In *Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii*, building the strongest pirate crew is key to progressing through the game's engaging narrative. During Chapter 2, Goro and his initial crew venture into Madlantis, a sanctuary for pirates that hosts the Naval Coliseum battles. Here, players gain deeper insights into the backstories of Jason and Masaru, whose previous crew was betrayed and disbanded during these intense battles. Goro's mission is to enhance his ship and expand his crew to compete in the arena, which requires earning $10,000 for repairs and recruiting five new crew members to move forward in the story. To help you advance quickly, here are the best crew members to recruit early on in *Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii*.
Nickelle Kidman
Nickelle Kidman, a playful nod to Nicole Kidman, is an actress you'll find lounging near the beach in Honolulu. To enlist her, your crew needs a two-star rating, which you should already have achieved by completing the main story missions up to this point. If not, boosting your rating is simple: find treasures, battle thugs, and engage in naval skirmishes on the open sea.
Hammerhead
As you explore recruitment options, you'll notice three primary recruitment methods: payment, offering a desired item, or winning a fight. Hammerhead, located on the second floor of the Honolulu shopping center, falls into the latter category. A straightforward brawl will secure his allegiance. With his manageable health, he's an easy target to knock out and add to your crew, helping you reach the necessary five members to advance the *Pirate Yakuza* story.
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Kenzo
Kenzo, found at the Honolulu beach docks, can be recruited either by offering him raw materials gathered during your adventures or by paying a modest sum of a few thousand dollars. Given the resources and cash you've likely amassed from sea exploration and treasure hunting, adding Kenzo to your crew is quick and straightforward. His reliability and speed make him a valuable addition to any pirate team.
Lucas
Lucas, located in Madlantis, is another recruit secured through a fistfight. His amusing confrontation with Goro leads to a battle that, while slightly tougher due to his melee weapon, remains manageable after the challenges you've faced in the preceding chapters. Defeating Lucas will bolster your crew's strength.
Obispo
Recruiting Obispo involves dining at his restaurant in Honolulu. With enemies frequently spawning nearby, engage in combat to reduce your health, then dine at his place. Repeat this five times, and Obispo will join the Goro Pirates. While slightly more time-consuming, this method is still more straightforward than recruiting others who demand higher ratings or more complex tasks.
While *Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii* offers numerous other crew members with impressive stats, these five are your fastest route to progressing through the story. As you face tougher battles and the need for a larger crew in later chapters, you can focus on recruiting members with higher stats and more demanding recruitment processes.
And those are the best crew members to recruit in the early game for *Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii*.
*Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.*
