The anime series One Piece chronicles the thrilling escapades of the Straw Hat Pirates as they embark on a quest for the legendary treasure of the same name. A significant adversary the Straw Hats face is the Navy, which serves as the military arm of the World Government, enforcing law and order throughout the seas while exerting the influence of their political authority.
Navy soldiers and officers patrol the vast oceans, including regions like the Grand Line’s Paradise and the treacherous New World, to protect innocent civilians from marauding criminals. This law enforcement duty encompasses the capture of pirates and other criminals to ensure justice is served. The Navy functions as a hierarchical institution, where lower-ranked soldiers execute the commands of their superiors, who report to even higher-ranking officers.
While formal ranks may not always accurately reflect a Marine’s individual strength, typically, a higher-ranked Marine is more formidable than those of lower rank. The most recent recap episode of the One Piece anime, titled Unwavering Justice! The Navy’s Proud Log!, aired on September 29, 2024, and provided a detailed breakdown of the various Marine ranks.
Latest One Piece Episode Unveils Marine Ranks
Fleet Admiral
During this recap episode, characters Jinbe, Nami, and Usopp explored each rank within the Marines, starting with the prestigious position of Fleet Admiral. This title represents the highest command within the Navy, holding authority above Admirals and being subordinate only to the Five Elders and the World Government’s Commander-in-Chief.
The current Fleet Admiral is Akainu (real name Sakazuki), who ascended to this rank after triumphing over fellow Admiral Kuzan (known as Aokiji). Following his defeat, Aokiji chose to leave the Navy and seemingly allied himself with the Blackbeard Pirates.
Historically, the position was held by Kong, who later became the Commander-in-Chief, leaving the Fleet Admiral role to Sengoku (also known as The Buddha). Sengoku maintained the Fleet Admiral title until two years ago when he resigned after the recent Paramount War.
Admiral
Following the Fleet Admiral is the rank of Admiral, the second highest rank within the Navy. At any given time, only three Marines can hold this elite title, which indicates exceptional combat ability. Two years before the current timeline of One Piece, the Admirals included Sakazuki (Akainu), Kuzan (Aokiji), and Borsalino (also known as Kizaru).
These three were dubbed the Color Trio by fans due to their powerful Logia Devil Fruits, granting them control over magma, ice, and light respectively. Following the events surrounding Aokiji’s departure and Akainu’s promotion, Kizaru remains the last member of this trio.
Post the World Military Draft during the time skip, Issho (known as Fujitora) and Aramaki (also called Ryokugyu) joined Kizaru, forming a new formidable trio. Decades prior to the Great Age of Pirates, Sengoku had also served as an Admiral, but the identities of his contemporaries are mostly unknown.
Vice Admiral
The Vice Admiral rank stands as the third highest in the Navy and is characterized by its diversity in combat abilities and command authority. Notably, “Marine Hero” Monkey D. Garp holds this rank despite his strength surpassing even that of some Admirals.
Regarded as possibly the strongest Marine ever, Garp was capable of rivaling Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, during his prime. Despite being offered the rank of Admiral multiple times, he declined, preferring not to operate under the directives of the Celestial Dragons. Thus, Garp remained a Vice Admiral throughout his career.
The current 76-year-old Vice Admiral Tsuru was a significant force during Roger’s era. Her protégé, Gion (also known as Momousagi), was in contention for Admiral alongside Tokikake (known as Chaton), but ultimately, they were overshadowed as Fujitora and Ryokugyu emerged as the new Admirals.
Other renowned Vice Admirals include Doberman and John Giant, who exercise unique authority over their peers despite sharing the same rank. Current notable Vice Admirals also comprise Momonga, Onigumo, and the Logia user Smoker (known as White Hunter). Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru all previously held the Vice Admiral rank, as did Jaguar D. Saul.
This broad classification includes over thirty officers, from the immensely powerful Garp to less capable officers like Pomsky, Maynard, or Mozambia. However, all Vice Admirals share the capability of using Haki, at least in its two basic forms—Armament and Observation Haki.
Rear Admiral
Ranked just below Vice Admirals, Rear Admirals represent the fourth tier in the Navy hierarchy. This rank is crucial for a Marine aspiring to associate with the highest-ranking Celestial Dragons, the Five Elders, as Marines of a lower rank would face punitive measures.
Rear Admirals are formidable fighters capable of commanding extensive forces. For instance, Hina, a former ally of Smoker, achieved the Rear Admiral rank following the events of the Paramount War. She now leads a specialized unit known as the Black Cage Corps.
