Key things
- There are many crews in the pirate adventure world of One Piece, some with many and some with only a few prominent characters.
- Several crews in particular have one very prominent main character as their captain, but lack any exploration beyond that.
- The Drake Pirates are a good example of a crew that could be developed further in the future.
Pirate crew in One piece by its nature, it belongs to the most prominent groups in it. While the crew as a whole is not thoroughly explored, usually at least a few members are identified outside of the captain to give more insight into the crew.
However, this is not always the case. There are a handful of crews in the series that only name one crew member and otherwise focus more on the individual members of each crew. This list takes a look at some of the crew that are largely unknown and unnamed, the only exception being their captain in that regard. Often, if the crew is unidentified, this is largely due to the already limited nature of the captain's importance.
6 On Air Pirates
Captain: Scratchmen Apoo
- Debut: Chapter 498 (Manga), Episode 392 (Anime)
- The main ship: Stay tuned
This crew was one of ten whose captain qualified for the worst generation, which meant a certain level of prestige for the crew. They appear to be from the Grand Line, and many of them have clothing reminiscent of those historically worn by the Manchus. Their captain is Scratchmen Apoo, who has the distinction of being the only longarm in the worst generation. Like many other crew members of the Worst Generation, he Air Pirates eventually fell out of favor with the Emperor, namely Kaido of the Beasts Pirates.
As a result, they joined his crew and eventually brokered a false alliance with the other worst generation crews, namely the Kid Pirates and Hawkins Pirates, with the ultimate crew adding them to the Beasts Pirates. Apoo himself is shown to have no real loyalty to the Beasts Pirates, largely sticking to the crew out of fear and having little, if any, real loyalty to them.
5 Brownbeard Pirates
Captain: Chadros “Brownbeard” Higelyges
- Debut: Chapter 581 (Manga), Chapter 490 (Anime)
- The main ship: Charles Martel
This crew first made itself known to viewers shortly after the Summit War, where Whitebeard's death led Brownbeard to claim Foodvalten, formerly Whitebeard's protected territory, for his own. However, they were badly defeated by Basil Hawkins, captain of the Hawkins Pirates and one of the 12 pirates known as the Worst Generation.
After they reached Punk Hazard, Trafalgar D. Water Law used his powers to save their lives and turn them into centaurs. The crew subsequently served as subordinates to Caesar the Clown and held him and Law in high regard. However, Brownbeard eventually realized that Caesar was using them. Unfortunately, the crew, except for Brownbeard, were exposed to Shinokuni, a potentially deadly fossilized gas. However, after Caesar Clown is defeated, Smoker allows Brownbeard to free his crew members from their deaths if he accepts arrest.
4 Fallen Monk Pirates
Captain: Urouge
- Debut: Chapter 498 (Manga), Episode 392 (Anime)
- The main ship: Hanjomaru
The crew of this worst generation hails from the Sky Islands, although it is not clear which island exactly they hail from. True to their name, Fallen Monk pirates tend to wear robes reminiscent of those devoted to religion. One unidentified member even has a tonsure, a hairstyle associated with monks where the hair on the head is shaved. Their captain is the 'Mad Monk' Urouge, himself a mysterious entity about whom little is known beyond his currently unnamed Devil Fruit power and ever-present smile.
Despite the fact that the nicknames of Urouge and his crew indicate a departure from orthodoxy. They seem to be at least somewhat religiously inclined, as Urouge prayed for Kaid when he witnessed his suicide attempt. They were able to defeat the Emperor's top brass because Charlotte Snack of the Big Mom Pirates was demoted from her Sweet Commander rank due to her loss against Urouge. However, after losing to Cracker, another Sweet Commander, they were forced to retreat.
Although it's unclear if the crew will develop more beyond the current state, it would be safe to assume that at least Urouge will be more developed in the story, as he is now the only member of the Worst Generation who hasn't crossed paths with Luffy.
