Whitebeard Pirates

The Whitebeard Pirates (白ひげ海賊団, Shirohige Kaizokudan) is a group that appears in the One Piece series. It was formerly one of the strongest pirate crews in the world, as their captain, Whitebeard, was the only pirate to have ever been a match for the King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger, in a fight. Whitebeard's crew is segmented into divisions, instead of all under their captain's direct command. The crew has multiple subordinate crews operating in the New World. Following the deaths of Whitebeard and Ace, the remaining members of the crew engaged the Blackbeard Pirates in the Payback War, which ended with the Blackbeard Pirates brutally defeating them, followed by conquering their former territories, with their captain usurping Whitebeard's position in the Four Emperors. As a result, the crew has lost most of its power and influence.

After the timeskip, it is revealed that the remaining crew members and subordinate crews are being hunted down by the Warlord Ward Weevil and his mother Bakkin, who self-proclaim themselves as their captain's biological son and lover, to gain his fortune.

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 * —About the Whitebeard Pirates.

Jolly Roger
Whitebeard's flag is that of a standard Jolly Roger with a large mustache and a cross behind it. Many high-ranked crew members bear the Whitebeard flag symbol on them, including Ace who is seen having it tattooed on his back and being extraordinarily proud of it.

The cross version of the flag was chosen in order to avoid confusion with, a manji (卍) or a swastika (卐), the symbol best known in Western societies from its association with the Nazi regime. The manji has a long history in many cultures as a religious symbol, and is distinguishable from the swastika by the direction of the angles, after Oda was being told to do so by the higher-ups at Shueisha.

The Whitebeard Pirates also seem to have another Jolly Roger symbol, or a simplified version of their original version, which is a cross with a crescent shaped curve jutting out from the bottom, representing Whitebeard's signature beard. This symbol is not used on the flags, but many members have it either tattooed on their bodies (such as Marco on his chest, Curiel on his chin, and Atmos on his shoulders) or clothing (Blamenco has it on his tricorn, Jiru on his fez, and Rakuyo on his headband); the significance this symbol makes is as of yet unknown.

Crew Members

 * Ward Newgate/Whitebeard - Captain;

Division Commanders

 * Marco - 1st Division Commander;
 * Portgaz D. Ace - 2nd Division Commander;
 * Jozu - 3rd Division Commander;
 * Thatch - 4th Division Commander;
 * Vista - 5th Division Commander;
 * Blamenco - 6th Division Commander;
 * Rakuyo - 7th Division Commander;
 * Namur - 8th Division Commander;
 * Blenheim - 9th Division Commander;
 * Curiel - 10th Division Commander;
 * Kingdew - 11th Division Commander;
 * Haruta - 12th Division Commander;
 * Atmos - 13th Division Commander;
 * Speed Jiru - 14th Division Commander;
 * Fossa - 15th Division Commander;
 * Izo - 16th Division Commander;

Others

 * Kozuki Oden
 * Dogstorm
 * Cat Viper
 * Stefan
 * Chameleone
 * Sylvester Clown/Joker - Former member

Crew Strength
Whitebeard was one of the Four Emperors of the second half of the Grand Line, along with Shanks, Kaido and Big Mom, which made the Whitebeard Pirates as one of the four strongest pirate crews in the Grand Line. There were 16 division commanders and Whitebeard himself in his crew, each division commander commanding 100 men. There was a grand total of 1,617 men in Whitebeard's crew.

Since their captain had managed to fight with Gol D. Roger one-on-one, the Whitebeard Pirates were considered amongst the strongest pirates known in the world of One Piece. Even the normally overconfident Buggy refused to attack Ace when he was asleep, fearing Whitebeard's wrath, as he witnessed Whitebeard's might firsthand while apprenticing under the Roger Pirates. However, whether they were actually stronger than the three other Emperor, or at the same strength, is unknown. What is known is that the World Government was prepared to use practically the entire Navy force and the Seven Warlords of the Sea to fight the crew, after they announced Ace's execution. Even the 23 Navy ships that were supposed to be watching over the Moby Dick (Whitebeard's ship) were instantly wiped out as it started to move. Also the fact that the capture of Portgaz D. Ace, a member of Whitebeard's crew, was considered such an amazing feat that it earned a place as a Warlord for Marshall D. Teech (though Ace's capture meant a lot more than just being a Whitebeard's subordinate, as he was also the late King of the Pirates Gol D. Roger's son).

