Summary
The Straw Hat Pirates are the heart & soul of theclassic pirate anime,One Piece.Each one of Monkey D. Luffy’s crew members is as iconic as they are likable, with their Navigator,“Cat Burglar”Namibeingone of the most popular charactersin the entire show.
But authorEiichiro Odaalso knows how to write flawed characters who often make bad decisions that affect them negatively, and Nami is no exception. Growing up in a world as ruthless as this one, she has made some decisions she later came to regret. Whether they were big or small, her loyal friends were always by her side in order to help her out.
7Leaving The Crew
Nami Abandons the Straw Hats to Go Save Cocoyasi Village
During theinitial East Blue Saga, Nami begrudgingly befriended Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp as they were slowly forming the Straw Hat Pirates. Even though she had her reservations about pirates, she was initially only doing it in order to earn money. She finally let her guard down and eventually found herself among a loyal group of friends.
This is exactly why her decision to leave the crew during theBaratie Arcwas definitely one of her worst. While viewers may understand that she still needed to save Cocoyasi Village from theArlong Pirates, stealing the Going Merry without asking her new friends for help was a reckless move, and Nami is fortunate that Luffy decided to go after her despite this “betrayal”.
6Not Testing The Clima-Tact
Nami may not be much of a fighter, but she does know how to defend herself with both her Bō staff and her knowledge of the weather. That’s exactly why Usopp made her a weapon that could take advantage of both skills, theClima-Tact.
But not testing out her brand-new weapon before getting into an actual life-or-death situation was a terrible idea. When Namifought againstMiss Doublefingerin Arabasta, she had no idea exactly how her Clima-Tact worked, so she had to rely on sheer luck and even ended up damaging herself with it. Luckily, she came out victorious because of her knowledge and quick thinking.
5Telling Luffy To Fight Bellamy
In theJaya Arc, Luffy, Zoro & Nami meetBellamy, the Hyena.The pirate immediately makes fun of their dreamto reach the Sky Islands, and even wants to get into a fight with Luffy and Zoro. Understandably angry, Nami tells them to fight back, which her captain refuses to do and takes a beating instead.
This is an obvious parallel to the situation between Shanks and Higuma in Chapter 1 ofOne Piece. Luffy learned at a young age that it isn’t worth fighting people who make fun of him, as long as they don’t harm innocents. It was Nami’s turn to learn the very same lesson, which led to her trust her captain even more.
4The “Weakling Trio”
Nami Has Lost Faith in Her Abilities
As previously stated, Nami is quite strong and level-headed and proved to be one of the most fearless members of the Straw Hats at the beginning of the series. However, as the Straw Hat Pirates entered the Grand Line and, eventually, the New World, they faced even bigger and scarier opponents, which made Nami doubt herself.
To make things even worse, Nami began to group herself with the other “weak” members of the crew,Usopp&Chopper. Together they formed the self-titled“Weakling Trio”, and the three of them can usually be seen screaming in fear and escaping from strong opponents in most arcs. This has affected her character negatively since longtime fans know she has the potential to be stronger and braver.
3Letting Luffy Decide Where To Go
She’s Supposed To Be The Straw Hats' Navigator
Monkey D. Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, and he has the final say on every decision. This doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be questioned at all, and as the navigator, Nami should know better. Her captain usually prioritizes fun and adventure over the route she has mapped out.
The Straw Hat Pirates often find themselves in wacky and dangerous situationsbecause of Luffy’s recklessness. It is Nami’s job to keep him in check and decide where to actually lead the Straw Hats next. There have been several instances where this has happened, like inPunk Hazard, and, while this led to fun arcs for the audience to watch, it also ends up putting Nami in danger along with the rest of the crew.
2Stealing Zeus From Big Mom
Big Mom Was Never Going to Let Zeus Go
Even after all her development, Nami is still a thief by heart. So it makes total sense as to why she wouldsteal Big Mom’scloud homie,Zeus. Especially considering he eats the very same weather balls Nami can create with her upgraded Clima-Tact. However, stealing this homie fromone of the Emperors of the Seamay not have been the best idea.
Zeus was created from Big Mom’s very own soul, and she was never going to let Nami get away with it. Big Mom even spent most of her time in Onigashima chasing Nami & Usopp around, with the sole objective of retrieving Zeus. Even if Zeus ended up being a useful power-up for Nami, she also forced Big Mom to create a new friend, Hera, who was more powerful and competent than Zeus.
1Trusting Arlong
The Arlong Pirates Weren’t Giving Up Cocoyasi Village
When Arlong and his crew invadedCocoyasi Village, Nami was forced to join them as their cartographer. Especially after he promised that he would free the village if Nami earned enough money to pay their tribute. This was a tough yet smart decision on her part, as it seemed like it was her only choice.
However, the biggest mistake Nami made in her life was trusting Arlong with this promise. After all,he is a ruthless piratewho consistently shows how corrupt and violent he is. Nami was naïve enough to leave her new friends in order to deliver the money to Arlong. Of course, the Fishman did end up betraying her and giving her money away, so he didn’t have to leave Cocoyasi Village. Luckily for Nami, meeting Luffy and the others was the best decision of her life, as they eventually helped her save Cocoyasi Village anyway.
