While most pirates work their way up to the role of captain, Luffy opted for a more direct approach. One Piece would not be One Piece if Luffy's unflinching drive for adventure and to form a tight-knit crew was stripped from the character. Luffy would not settle for anything less, after all, a first mate is unlikely to become the Pirate King.
However, what if things were a bit different? What if Luffy found himself needing to join another crew? Luffy is not a complicated character; he is honest, occasionally dumb, fearless, and optimistic. Luffy's respect must be earned and he has little patience for people unwilling to fight for their own freedom. More than anything, Luffy wants to live the happy go lucky pirate life. Which crews, past or present, would suit the Straw Hat pirate?
10 Love: Cook Pirates
Luffy is a simple man; cook food, and he will come. Zeff's Cook Pirates only traveled the Grand Line for a short period before meeting a devastating end in East Blue. Not much is known about the crew, but it has to be assumed that Zeff was not the only one who could put together a mean plate.
As Luffy's stomach can only dictate his life for so long, his time with Zeff's crew would have been short-lived. That said, there probably has never existed a crew more suited to Luffy's tastes than the Cook Pirates.
9 Hate: Big Helmet Pirates
Luffy is not afraid to go after what he wants. He is especially cutthroat when it comes to stuff like meat or his dreams, but he does not pursue his happiness at someone's else expense. Although Luffy does not see himself as a hero since he believes it requires living completely for other people, he can still be incredibly noble.
The Big Helmet Pirates are bullies who try to get away with not paying for ship repairs conducting by Water 7's Galley-La Company. Luffy might appreciate their headwear but he would detest their methods.
8 Love: Heart Pirates
The Straw Hats and the Heart Pirates have proven time and time again to work well together, with Luffy and Trafalgar D. Water Law forming something similar to a friendship. Would Luffy be able to take a backseat and allow Law to lead? If they were to meet at the same point as they do in the manga, probably not.
On the other hand, a younger Luffy would be a different story. The Heart Pirates are quite an eclectic cast of characters, so they should be able to keep Luffy entertained.
7 Hate: Kuja Pirates
When it comes to Luffy joining the Kuja Pirates, convincing cases can be presented both in favor and against the idea. For the former, Luffy has a good relationship with Hancock.
For the latter, the Kuja Pirates' members are all women who live on Amazon Lily. While the Kuja warm up to Luffy, that does not mean they would be willing to let him join. Luffy's thirst for adventure is also an issue, as One Piece's protagonist would not be satisfied with sticking to a single island. Although Luffy and the Kuja bought strive for autonomy, the latter's version is closer to survival than the former's idealistic take.
6 Love: Whitebeard Pirates
In order to preserve Luffy's core traits, the protagonist can only ever join another crew for a short period. Luffy's ultimate goal has to be to sail beneath his own flag, and working under another captain is likely to only intensify the pirate's desire to form the Straw Hats.
Therefore, it is worth considering which crew would provide Luffy with the best learning experience. In the first half of the anime, the Whitebeard Pirates are powerful, disciplined, and respected. Luffy wants to lead this type of crew.
5 Hate: Spade Pirates
As sworn brothers, Ace and Luffy got along well, although an element of rivalry did exist between the two during their younger days. Prior to joining the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace led his own crew, the Spade Pirates.
From what One Piece has revealed about the crew, the Spade Pirates were not all that dissimilar to the Straw Hats, with Ace also doing everything within his power to protect his subordinates. Luffy and Ace's history would prevent the former from joining the latter's crew. They must be equals.
4 Love: Roger Pirates
Gol D. Roger set the standard for all pirates. Luffy is very much his own person, but his ideology can be traced back to Roger. Shanks, the pirate who left the biggest impression on Luffy, also cut his teeth with the Roger Pirates.
The Roger Pirates did everything that a pirate crew could do within One Piece's universe, and most characters would jump at the chance to go back in time and join their ranks. Luffy is no exception.
3 Hate: Donquixote Pirates
Although their feasts might temporarily cause Luffy to second-guess himself, a quick reminder of the atrocities committed by the Donquixote Pirates should instantly fix that. Luffy has gone up against many despicable foes over the years, but Doflamingo angered the Straw Hat pirate more than most other characters.
Luffy hates everything about the Donquixote Pirates and their ties to the underworld. He would rather perish than join the crew, especially following their coup of Dressrosa's throne.
2 Love: Red Hair Pirates
As a child, Luffy begged Shanks to let him join his crew; therefore, from all the possible scenarios out there, this is the one that could have feasibly happened. If Shanks was a bit more willing to accept a child into his crew, Luffy might have grown up to be a vital member of the Red Hair Pirates rather than the captain of the Straw Hats.
Most probably, Luffy would have left the Red Hair Pirates around the same age he set out to form his own crew in One Piece. Therefore, not a lot would have actually changed.
1 Hate: Blackbeard Pirates
Marshall D. Teach and Luffy are two sides of the same coin. When they originally met, Blackbeard and Luffy found a common ground over their determination to believe in dreams. As captains, they both treat their crews with respect and are charismatic.
For all their similarities, Blackbeard and Luffy disagree in one key area: The former is all about the ends while the latter prioritizes the journey. Regardless of when they happen to meet, they would not be able to get over this difference.
