One Piece’s Wano arc disappointed fans of certain characters who seemed poised to join Luffy’s crew, but the anime finally gave one a proper goodbye.
The One Piece manga failed to give a strong Straw Hat candidate a satisfying send-off at the end of the Wano arc, but luckily the anime fixed that. Kaido and Big Mom’s defeat at the end of Wano marked the conclusion of the Four Emperors Saga that had been building up for years. During that time, Luffy became an Emperor of the Sea and gained many powerful allies, some of whom fans believed would become permanent members of Luffy’s Straw Hat crew.
Despite several strong and cool characters spending time helping the Straw Hats, Jinbe was the only character to permanently join the crew during Wano. Kin’emon and Momonosuke had been traveling with Luffy since the Punk Hazard arc, and episode #1085 featured a tear-filled goodbye with the samurai. Still, it was episode #1084’s added scene with Carrot that gave one of the best Straw Hat candidates the send-off she deserved.
Eiichiro Oda’s manga devoted little attention to Carrot’s departure from the Straw Hats. In chapter #1056, she was bestowed the title of the new King of the Mink tribe’s home of Mokomo Dukedom by its previous rulers, Dogstorm and Cat Viper. However, that was the last the manga showed of Carrot, not including a moment for her to say goodbye to Luffy and the crew she grew so much with.
Carrot Deserved A Better Send-Off In One Piece
Carrot proved vital in the Straw Hat’s escape from Whole Cake island and during the Wano arc’s Raid of Onigashima. While the Mink warrior’s agility, strength, and lighting powers make her a fearsome opponent, her Sulong transformation pushes her to a whole other level, despite the limitations to it. She first debuted the form by looking at a full moon while she and the Straw Hats attempted to flee Big Mom’s monstrous fleet. With the Sulong form’s effects magnifying her already impressive abilities, Carrot was able to disable dozens of pirate ships and defeat countless Big Mom pirates within seconds.
Carrot proved herself in combat in several instances since stowing away on the Thousand Sunny. However, her charming personality and naivety made her a refreshing character on the Straw Hat’s adventures, reflected in how quickly she raised the ranks of fan popularity polls. The franchise’s seventh poll voted Carrot the 8th most popular One Piece character. Her adventures at sea helped her grow into someone the previous leaders of the Mink tribe deemed fit to rule the Kingdom. Although she still has some maturing to do, she is set up to be an effective ruler with the help of her more experienced Mink companions like Wanda and the Musketeer Squad.
Carrot Is The Ruler Of The Mink Tribe, But She Is Not A Straw Hat Pirate
The end of One Piece‘s Wano arc held many surprises for fans. Audiences were shocked by Kaido and Big Mom’s defeats, the reveal of the ancient weapon Pluton, and the rejection of the idea that characters like Momonosuke, Yamato, or Carrot would be traveling with Luffy’s crew after Wano was liberated. Disappointment that Straw Hat candidates like Carrot would not continue to be featured regularly in the series speaks volumes about how beloved they are amongst Oda’s fanbase. Since the manga did not provide a proper goodbye for Carrot and the Straw Hat crew, it is likely that One Piece fans have not seen the last of the Mink tribe and their adorable but fierce leader, Carrot.
Watch the One Piece anime on Crunchyroll.