Furthermore, according to Joker, a general rule on-board Whitebeard's ship is that any crewmate who happens to find a Devil Fruit is free to consume it (which is why he killed Thatch in order to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit 20 years ago). Only a few of the Whitebeard Pirates already possess Devil Fruit powers, such as Marco, Ace, Jozu, and potentially Blamenco. Just the same, some of the commanders who did not seem to have any Devil Fruit powers were still capable of fighting on par with individual Warlord members (Vista, Curiel). Many of them seem to possess one or more forms of Haki, a technique their captain had mastered in all three forms. The fact that their names are well known by the Seven Warlords of the Sea and Admirals also gives an indication of their strength. As a matter of fact, even a the Supernova-class pirate such as Luffy was considered to be "all talk" by Whitebeard (although this was prior to him releasing his Conqueror's Haki). Sengoku stated that, with his Curséd Fruit, Whitebeard would have been able to destroy the world. Another example of their strength is the majority of the commanders were unharmed by the war.

However, even taking their impressive displays of power into account, the Whitebeard Pirates are not, by any means, invulnerable, and have suffered enormous losses: 20 years ago prior to the Whitebeard War, 4th division commander Thatch was murdered by Marshall D. Teech, who desired the Devil Fruit that Thatch found, known as the Dark-Dark Fruit. During the Battle of Navyford, just about several of their flagships (including the Moby Dick) were destroyed either by cannon fire or in separate attacks from Akainu, numerous unnamed crewmembers lost their lives amidst the fierce fighting against the Navy, and several of the commanders were severely crippled in their attempt to save Ace. In the final stages of the battle, Admiral Akainu successfully executed 2nd division commander Portgaz D. Ace. Soon afterward, a grievously injured Whitebeard was ambushed by the collective Blackbeard Pirates and perished as a result before the remaining members of the crew were helped escape by the arrival of the Red-Haired Pirates.

Even with their losses, the Whitebeard Pirates were still considered to be one of the strongest crews, with the Five Elder Stars believing that they, along with the remaining Four Emperor crews, were among the few that may be able to stop the Blackbeard Pirates. Despite this belief however, when the Whitebeard Pirates engaged Blackbeard and his crew in a battle to avenge the murder of their captain and fellow commanders, they were completely overwhelmed and brutally defeated.

Two years after the Battle of Navyford, the Whitebeard Pirates have lost most of their former territory to Blackbeard Pirates after Teech claimed Whitebeard's position and other Emperor like Charlotte Lingling who claimed Merman Island as her territory. The crew's current strength, leader, and whereabouts are unknown. The crew is also currently being hunted by Warlord Ward Weevil and his mother Bakkin, who are seeking to claim Whitebeard's fortune.

Subordinate Crews
Aside from their own 1617 member crew, the Whitebeard Pirates have many subordinate crews from the New World. Each one of the pirate captains was an infamous pirate who had made a name for him or herself in the New World. There seemed to be at least 43 crews under Whitebeard's protection. Whitebeard treated all of his longtime subordinate crews just like his own crew: as though they were his own children. They all seemed to know Trace, at least, and were willing to help Whitebeard's cause when Trace was about to be executed at Navyford. However, they were not aware that Trace was Roger's son until around the time Trace died.

Akainu managed to deceive Squard, an otherwise loyal subordinate captain, into stabbing Whitebeard with a lie that Whitebeard made a deal with the Navy in which his subordinate crews would be the only ones targeted by the Pacifista; this lie also spread amongst the other subordinate crews, leading to some doubt in their trust of Whitebeard. The plan, despite having an attempt to weaken Whitebeard was interfered, but also backfired somewhat, as it gave Whitebeard the opportunity to prove to his subsidiaries who the real enemy was and spur the pirates onwards in their quest to rescue Ace.

