Trafalgar D. Water Law, commonly known as just Trafalgar Law, is a major character in the popular anime and manga series One Piece. He is the captain of the Heart Pirates and plays a pivotal role during the timeskip and Dressrosa arcs. Fans have long speculated whether Law will eventually join forces with the protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and become an official member of the Straw Hat Pirates. In this article, we will analyze Law’s character, his relationship with Luffy, and the likelihood that he joins the Straw Hats.
Who is Trafalgar Law?
Trafalgar Law is one of the most powerful pirates sailing the New World. Some key facts about him:
- His full name is Trafalgar D. Water Law
- He’s the captain of the Heart Pirates crew
- His bounty is 500 million berries
- He ate the Op-Op Fruit, a paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allows him to manipulate anything within a certain radius
- He’s a skilled swordsman and medical expert
- He formed an alliance with Luffy during the Punk Hazard arc to take down Kaido
Law had a tragic childhood, with his family and friends killed by the Amber Lead Syndrome. He escaped death by hiding in a pile of corpses before eventually joining the Donquixote Pirates. After leaving them and starting his own crew, Law earned the title of Shichibukai before forming an alliance with Luffy.
Law’s Relationship with Luffy
Although starting as rivals, Law and Luffy developed a respect for each other during their alliance against Doflamingo. Some key events in their relationship include:
- They joined forces to defeat Caesar Clown at Punk Hazard
- Law helped save Luffy’s life after the battle at Marineford
- Law protected Luffy multiple times during Dressrosa arc
- Luffy declared they were still allied after defeating Doflamingo
- Law was ready to sacrifice himself to help the Straw Hats escape Big Mom
Despite their clashing personalities, Luffy and Law have developed a strong bond of trust and friendship. Luffy respects Law’s strength and intelligence while Law is amazed by Luffy’s ability to turn enemies into allies. They make an excellent battle combo with Law’s tactical mind and Luffy’s raw power.
Evidence That Law Could Join the Straw Hats
There are several hints that Trafalgar Law may eventually become an official member of the Straw Hat Pirates:
- Law has no clear goal after defeating Kaido. Joining Luffy could give him purpose.
- Law’s “D” name hints at a shared destiny with Luffy
- Law risked his life multiple times to protect and help Luffy
- Luffy declared they were still in an alliance after Dressrosa
- Law gets along well with Straw Hats like Chopper and Nami
- As a doctor, Law fills an important role not yet on crew
Law is strong, smart, and has excellent chemistry with Luffy. With his knowledge and tactical mind, he would make the Straw Hats much stronger.
Evidence Against Law Joining
However, there are also several reasons why Law may not join the Straw Hats permanently:
- Law is an independent captain with his own crew
- His somber personality clashes with the Straw Hats
- Law never vowed to help Luffy become Pirate King
- Law may have undiscovered goals after defeating Kaido
- Having his own crew makes Law less likely to join Luffy
- Law is powerful enough to operate on his own
Law is a lone wolf who may still have his own agendas and dreams to fulfill. He values his independence and may not want to officially join another pirate crew.
Conclusion
In summary, while Trafalgar Law is a trusted ally and friend to Luffy, he is less likely to actually join the Straw Hats permanently due to his independent nature. Law filling the doctor role and similarities with Luffy do suggest the possibility. However, Law already being a captain with his own responsibilities and contrasting personality with the Straw Hats outweigh the factors for him joining.
For now, Law will likely keep occasionally joining forces with Luffy when it aligns with his goals or helping as an ally when needed. But Trafalgar Law officially becoming a Straw Hat member seems improbable given his lone wolf characterization. Oda keeping Law’s future goals a mystery also purposely leaves the door open for Law to walk his own path. In the end, only Oda knows if Law will ever officially join the Straw Hats but the evidence suggests he will keep being a powerful independent ally.