Summary
The pirate crews inOne Pieceare, by the nature of the series, among the most prominent groups within it. Even if a crew in its entirety is not thoroughly explored, usually there are at least a few members identified outside the captain, to give a greater look into the crew.
However, this is not always the case. There are a handful of crews in the series who name only one crew member and otherwise tend to focus on individual members of each crew. This list will look at some crews who are largely unknown and unnamed, with their captain typically being the sole exception in this regard. Oftentimes, if a crew is unidentified, it is largely due to the already limited nature of the captain’s importance.
6On Air Pirates
Captain: Scratchmen Apoo
This crew was one of ten whose captain qualified for theWorst Generation, implying a certain level of prestige as a crew. They appear to originate from the Grand Line and many of them have outfits resembling those historically worn by the Manchu people. Their captain is Scratchmen Apoo, who has the distinction of being the sole longarm in the Worst Generation. Like many of their fellow Worst Generation crews, the On Air Pirates eventually found themselves at the mercy of an Emperor, namely Kaido of theBeasts Pirates.
As a result, they joined his crew, and eventually brokered a fake alliance with fellow Worst Generation crews, namely the Kid Pirates and the Hawkins Pirates, with the ultimate crew of adding them to the Beasts Pirates. Apoo himself is shown to have no actual loyalty to the Beasts Pirates, largely sticking with the crew out of fear, and has little, if any, genuine loyalty to them.
5Brownbeard Pirates
Captain: Chadros “Brownbeard” Higelyges
This crew first made itself known to viewers shortly after the Summit War, where Whitebeard’s death led Brownbeard to claim Foodvalten, a previously Whitebeard-protected territory for his own. However, they were badly beaten by Basil Hawkins, the captain of the Hawkins Pirates, and one of the 12 pirates known as the Worst Generation.
After making their way to Punk Hazard,Trafalgar D. Water Lawused his powers to save their lives and transform them into centaurs. The crew subsequently served as underlings to Caesar Clown, holding him and Law in high regard. However, Brownbeard eventually realized Caesar was using them. Unfortunately, the crew, save for Brownbeard, was exposed to Shinokuni, a potentially fatal petrifying gas. However, after Caesar Clown’s defeat, Smoker permits Brownbeard to free his crewmates before they die, as long as he accepts arrest.
4Fallen Monk Pirates
Captain: Urouge
This Worst Generation crew hails from the Sky Islands, though it is unclear exactly which island they originate from. In line with their name, the Fallen Monk pirates tend to wear robes reminiscent of those devoted to religion. One unidentified member even has a tonsure, a haircut associated with monks where the hair atop the head is shaved off. Their captain is the ‘Mad Monk’ Urouge, himself a mysterious entity, with little else known about him aside from a currently unnamed Devil Fruit power and an ever-present smile.
Despite Urouge and his crew’s monikers implying a deviation from the orthodoxy. They seem at least somewhat religiously inclined, as Urouge prayed for Kaido upon witnessing him attempting suicide. They were capable of beating an Emperor’s top brass, as Charlotte Snack of theBig Mom Piratesended up being demoted from his Sweet Commander rank due to losing against Urouge. However, they were forced to retreat after losing to Cracker, another Sweet Commander.
Although it’s unclear if the crew will develop more beyond the extent it currently has, one would presume at least Urouge will become more developed within the story, as he is now the only member of the Worst Generation to not have crossed paths with Luffy.
3Space Pirates
Captain: Seamars
The Space Pirates are an alien crew who tend to resemble animals in appearance. Their known piracy tends to consist of excavating the moon. They are only shown in the cover story,Enel’s Great Space Operations, serving as its effective antagonists. The Space Pirates previously caused an explosion on the moon, killing one Doctor Tsukimi from shock-induced suffocation. His creations, four automata, decided to travel to the moon to take revenge, but they were no match for the Space Pirates.
Enel manages to revive one of the four automata, Spacey, who directs him toward the Seamars, the pirate captain who defeated him. Enel despises Seamars for desecrating the moon, and easily defeats him, withhis Logia Devil Fruitpreventing him from being hit by most attacks. Enel eventually more definitively assaults the entire crew, effectively ending their operations on the moon. Enel took over the moon, the Fairy Vearth of his people’s tales of legend, with his newly discovered automata acting as subordinates.
2Drake Pirates
Captain: X Drake
The son of a marine-turned-pirate, X Drake himself defected from his father’s crew to the marines. He was mentored by former Fleet Admiral Sengoku and eventually worked his way up to the rank of rear admiral. Despite this fact, he eventually returned to piracy, forming the Drake Pirates, who became one of the Worst Generation crews. His crew has a European aesthetic, tending to resemble fencers in design.
Drake’s piracy was seen when he attempted to attack one of Kaido’s favorite territories, in an apparently successful effort to provoke him. Since then, Drake has worked his way up the chain of command in the Beasts Pirates, gaining the rank of Tobiroppo, the third-highest rank in the crew. However, after the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance declared war against Kaido, Drake was eventually forced to defect from the Beasts Pirates, being accused of disloyalty.
It is revealed that, in actuality, Drake is theCaptain of SWORD, a black ops unit for formally resigned marines to conduct operations in secret, on behalf of the World Government. His choice to side with Luffy was partially out of respect for Koby, who is also a member of SWORD. It is unclear how to reconcile his ruse as a pirate with the existence of his crew. It is possible they are also SWORD members, but since this has not been explicitly stated, it is equally possible they are unaware of the truth. Drake was most recently seen recovering in a marine hospital, further muddying the waters about whether he can continue acting as a pirate.
1Most Subordinate Crews
Captain: Various
Subordinate crews are those who serve under another crew. They are commonly utilized by Emperors to further solidify their power and influence. The members are not technically part of the crew they serve under, maintaining their own chain of command. However, their exact relationship with the crew they serve under varies, depending on which crew is in charge.
Subordinate crews were first shown in-depth at Marineford, with many of Whitebeard’s participating in the Summit War. Here, in addition to Whitebeard’s many division commanders and crewmates, a number of subordinate crews take to the field as well. Whitebeard’s subordinate captains include Little Oars Jr., Whitey Bay, A O, and Squard among others. A handful of subordinate captains are confirmed to havebeen Whitebeard Piratesthemselves before making crews of their own.
The Peachbeard Pirates are the only known subordinate crew of the Blackbeard Pirates. They are shown to be strong enough to defeat the marines stationed at Lulusia Kingdom but are ultimately taken down by four of the Revolutionary Army’s officers. It is stated that Blackbeard does not care for his subordinate crews.
The Red Hair Pirates are known for having weak subordinate crews. Examples of such are the Bourgeois Pirates (led by Pururu), the Social Club (led by Fugar), and the Puddle Pirates (led by Gerotini.) It is possible Shanks is attempting to use his reputation to protect them, much like Whitebeard did with his territories. However, for the time being, this is purely speculation.
It should be noted that not all subordinate crews fit in this category. The Sun Pirates and the Fire Tank Pirates, despite previously serving under Big Mom, have multiple named members, due to having been more relevant to the story. Additionally, all seven of the crews in the Straw Hat Grand Fleet have multiple named members, for the exact same reason.