An unknown number of these subsidiary crews were hit in the aftermath of Akainu's attack during the war. Others had also been taken down since the fighting began, including one of their most powerful subordinate captains: the giant, Oars Jr. After the war, the surviving subordinate captains and their crews accompanied the remaining Whitebeard Pirates in their burial of Ace and Whitebeard at an unknown New World island. Their current whereabouts and goals are unknown, though Ward Weevil is said to have taken out 16 of the subordinate crews including A.O. leaving, at most, 27 subordinate crews still active.

An apparent trait of Whitebeard's subordinate crews is the usage of costumes that follow a theme. Also, the majority of them, similar to the Seven Warlord members and CP9 agents, are animal-themed.

Allies
Jimbei of the Seven Warlords of the Sea greatly respected Whitebeard for protecting Merman Island, and maintained a friendship with Ace, and was willing to lay his life down for either of them, even if it meant compromising his role with the World Government.

Furthermore, with Jimbei having been allied with the Straw Hat Pirates captain, Monkey D. Luffy, the Whitebeard Pirates can also be said to have been allied with the Straw Hat Pirates by extension, even though Luffy did not trust Whitebeard enough to just step aside and allow Whitebeard alone to save Ace. However, when Luffy and Whitebeard finally met face to face, Whitebeard seemed to be amused with Luffy's attitude. After Luffy saved Ace from his execution, Whitebeard came to value Luffy as an important ally after seeing his true potential and was willing to go as far as to put his faith in Luffy. After Ace's and Whitebeard's deaths, the remaining Whitebeard Pirates put their lives on the line to prevent Akainu from killing Luffy; they even said that Ace's family was also their family as well.

Alongside Luffy were many Impel Down convicts who escaped from prison, including Emporio Ivankov, a Revolutionary Army commander, and Buggy, a former member of the Roger Pirates. All of these convicts were powerful people, and a majority of them fought against Whitebeard's opposition, which made them valuable assets to Whitebeard's cause. Whitebeard also proposed an alliance with Buggy, as he recognized the threat his new crew imposes, though seeing Buggy himself as nothing threatening.

Other Information
The front part of Whitebeard's flag-ship, the Moby Dick, resembled the eponymous massive white-colored whale; although the ship was ultimately destroyed by Akainu. The crew also possessed three other paddle-ships of the same design, but that were blue and smaller in size. All four ships had been coated in Yarukiman resin, which allowed them to dive underwater to great depths. They treat the Moby Dick with great reverence, similar to how the Straw Hat Pirates did their ships, and were furious when it was destroyed.

The Whitebeard Pirates are famous for taking the concept of camaraderie to exaggerated levels. Whitebeard saw his crew as his own sons, and would avenge their deaths — a reason why most pirates would not attack them. This rule is especially true if the one that attacked them was a fellow crewmember. The crew also has close bonds with each other, as seen by the fact that everybody targeted Akainu after he successfully executed Trace. In fact, Whitebeard himself claimed that this was the only iron-clad rule on his ship.

Warlord Jimbei was heard remarking on the sheer power the name "Whitebeard" had when he stated that, after Whitebeard declared Merman Island his territory, the violence on Merman Island stopped. Whitebeard proved to be more effective than a peace treaty that Merman Island signed with the World Government 200 years ago.

As a crew of one of the four emperors, the Whitebeard Pirates had also claimed many islands within the New World as their territories, amongst known ones were Merman Island and Foodvalten. All these locations once hung Whitebeard's flag over their establishments, to prove that Whitebeard himself is protecting them, which coerced many pirates to avoid attacking the location since the great pirate would strike down any offenders. With Newgate's demise, all locations lost their protection and other pirates took over with their own forms of "protection". Blackbeard, using his knowledge and experience, annexed most of these territories for himself over the last two years.

