Before Luffy founded the Straw Hat Pirates he was determined to join the Red Hair Pirates. What would have happened to One Piece?
One Piece follows the adventures and founding of the Straw Hat Pirates led by Emperor Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy wanted to become a pirate since he was young. As the Red Hair Pirates establish Cocoyashi Village as their headquarters, Luffy bonds with Shanks. Luffy is so impressed by the pirates that he repeatedly requests to join them. Shanks doesn’t like taking children on dangerous journeys. However, that doesn’t stop Luffy from pestering him. But, if Shanks would allow Luffy to join his crew, the world of One Piece would be very different.
Red Hair Pirates is one the most notorious pirate groups in One Piece. It is, after all, the pirate crew of one of the Four Emperors. The Red Hair Pirates were already well-known in Grand Line and New World when Luffy met Shanks. Their voyage would be undoubtedly different from the one taken by the Straw Hat Pirates if Luffy were to join them on their adventures. This would also alter One Piece as viewers know it. Assuming Luffy stayed with the Red Hair Pirates until the end.
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The Straw Hat Pirates’ Fates Are Most Miserable
Luffy is more than just the Straw Hat Pirates leader. Luffy starts his pirate adventures with no crewmates. only recruits his companions along his journey. However, his recruitment is more complicated than simply posting an advertisement. His recruitment is not as simple as posting a public advertisement. He gets up close to his crewmates and has a huge impact on their lives. Luffy’s recruitment process usually follows a specific sequence. He extends an invite, helps the new character, and then he re-extends the crew invitation. However, he may skip the first step altogether and go straight to saving. If Luffy had joined the Red Hair Pirates in his early years, the rest of the Straw Hats might have ended up with unhappy endings.
This is true for most Straw Hats. Nami wouldn’t have been able to come with Luffy if Nami hadn’t. Her entire village would have faced the Arlong Pirates and would have died. Similar to Captain Kuro’s clever ploy, it would have been possible without Luffy and his co. Brook would have been drifting endlessly in the waters of the Florian Triangle, and the Baratie would most likely have died as Don Krieg’s ship. There’s a chance Zoro would have fallen from Helmeppo and Jimbei would still be at Impel Down. Robin and Franky would have probably been the only crew members to enjoy relatively happy fates. Crocodile would probably keep Robin able to decipher other Poneglyphs while Franky would remain a ruffian in Water 7, assuming that the World Government did not track him down.
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Major Forces on the Seas Would Largely Remain the SAME
It is an understatement to say that the Straw Hat Pirates have caused chaos in the One Piece world. They are responsible for many shifts in the power balance of the major forces ruling the seas. Luffy and his gang have been taking out Warlords since the beginning of the series. Crocodile, his Baroque Works, and Crocodile are the first victims of the Straw Hats’ meddling. Luffy and his comrades then take down Gecko Moraia and Donquixote Dflamingo. They don’t stop at the Warlords. The Straw Hats take down Emperors as they sail into New World. They not only escape Big Mom’s Whole Cake Island but also take Kaido down in Wano Country.
None of this would have been possible if Luffy had not joined the Red Hair Pirates at the beginning of the story. The Warlords wouldn’t have a longer reign without the intervention of the Straw Hat Pirates. Crocodile and Moria would continue to do their bidding and, even if the World Government decides to abolish the system, they will still be able to defend themselves. Although Blackbeard’s rise as an Emperor is unavoidable, Kaido (and Big Mom) would still be fighting for the title of Pirate King if it wasn’t for Luffy. Law and Kid are unlikely to beat the Emperors. They would be either killed or taken under Big Mom’s or Kaido’s orders, just like the rest of the Worst Generation.
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Shanks would be the most likely candidate to become the Pirate King
Luffy usually level-ups during fights or when he is saving his comrades. After many life-and-death battles, he can attain his current level. He wouldn’t have the same experience in battles with the Red Hair Pirates if he joined them early. But that doesn’t mean Luffy is any less powerful. He would have been able to learn from Shanks if he joined the Red Hair Pirates as a young man.
The fact that Luffy is a Red Hair Pirate would not change the fact the Devil Fruit Luffy has, Model: Nika, means it’s only a matter of time before Luffy will awaken its powers. His Awakening could have occurred earlier than the current timeline, however, as Luffy would have joined Red Hair Pirates when he was a child. Shanks would be the most likely candidate to be the Pirate King if he had another Emperor-level pirate working for him. They could only be stopped by alliances between the Emperors and the entire Marine force.
Luffy, being a member of the Red Hair Pirates would also be in a strong position for making valuable alliances. Shanks would already have accepted Luffy as a member of his pirate crew, so he would likely keep doing so, even though it’s only to have Luffy around. Luffy could form and lead his brigade under the Red Hair Pirates’ Jolly Roger, much like Ace was the Whitebeard Pirates’ second-division commander.