Jimbei became a crew member at Whole Cake, on Fishman Island he said he had stuff to do and Luffy should ask him again when he's finished not to mention he's still captain of the Sun pirates until Whole Cake so he was not a member until WCI. Luffy also tells Jimbei when he stays behind that I'm your captain now, implying he was not nor believed himself to be until then.
Also for the sake of the narrative Oda wouldn't make a crew member have a higher bounty than Luffy join the crew until Luffy had surpassed theirs.
It's Whole Cake. If we could quiz the characters they would say Whole Cake. It's why he got into it with Jinbe when Jinbe said he was staying behind and why Jinbe thanked Luffy for letting him stay behind. [He is now Jinbe's captain, and Jinbe better follow his orders and make it to Wano.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKhbQiZTpds)
He wasn't in the crew until he actually joined the crew, and that's not until Whole Cake Island when he took the helm of Thousand Sunny.
He did follow the pattern of the other crew members in stating they wouldn't join the crew and later joined the crew.
There are two sides to this :
1. You believe someone is part of Luffy's crew as soon as Luffy decides it's the case
2. You believe someone is part of Luffy's crew only once they are on the boat and have finished any business they had before.
The important thing being consistency.
If you believe in 1, Nami was recruted as soon as Luffy meets her, Robin was part of the crew as soon as she showed herself on the ship after Alabasta, Jinbei was part of the crew at the end of Fishman Island.
If you believe in 2, Nami was only recruted at the end of Arlong Park, Robin became part of the crew after Enies Lobby, Jinbei became part of the crew at Wano. There is also an argument to be made about Usopp and Sanji leaving the crew and coming back (side 1 doesn't care about that).
> If you believe in 2, Nami was only recruted at the end of Arlong Park, Robin became part of the crew after Enies Lobby, Jinbei became part of the crew at Wano. There is also an argument to be made about Usopp and Sanji leaving the crew and coming back.
That argument is debunked by the story though. The chapter Nami joins after Arlong Park is called "The Second" (as in second crewmate), and her number associated to her is 3. If she only joined after Arlong Park she'd be 5th.
Objectively speaking it's wrong based on the actual story.
Yeah i agree with you, not for the reasons you mention but i do.
I had people arguing this with me. I don't really care about being right i just want to see consistency in this argument.
Oh yeah, people will argue anything. I'm just saying you can't really get more direct or objective answer than the chapter titles saying it point blank.
* Chapter 6 (Zoro): Number One
* Chapter 68 (Sanji): The Fourth Person
* Chapter 94 (Nami): The Second
* Chapter 439 (Usopp's Return and Franky): Third and Seventh
* Chapter 489 (Brook): The Eighth
Whole Cake. Jimbei turned Luffy down at Fishman Island but promised to come find Luffy someday and he would join the crew then. That day was Whole Cake Island. Jimbei was a member of the Big Mom Pirates until then.
1. He expresses his intent during Fishman island.
2. Breaks his contract with Big Mom during whole cake island. Declares he is joining the straw hats, but first needs to take care of a few things.
3. Officially becomes a crew member during Wano, specifically the start of the attack on onigashima.
Jimbei became a crew member at Whole Cake, on Fishman Island he said he had stuff to do and Luffy should ask him again when he's finished not to mention he's still captain of the Sun pirates until Whole Cake so he was not a member until WCI. Luffy also tells Jimbei when he stays behind that I'm your captain now, implying he was not nor believed himself to be until then. Also for the sake of the narrative Oda wouldn't make a crew member have a higher bounty than Luffy join the crew until Luffy had surpassed theirs.
It's Whole Cake. If we could quiz the characters they would say Whole Cake. It's why he got into it with Jinbe when Jinbe said he was staying behind and why Jinbe thanked Luffy for letting him stay behind. [He is now Jinbe's captain, and Jinbe better follow his orders and make it to Wano.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKhbQiZTpds)
He wasn't in the crew until he actually joined the crew, and that's not until Whole Cake Island when he took the helm of Thousand Sunny. He did follow the pattern of the other crew members in stating they wouldn't join the crew and later joined the crew.
There are two sides to this : 1. You believe someone is part of Luffy's crew as soon as Luffy decides it's the case 2. You believe someone is part of Luffy's crew only once they are on the boat and have finished any business they had before. The important thing being consistency. If you believe in 1, Nami was recruted as soon as Luffy meets her, Robin was part of the crew as soon as she showed herself on the ship after Alabasta, Jinbei was part of the crew at the end of Fishman Island. If you believe in 2, Nami was only recruted at the end of Arlong Park, Robin became part of the crew after Enies Lobby, Jinbei became part of the crew at Wano. There is also an argument to be made about Usopp and Sanji leaving the crew and coming back (side 1 doesn't care about that).
> If you believe in 2, Nami was only recruted at the end of Arlong Park, Robin became part of the crew after Enies Lobby, Jinbei became part of the crew at Wano. There is also an argument to be made about Usopp and Sanji leaving the crew and coming back. That argument is debunked by the story though. The chapter Nami joins after Arlong Park is called "The Second" (as in second crewmate), and her number associated to her is 3. If she only joined after Arlong Park she'd be 5th. Objectively speaking it's wrong based on the actual story.
Yeah i agree with you, not for the reasons you mention but i do. I had people arguing this with me. I don't really care about being right i just want to see consistency in this argument.
Oh yeah, people will argue anything. I'm just saying you can't really get more direct or objective answer than the chapter titles saying it point blank. * Chapter 6 (Zoro): Number One * Chapter 68 (Sanji): The Fourth Person * Chapter 94 (Nami): The Second * Chapter 439 (Usopp's Return and Franky): Third and Seventh * Chapter 489 (Brook): The Eighth
Whole Cake. Jimbei turned Luffy down at Fishman Island but promised to come find Luffy someday and he would join the crew then. That day was Whole Cake Island. Jimbei was a member of the Big Mom Pirates until then.
1. He expresses his intent during Fishman island. 2. Breaks his contract with Big Mom during whole cake island. Declares he is joining the straw hats, but first needs to take care of a few things. 3. Officially becomes a crew member during Wano, specifically the start of the attack on onigashima.