Important takeaways
- There are many crews in One Piece's pirate adventure world, some with many and some with only a few prominent characters.
- A few crews in particular have a very prominent main character as their captain but lack any exploration beyond that.
- Drake Pirates is a good example of a crew that could be further developed in the future.
The pirate enters One Piece belongs to the nature of the series among the most prominent groups within it. Even if a crew as a whole is not thoroughly explored, there are usually at least a few members who are identified outside of the captain, to give a greater 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 tend to focus on individual members of each crew. This list will look at some crews that are largely unknown and unnamed, with their captain usually being the only exception in this regard. Often, if a crew is unidentified, it 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)
- Main ship: Stay tuned
This crew was one of ten whose captain qualified for the worst generation, indicating a certain level of prestige as a crew. They appear to be descended from the Grand Line and many of them have clothing similar to those historically worn by the Manchu people. Their captain is Scratchmen Apoo, who has the distinction of being the only longarm of the worst generation. Like many other Worst Generation crews, the On Air Pirates eventually found themselves at the mercy of an Emperor, namely Kaido of the Beasts Pirates.
As a result, they joined his crew and eventually brokered a fake alliance with other Worst Generation crews, namely the Kid Pirates and the Hawkins Pirates, with the ultimate crew 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 having little, if any, genuine loyalty to them.
5 Brownbeard pirates
Captain: Chadros “Brownbeard” Higelyges
- Debut: Chapter 581 (Manga), Chapter 490 (Anime)
- Main ship: Charles Martel
This crew first made itself known to viewers shortly after the Summit War, where Whitebeard's death prompted Brownbeard to claim the Foodvalten, a former Whitebeard-protected territory, for his own. But 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 getting to Punk Hazard, Trafalgar D. Water Law used his powers to save their lives and turn them into centaurs. The crew subsequently served as underlings to Caesar Clown, holding 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 lethal petrifying gas. However, after Caesar Clown's defeat, Smoker allows Brownbeard to free his crewmates before they die, as long as he accepts arrest.
4 Fallen Monk Pirates
Captain: Urouge
- Debut: Chapter 498 (Manga), Episode 392 (Anime)
- Main ship: Hanjomaru
This worst generation crew hails from the Sky Islands, although it's unclear exactly which island they're from. In keeping with their name, the Pirates of the Fallen Monk 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 top of the head is shaved off. Their captain is the “Mad Monk” Urouge, himself a mystical entity, with little else known about him other than a currently unnamed Devil Fruit power and an ever-present smile.
Although Urouge and his crew's name suggests a departure from orthodoxy. They at least seem somewhat religiously inclined, as Urouge prayed for Kaido when he saw him trying to commit suicide. They were capable of beating an Emperor's top brass, as Charlotte Snack of the Big Mom Pirates ended up being demoted from her Sweet Commander rank due to losing to Urouge. However, they were forced to retreat after losing to Cracker, another Sweet Commander.
While it's unclear if the crew will develop more beyond the scope it currently has, one would assume that at least Urouge will be more developed in the story, as he is now the only member of the Worst Generation who has not crossed paths with Luffy .
3 Space pirates
Captain: Seamars
- Debut: Chapter 438 (Manga; Cover Story)
- Main ship: Unknown
The Space Pirates are an alien crew that tend to resemble animals in appearance. Their known piracy tends to consist of digging up the moon. They only appear in the cover story, Enel's large space operationsserve as its effective antagonists. The space pirates previously caused an explosion on the moon, killing a Doctor Tsukimi from shock-induced asphyxiation. His creations, four automatons, decided to travel to the moon for revenge, but they were no match for the space pirates.
Enel manages to revive one of the four automatons, Spacey, who directs him towards Seamars, the pirate captain who defeated him. Enel despises Seamars for desecrating the moon and defeats him easily, with his Logia Devil Fruit preventing him from taking most attacks. Enel eventually attacks the entire crew more definitively, effectively ending their operations on the moon. Enel took over the moon, the Fairy Vearth of his people's legends, with his newfound automatons acting as subordinates.
2 Dragon Pirates
Captain: X Drake
- Debut: Chapter 498 (Manga), Episode 392 (Anime)
- Main ship: Liberal Hind
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 and formed the Drake Pirates, which became one of the worst crews of the generation. His crew has a European aesthetic that tends to resemble fencers in design.
Drake's piracy was seen as he attempted to attack one of Kaido's favorite areas, in a seemingly successful attempt to provoke him. Since then, Drake has worked his way up the chain of command in the Beasts Pirates, attaining the rank of Tobiroppo, the third highest rank in the crew. However, after the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance declared war on Kaido, Drake was eventually forced to defect from the Beasts Pirates, accused of disloyalty.
It is revealed that Drake is in fact the captain of SWORD, a black ops unit for enlisted marines to carry out covert 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 unclear how he will reconcile his cunning as a pirate with the existence of his crew. It is possible that they are also SWORD members, but since this has not been explicitly stated, it is equally possible that they are unaware of the truth. Drake was last seen recovering in a naval hospital, further muddying the waters on whether he can continue acting as a pirate.
1 Mostly subordinate crews
Captain: Various
- Debut: Varies by character, introduced conceptually around chapter 551 (Manga) and episode 460 (Anime)
- Main ship: Varies by character
Subordinate crews are those who serve under another crew. They are often used by emperors to further strengthen their power and influence. The members are not technically part of the crew they serve under, and maintain their own chain of command. But their exact relationship to the crew they serve under varies, depending on which crew is in charge.
Subaltern crews were first shown in depth at Marineford, with many of Whitebeard's participation 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, AO, and Squard, among others. A handful of subordinate captains have been 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 at Lulusia Kingdom, but they are eventually taken down by four of the Revolutionary Army officers. It is stated that Blackbeard does not care about his subordinate crews.
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 that Shanks is trying to use his reputation to protect them, much like Whitebeard did with his territories. But for now, this is purely speculation.
It should be noted that not all subordinate crews fit into this category. The Sun Pirates and the Fire Tank Pirates, despite previously serving under Big Mom, have multiple named members, due to them being more relevant to the story. Also, all seven crews in the Straw Hat Grand Fleet have multiple named members, for exactly the same reason.