List of Commanders
Though the commanders all made their appearance in the series, only half of them were named by then. The rest were named in the SBS of Volume 58. It has been stated by Oda that all the Whitebeard commanders, no matter which division they are leading, are all equal in rank and the division number does not indicate their strength. But outside Ace, who was Luffy's brother, some of the commanders, particularly Marco, Jozu, and Vista, have been given far more reverence and focus than the others. When Thatch died, he was not replaced by the time of the war.


 * Division Commander #01: Marco the Phoenix
 * Division Commander #02: "Fire Fist" Portgaz D. Ace (deceased)
 * Division Commander #03: "Diamond" Jozu
 * Division Commander #04: Thatch (deceased)
 * Division Commander #05: "Flower Sword" Vista
 * Division Commander #06: Blamenco
 * Division Commander #07: Rakuyo
 * Division Commander #08: Namur
 * Division Commander #09: Blenheim
 * Division Commander #10: Curiel
 * Division Commander #11: Kingdew
 * Division Commander #12: Haruta
 * Division Commander #13: "Water Buffalo" Atmos
 * Division Commander #14: Speed Jiru
 * Division Commander #15: Fossa
 * Division Commander #16: Izo

List of Subordinate Captains
Similar to the Whitebeard Commanders, these New World pirate captains' names were revealed through the anime credits in the episode they were formally featured in, or by Oda through the manga and the fourth databook, One Piece Green: Secret Pieces.


 * "Bohemian Knight" Doma
 * "Thunder Lord" McGuy
 * Decalvan Brothers
 * "Maelstrom Spider" Squard, Captain of the Maelstrom Spider Pirates
 * Little Oars Jr. (missing in action; fate unknown)
 * "Ice Witch" Whitey Bay
 * A.O
 * Agsilly
 * Amadob
 * Andre
 * Arthur
 * Baggaley
 * Bizarre
 * Blondie
 * Brew
 * Brocca
 * Cands
 * Choi
 * Colscon
 * Delacuaji
 * Elmy
 * Epoida
 * Forliewbs
 * Great Michael
 * Hangan
 * Happygun
 * Islewan
 * Julius
 * Karma
 * Kechatch
 * Kinga
 * Ninth
 * Nosgarl
 * Palms
 * Pavlik
 * Ramba
 * Reforte
 * Rush
 * Sleepy
 * Vitan
 * Wallem
 * Zodia
 * Zucca

Ship

 * Main article: Moby Dick

List of Protected Territories
This is a list of known protected territories and islands before Ward Newgate's death. With his demise, all of them fell vulnerable to outside forces before some others regained protection via others. Most of these territories were later conquered by the Blackbeard Pirates.

Canon Territories

 * Foodvalten - attacked by the Brownbeard Pirates
 * Fishman Island - passed under the protection of the Big Mom Pirates

Non-Canon Territories

 * Samba Island - passed under the tyranny of Chameleone
 * Hand Island - passed under the control of the Navy Commodore Bilić

Past
The Whitebeard Pirates were a legendary crew, even before the golden age of piracy. Their captain, Ward Newgate, was said to be the only man who fought on par with the late King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger. At some point in the past, the Whitebeard Pirates conquered part of the New World, taking many islands under their protection. Considering that and their captain's immense strength and infamy, the World Government labeled Whitebeard as one of the Four Emperors. During that period, the crew also gained many powerful allies.

Alabasta Arc
The first member seen was Portgaz D. Ace, who decided to see how his brother Monkey D. Luffy was doing. After easily destroying a fleet of Baroque Works ships, Ace handed Luffy what appeared to be a blank piece of paper, which was later sewn to the inside of his hat's ribbon. This "paper" was eventually revealed to be a Vivre Card, which was a product made in the New World from a person's fingernail to keep track of his or her location and well-being.

Jaya Arc
Whitebeard himself appeared when he rejected a letter from Red-Haired Shanks, stating that if Shanks wished to speak with him he should do it in person. The World Government feared what would happen if their two crews were to meet due to the possibility of them joining forces, but chose to just observe their actions.