HE DID??!! OMG I WANT A WOMAN TO JOIN! Could be Rebecca but I want Viola tho. :(
Nowhere did he state that. I read all his recent SBS (the most likely place where he would leave hints behind), but he never even gave the slightest hint on who the next nakama is.
Rebecca is such a sweet girl... And her style of fighting without hurting people is cool, even if it doesn't seem to fit the strawhats, or any pirate life style. I like her, but I like Viola better, because her ability that is more interesting. Even so, to me, any of them is has that special "crazy factor" to be a strawhat. I mean, I think all the strawhats have very original and impredictable personalities, or certain excentricity...
In an other hand, this chapter also reminded me a lot to the Alabasta Arc. And the truth is that; I like Vivi so much better than Rebecca. I don't want to compare them but, to me, no one can replace Nefertari Vivi. I really love that princess. She's amazing. She's so honorable, brave, kind. loyal and funnily scatterbrained. And she had a big sense of responsibility, and solidarity, that the other strawhats don't (Jimbei also has this). Although I must admit Vivi was not a good fighter (some of her "figths" were ridiculous, and a little hillarious), but she had great lidership qualities.
So... I also would love if the new nakama is a woman, but beyond anything, I want it to be a person that I did not imagine, I want to be surprised. (When this arc begun I thought "it would be so cool if the new nakama is a toy" xd (that was before I knew they are actual people))
Hopefully a new member joins I just have this feeling that it will be a woman joining the crew! For some reason this chapter reminded me of the Alabasta arc with vivi. I may be totally wrong but I just have a feeling it will be rebecca. Apparently Oda did say the next member would be female to join the strawhats