Commodore
Below Rear Admirals is the Commodore rank, which sits above Captains. These officers enjoy responsibilities that can reflect higher ranks depending on their specific expertise. One notable example is Brannew, tasked with determining bounties on pirates and other offenders while reporting directly to the Fleet Admiral. Smoker held this rank prior to his rise through the ranks.
Captain
Ranking as the sixth highest level, Captain includes powerful officers who command various Marine branches worldwide. Captain “Ax Hand” Morgan was once the commander of the Navy’s 153rd branch, based in Shells Town, until his defeat at the hands of Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro.
After the two-year time skip, Smoker’s dedicated subordinate, Tashigi, attained the Captain rank. Numerous Marine Captains possess Devil Fruit powers, as evident with characters like Very Good, Shu, and Sharinguru. Unfortunately, this rank also contains corrupt officials like Nezumi and Ratel, who exploit their positions to terrorize civilians.
Commander
Commanders act as deputies to Captains. For example, Ripper served as the second-in-command to Ax Hand Morgan. Following Morgan’s defeat and subsequent removal from rank, Ripper succeeded him as commander of the 153rd branch.
A notable Commander, Donquixote Rosinante (Doflamingo’s younger sibling), was uniquely loyal to the Marines and monitored the Donquixote Pirates’ activities undercover. Sadly, his cover was compromised, leading to his sacrifice to save the young Trafalgar Law.
Lieutenant Commander
Among the various Lieutenant Commanders in One Piece, three are particularly notable. After forming a friendship with Koby, Helmeppo trained under the mentorship of Monkey D. Garp. This guidance helped him evolve into a competent swordsman, suggesting satisfactory proficiency in Haki use.
Prominently, Fullbody and Jango ascended to Lieutenant Commander after beginning as Seaman Recruits, with Fullbody facing a demotion from Lieutenant to Seaman Recruit for assisting Jango, a former member of the Black Cat Pirates, before later regaining rank for their valor alongside Hina’s squad.
Lowest Marine Ranks
The ranks at the bottom include Lieutenant, Lieutenant Junior, and Ensign, marking the last tiers that can be considered commissioned officers. Notably, the Ensign rank is the lowest that allows officers to wear the kanji “Justice” on their uniforms.
Those below Ensign comprise the Infantry and Sailor Division, ranked from highest to lowest as Warrant Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer, Petty Officer, Seaman First Class, Seaman Apprentice, and Seaman Recruit.
Lastly, the most junior position is that of Chore Boys, the least experienced recruits within the Marine ranks. These Chore Boys lack official uniforms, typically donning white shirts and blue trousers without adornment. Koby and Helmeppo began their Marine journeys in this humble position.
Inspector General
The Inspector General oversees the Navy, tasked with monitoring the entire organization to identify any signs of corruption, maladministration, or defection. Following his resignation from Fleet Admiral, Sengoku took on this significant role.
Instructor
A special role, the Instructor is assigned to renowned Navy officers responsible for training promising Marine recruits. Currently, Vice Admiral Garp, aged 78, fulfills this vital mentorship position within the Navy.
SWORD
SWORD is a covert unit consisting of Marine officers who have formally resigned from the Navy. Although they appear to be inactive, SWORD members continue to operate under the Navy’s auspices. They possess the freedom to act independently, albeit the Navy and World Government disavow any accountability for their actions or outcomes.
The internal ranks within SWORD don’t reflect the true capabilities of its members, who become ineligible for further promotion upon joining. Allegedly, the unit is helmed by X Drake, one of the Eleven Supernovas from the Worst Generation, while Koby appears to be its most powerful member.
Garp’s dedicated disciple, Koby has a longstanding connection with Luffy and Zoro. Through relentless training, he emerged as a formidable Marine, recently utilizing his advanced Haki during the encounter on Blackbeard’s Pirate Island. Another notable SWORD member is Prince Grus, a gifted officer who consumed the Glorp-Glorp Fruit.
Marine Bureau of Investigation
Heading the Marine Bureau of Investigation is Tensei (“Kurouma”), an elite division focused on examining and collecting information regarding significant incidents that transpire within the Navy’s jurisdiction.
The Science Unit and the SSG
The Navy also boasts a Science Unit, responsible for research and technological development, previously helmed by the brilliant scientist Dr. Vegapunk. His contributions enabled the Navy to acquire advanced innovations like the Pacifista cyborgs and Seastone coatings for their ships. His bodyguard, Sentomaru, serves as the Captain of this unit.
Recently, Vegapunk led the Special Science Group (SSG), a groundbreaking initiative that produced the Seraphim, a group of cyborgs integrating the Lineage Factor from former Seven Warlords and the remarkable abilities derived from Lunarian DNA. Following the disbanding of the unreliable Warlords during the Levely council, the Seraphim stepped in as their successors.
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