3 Space pirates
Captain: Seamars
- Debut: Chapter 438 (Manga; Title Story)
- The main ship: Unknown
Space pirates are an alien crew that look more like animals. Their known piracy tends to be moon mining. They are only shown in the opening story, Enel's major space operationsserving as its effective antagonists. The Space Pirates had previously caused an explosion on the moon, killing one Dr. Tsukimi from shock-induced asphyxiation. His creations, the four automatons, decided to travel to the moon for revenge, but were no match for the Space Pirates.
Enel manages to revive one of the four automatons, Spacey, who directs him to Seamar, the pirate captain who defeated him. Enel despises Seamars for desecrating the moon and easily defeats him when his Logia Devil Fruit prevents him from being hit by most attacks. Enel eventually attacks the entire crew for good, effectively ending their operations on the moon. Enel took control of the moon, the Fairyland of his people's legends, with his newly discovered automata acting as subordinates.
2 Drake Pirates
Captain: X Drake
- Debut: Chapter 498 (Manga), Episode 392 (Anime)
- The main ship: Liberal Hindu
X Drake himself, the son of a sailor turned pirate, defected from his father's crew to the Marines. He was the mentor of a former admiral of the Sengoku fleet and eventually rose to the rank of rear admiral. Despite this fact, he eventually returned to piracy and formed the Drake Pirates, which became one of the worst generation crews. His crew has a European aesthetic, reminiscent of swordsmen in design.
Drake's piracy was seen when he attempted to attack one of Kaid's favorite territories in an apparently successful attempt to provoke him. Since then, Drake has risen through the ranks of command in the Beasts Pirates, earning the rank of Tobiroppo, the third highest rank in the crew. However, after the Ninja-Pirate-Nink-Samurai Alliance declared war on Kai, Drake was eventually forced to retreat from the Beasts Pirates and was accused of disloyalty.
It turns out that Drake is actually the captain of SWORD, a black ops unit for formally resigned marines who covertly conduct operations on behalf of the world government. His choice to side with Luffy was partly out of respect for Koby, who is also a member of SWORD. It is not clear how to reconcile his piratical ruse with the existence of his crew. It's possible that they're also members of SWORD, but since it wasn't explicitly stated, it's just as possible that they're unaware of the truth. Drake was last seen recovering in a naval hospital, further muddying the waters on whether he can continue playing as a pirate.
1 Most subordinate crews
Captain: Various
- Debut: Varies based on character, introduced conceptually around chapter 551 (Manga) and episode 460 (Anime)
- The main ship: Varies by character
Subordinate crews are those that serve under another crew. Emperors routinely use them to further consolidate their power and influence. Members are not technically part of the crew they serve under, maintaining their own chain of command. However, their exact relationship to the crew they serve under varies depending on which crew commands them.
Subaltern crews were first shown in detail at Marineford, with many of the Whitebeards taking part in the Summit War. Here, in addition to many of Whitebeard's division commanders and crew members, a number of subordinate crews also take to the field. Whitebeard's subordinate captains include Little Oars Jr., Whitey Bay, AO, and Squard, among others. A handful of subordinate captains were confirmed to have been Whitebeard Pirates themselves before forming their own crews.
The Peachbeard Pirates are the only known subordinate crew of the Blackbeard Pirates. They prove to be strong enough to defeat the marines stationed in the Lulusian Kingdom, but are eventually taken down by four Revolutionary Army officers. It is stated that Blackbeard does not care for his subordinate crews.
Red 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's possible that Shanks is trying to use his reputation to protect them, much like Whitebeard did. with its territories. For now, however, this is purely speculation.
It should be noted that not all subordinate crews fit into this category. The Sun Pirates and Fire Tank Pirates, despite previously serving under Big Mom, have several named members as they were more relevant to the story. Additionally, all seven crews of the Grand Straw Hat Fleet have multiple named members, for exactly the same reason.
