To be fair, initially I wasn’t over the moon about Jinbei either. I felt what you did, and also I felt that he was kinda.. too “proper” and “grown-up” compared to the rest of them. I was really “ :/// “ when Luffy asked him to join at Fishman Island at first, where we still only knew their pre-ts selves. Then around Punk Hazard I had a 5-year break and cought up and rewatched some of it a few weeks ago, and now I’m 100% ride or die with Jinbei.
For one, it’ was the Marineford-Impel Down rewatch. At first he might seem someone like Ivankov, who just helps out Luffy bc he’s nice, but they have a really personal connection and respect for each other going on there already compared to the others there. Like the moment Luffy looks at him and says he’d be a great help, without knowing anything about him? That, in retrospect, mirrors every other moment when he looked at a future crewmember and decided he wanted them. But it kinda gets lots in the chaos.
Also, Jinbei HELPS HIM SO MUCH. GOD. If not for him, he’d have died a hundred times, like he pulled him off Teach, stole the warship, got him out of the water, and still protected him when he could only crawl after getting hit by Akainu’s magma. Like sure, at that point of the war even Buggy wouldn’t even hand him over to Law at first, but unlike the WB pirates it wasn’t just for Ace, it was for him, personally. Like how he even said that unless he earned his respect, he wouldn’t protect him even though Ace’d asked.
I also really like the moment between them on the warship to Marineford, when they just talk, that’s worth a rewatch too. Their connection feels a lot more personal compared to the others there already. It’s also no accident that he was the one who pulled him off Teach, and was already the voice of reason there.
And of course that famous scene where he talks to him on Amazon Lily when Luffy’s grieving, the “I still have my crew!” moment, which is absolutely heartbreaking. And he shares it with Jinbei, who might have known him only for days, but still knew what to say in a crucial moment like this. It says a lot about them. And I really like how Luffy didn’t ask him there already, and waited.
But also this is why I for a long time felt like that Jinbei was a much “adultier” adult than them, because he has just so much common sense, not like Brook or Franky, who might be a lot older, but are still crazy. He’s been a captain and a Shichibukai for years, grew up on one of the most politically sensitive islands in the whole world, so for him making sensible decisions and keeping balance is just instinct at this point. And I felt like the Strawhats didn’t neccerasily need this mentality, or more like, they weren’t ready for it. So I like it a lot that he didn’t joined yet at Fishman Island. That’d have felt rushed for me.
But in the New World Luffy and co proved how much they’ve matured in strenght and minds too. Luffy’d claimed Fishman Island, they are willing to make alliances, even with people they don’t like (Bege), make long-term plans, like basically all the NW arcs are part of the Kaido plot, etc. They are really aiming for the top now. So by the time they get to WCI one doesn’t feel like Jinbei would “overwhelm” the captain with his experiences and presence at all. He feels like a necessary addition, like a navigator, but on the political landscape. Helps them a shitload too, again.
And also, there’s a few very important moments for him there. First, okay, that’s just for me, but damn, if this shit don’t sreams “Strawhat material” then idk what is:
“just took care of it” Jinbei plsssss.
He might have a more quiet, “dad” humour to him, but this guy’s crazy too. Hell, if you think about it, he got to Impel Down because he said “fuck the government” when they asked him to fight, insead of doing waht Hancock did, going then working against them asdfghjk,
The second one, of course, is the Big Mom-joining scene. Like damn, no Strawhat made joining that dramatic™, and we’ve had Nami robbing the whole village and Brook introducing himself with the half-kneel and everything. “What is a mere Yonko to a person who wants to be in the future Pirate King’s crew.” Talk about big dick energy.
And the third one, it isn’t even really about Jinbei, but how Luffy relates to him. Which, to be honest, would have alone convined me, even if not all of the above. I think this scene was ment just as much for the audiance as for them:
like… I could count on one hand how many tims Luffy’s pulled the “captain card”. And he said it directly even less. And him, saying this now, in this way? Just wow. One of the most powerful moments of this arc, and it definitely wasn’t a boring one.
And also, the way Luffy’s framed against Jinbei on the last one, the blanket on him looking like a cape, very captain-like, is visually so powerful that I was 100% convinced that he said that ‘I’m your captain now” line on that one. Especially powerful given how he was shivering injured on the ground just before this scene(it’s ch 901), even put this in my panel analysis series for this reason.
Like, Luffy is kind of the reader’s captain too, in the sense that whatever he says happens. We can’t avoid it. His word is justice. if he wants to go to an island the beat a guy up, that’s what’ll happen.
And he says it very directly, even comapred to himself, to our face, that he is Jinbei’s captain now, and fuck everyone. And who am I to say no to that? I know this is a Watsonian reason instead of a Doylist like the others, but I think we can’t leave this one out, especially given Oda’s writing intent. And given how some of the others relucantly joined too, and they still didn’t get a confirmaton as strong as this one.
And it also confirmes how much Luffy’s grown, that his not just a kid anymore. He can make ex-Shichinukais cower with words alone now. This also helps to “relate” them to each other in the captain-underling way more.
As far as character designs go, I really like his, more than some of the Strawhats’ current one. Warm soft fishdad. I really like how soft-looking he is, like a sumo wrestler, compared to all the ripped guys on the crew.
tldr. honestly, I recommend everyone who’s not sure about Jinbei an Impel Down-Marineford rewatch, focusing on him. It’s really changed my opinion, there’re a lot of details with their relationship that gets lost in the feverdream of the first watch.
concept: I’m rich enough to buy art from freelance artists, commission artists to draw my ocs and i can frame them and put them up on my wall.
concept: all the art is done in the style of fancy portraiture and all the frames are gilt. when guests come to my manor i introduce them to my OCs as if my OCs were actual members of my family.
‘did you say he was a starship captain?’ my guests may enquire timorously.
‘yes,’ i will say, sipping my cognac. ‘a very gay one.’
chococum 