In *Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii*, building the best pirate crew is crucial to swiftly progressing through the game's story. During Chapter 2, Goro and his initial crew members, Jason and Masaru, arrive in Madlantis, a sanctuary for pirates hosting the Naval Coliseum battles. Here, players learn about the betrayal that led to the disbanding of Jason and Masaru's previous crew. To overcome this setback, Goro must upgrade his ship and recruit new members to participate in the arena's naval battles. To proceed in the main storyline, players must earn $10,000 to repair the ship and recruit five new crew members. Here are the best crew members to recruit early on, ensuring a fast track through the narrative.
Nickelle Kidman
Nickelle Kidman, a playful nod to Nicole Kidman, can be found lounging near the beach in Honolulu. To recruit her, your Goro Pirates must have a two-star rating, which you can easily achieve by completing the main story missions up to this point. If you're not at two stars yet, you can quickly reach this rating by finding treasure, fighting thugs, and engaging in naval battles.
Hammerhead
Hammerhead is located on the second floor of the shopping center in Honolulu. Recruiting him involves a straightforward fight. Most early recruits require combat, making Hammerhead a quick addition to your crew. His manageable health pool ensures a swift victory and helps you reach the five-member goal faster.
Kenzo
Kenzo, a ship hand found in the dock area of Honolulu's beach, can be recruited by either giving him raw materials you collect during your adventures or paying a few thousand dollars. Both options are readily achievable, as players will have amassed plenty of building materials and money from treasures. Kenzo's reliability makes him a valuable asset to the crew.
Lucas
In Madlantis, Lucas can be recruited through a fistfight following a humorous interaction with Goro. Although Lucas wields a melee weapon, making his attacks slightly more potent than Hammerhead's, the fight remains manageable, especially after the boss battles in the preceding chapters.
Obispo
To recruit Obispo, dine at his restaurant in Honolulu five times. Given the frequent enemy spawns in the area, you can easily lower your health in battles and then recover by eating at his establishment. Although slightly more time-consuming, this method is still simpler than recruiting other members with more demanding tasks or higher ratings.
While *Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii* offers many other impressive crew members across its islands, these five are your quickest route to advancing the story. As you face tougher battles and need more crew members in later chapters, you can then focus on recruiting those with higher stats and more complex requirements.
*Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.*