born as Kaidou’s daughter and raised to be his heir, instead developed a deep admiration for the warrior Kozuki Oden.
Yamato chose to impersonate Oden and acquire his mannerisms after his death. Yamato opted to become a man and identify as Kaidou’s son as a result of his desire to become Oden, and Kaidou and his crew also refer to him as such.
This route has brought Yamato into conflict with Kaidou, as he has spent much of his life imprisoned on Onigashima. During his voyage to Wano Kingdom, Yamato befriended Portgas D. Ace, and after learning of Ace’s death, he awaited the arrival of his sworn brother, Monkey D. Luffy.
Yamato initially desired to join Luffy’s crew, but finally chose to remain in Wano, but he still plans to join them in the future.
Throughout the Wano Country Arc, Yamato is a key ally of the Straw Hats.
She Wishes To Follow The Footsteps Of Oden
Being an emperor’s child, mainly when it’s Kaidou, life is meant to be difficult. Yamato had a bumpy life but after witnessing the legend Oden in the capital his life became worst.
Yamato’s father Kaido beat her and imprisoned her when she went to him and declared her wish to become the legendary warrior Kozuki Oden more than 20 years ago.
Kaido never let her leave Onigashima since she wanted to live a free life like Oden and explore the world.
Yamato had great respect for the samurai Kozuki Oden and emulated all of his traits, including his name, demeanor, aspirations, and gender, on the grounds that since Oden was a man, Yamato must likewise become a man.
Oden is so well-known to Yamato that she even keeps a journal about him.
She saw Oden’s execution in the Legendary Hour and wept bitterly at the samurai’s passing. Yamato acknowledges being a die-hard admirer of Kozuki Oden.
She met Ace and befriended him but sadly Ace Died in the Paramount war and Yamato still knowing was not able to help him.
She carefully awaited the day she would meet Ace’s brother, Luffy, in order to join his crew. She told Kaido outright that she would be setting sail with them after defeating the Beast Pirates.
Years later, Luffy freed Yamato from the shackles of Kaido. For the first time in her life, Yamato was free to follow her heart and could join the Straw Hat Pirates.
But she had a change of heart. Yamato chose to stay back because she wanted to explore every region of Wano, Just like her Idol Oden who also explored Wano before embarking on the sea Journey.
She Is Not Ready Yet
Yamato shouldn’t join at this time, especially considering Jimbe recently did. Yamato needs a separate side arc for her character growth.
She needs to understand what a typical pirate looks like, what the marines are actually like, and how the global government fits into all of this.
She needs to experience what it’s like to be a pirate, even if they are only brief meetings.
She has spent her entire life with a Yonko crew and is unaware of what a typical pirate is like because the people wearing straw hats are not typical pirates.
She will be prepared to transform into a straw hat once she has explored Wano and fully comprehends what it means to accompany Luffy on his quest to the end of the world!
Although she is one of the very few individuals to possess all three Hakis she still needs to experience marine life.
| Haki | Power |
| Haoshoku Haki | The user possesses the qualities of a King |
| Busoshoku Haki | The user uses their own spiritual force to surround himself with invisible armor that gives them amazing attacking and defensive skills. |
| Kenbunshoku Haki | A burst of shanks |
No specific role on board
This is yet another typical objection leveled towards Yamato. Unlike the relationships with other crew members who joined, Yamato and Luffy have quite different relationships, and her role on the crew is not at all evident.
Each Straw Hat Pirate on their ship has a unique role. Sanji as the chef, Nami as the navigator, and Jinbe as the helmsman are a few instances. Yamato, on the other hand, has no special skills.
In the One Piece series, Yamato is a very skilled warrior, but she is not particularly skilled off the battlefield.
She doesn’t have a defined position in the crew. If all she could do was fight, it would be pretty pointless.
She could always keep a journal for the Straw Hats, but at this stage in their voyage, it’s already too late. The last saga of One Piece is now underway.
To Protect Wano
Even though Luffy and the others wanted Yamato to travel with them, it was made clear in chapter 1059 of One Piece that Yamato was fixated on staying behind.
Yamato is now assisting Momonosuke in the country’s defense because she is unable to turn her back on Wano and is aware that Luffy couldn’t have fulfilling adventures while having Wano on his mind.
When Yamato explained that Ryokugyu was finally defeated by someone’s Haki, she came to the conclusion that even more formidable warriors like Kaido would take advantage of the pause to mount an attack on the country.
It is the main reason Yamato wishes to be present to protect her land as well as the reason why Luffy declared Wano to be under his protection in his first significant action as an Emperor.
Crew’s Strength
Oda has consistently stated that the Monster Trio—Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji—are the greatest fighters for the Straw Hat Pirates.
Oda made Jinbe wait to join the crew until Zoro and Sanji had passed him, even though he initially looked to be stronger than both of them.
It was evident at the Battle of Onigashima that Yamato was superior to Zoro and Sanji. Yamato was shown to be a master of advanced Conqueror’s Haki and was even capable of engaging Kaido in a protracted one-on-one duel.
Furthermore, she had even more toughness and endurance to endure through extended bouts because of her Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
Had Yamato joined the crew after Wano, he unquestionably would have been the team’s strongest member, second only to Luffy.
As a result, the dynamic of the Monster Trio would have been altered as well. Oda just had Yamato wait, as Jinbe had done in the past, to avoid that.
While it will take some time for Luffy’s Wings to exceed Yamato, her chances of teaming up with them would undoubtedly rise once they did.
Conclusion
- She holds a high position among the beast pirates, is the son of Kaido (despite being female), and possesses a Zoan devil fruit, all of which would place her toward the top of the grand fleet in terms of military prowess.
- She wanted to leave the island after 20 years because she was fed up with it. She wished to escape Origashima only to break free of her Kaido’s grip. This is already fulfilled.
- The Straw Hat has two types of members: the crew members and the allies who fight side by side but are not included as the crew on board. Yamato’s role in One Piece is as an ally.