One Piece Pirates Who Would Make The Best Marines

In One Piece, many characters believe piracy is an occupation filled with self-interested criminals who will stop at nothing to enrich themselves. However, even within the confines of the narrative itself, things are not as simple and plain. The failures of the World Government have been well-documented, and at various points in the story, are tied directly to why certain characters turned to lives of crime.

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The Marines claim to uphold justice and keep civilians safe, yet how many do this in practice is a heavily contestable number. The Absolute Justice philosophy that is their supposed credo has far more to do with punishing criminals at any cost than any other aspect of “justice.” One would wonder if the Marines wouldn’t be better if these pirates served in their ranks. To various ends, many of these pirates have shown themselves to be effective at upholding justice.

1

Monkey D. Luffy

Justice As Freedom

Monkey D. Luffy is the hero of the series, and appropriately, has been shown regularly performing the actions of one. While he has clashed with the World Government when he deems it necessary, more often he has been shown attacking other criminals, who themselves are far more unethical than he is. It has gotten to the point where Luffy has had to put out the fires the government has caused by pardoning pirates for the sake of deputizing them. Additionally, Luffy has traveled to territories the government has no jurisdiction or obligation toward, and aided them in dealing with the criminals who controlled said lands.

He is an innately heroic individual who received a lot of his early training from Monkey D. Garp, a hero in the navy, who is also one of its current instructors. The Marines would certainly be viewed more positively if he was one of them. That said, he has regularly voiced his displeasure with the idea. His foster brother, Portgas D. Ace, has noted that, like himself, Luffy is the son of an infamous criminal (in the latter’s case, Monkey D. Dragon, a former marine who led the Revolutionary Army.) Moreover, Luffy views pirates and, ultimately, the pirate king, as occupations that allow him to be free, rather than the tight rules and regulations of the navy. Yet it is perhaps this desire to spread “freedom” that allows for his heroism in the first place.

2

Shanks

From Noble To Criminal

• Crew: Red Hair Pirates, Roger Pirates (Formerly)

Shanks was born into the Figarland family. This family consisted of World Nobles, people whose wealth and privilege it is the utmost duty of the government to uphold. His father and brother were notable members of God’s Knights, a group with authority over even other World Nobles. He ended up losing his prestige, but only by accident. As an infant, he was stowed away inside a treasure chest, which was taken aboard by the Roger Pirates. He subsequently joined their crew as an apprentice and saw the future King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger, in action.

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After the crew disbanded, Shanks formed his own, the Red Hair Pirates. Shanks was on good terms with the rural Foosha Village, Luffy’s hometown, that Shanks’s crew helped protect. Shanks even saved Luffy’s life at the cost of his own arm and gave the pirate his straw hat, which had been a gift from his captain. Shanks’ brand of heroic piracy had influenced Luffy and had shown itself beyond his time in Foosha Village. Shanks also flagged certain territories, so that he could protect them from potential threats. Additionally, his fairly weak subordinate crews imply he is not above deputizing others for their protection. Despite having gained knowledge of his past at the highest echelons of society, Shanks is said to have rejected that position by his elder brother.

Although Shanks could have lived his life under the protection of the law, he instead helped protect those that the law may not have chosen as readily to help. It is likely his admiration for Roger and the life he lived made him never even consider traditional law as worth following for its own sake.

3

Nami

Greedy But Kind

• Crew: Straw Hat Pirates, Arlong Pirates (Formerly)

Nami was an orphan girl, being carried to a marine by another, slightly older orphan girl named Nojiko. The marine, whose name was Bell-Mère, would retire and raise the two girls as a single mother. Although the three loved each other very much, a young Nami was upset by the lack of resources in their home. This arguably influenced a level of greed that would rear its head throughout her career in piracy. She was forced to work under Arlong to protect her village but ultimately joined the Straw Hat Pirates once they defeated his crew.

Yet for whatever negative traits she has, she is shown to be a genuinely caring woman, who is willing to forgive others and has a soft spot for children. She prioritized the aid of the children being experimented on in Punk Hazard and was willing to cooperate with the Marines to ensure their safety. Despite putting up a front of selfishness, her virtuous traits are present when it matters. Her protective and caring nature are qualities less present in marines the higher up the ranks you go. While a few are seen doing genuine good, oftentimes they hurt more than they help. Despite being from a marine family like Luffy, Nami had a similar desire to see good done on her terms.

4

Edward “Whitebeard” Newgate

A Victim Of Marine Negligence

• Crew: Whitebeard Pirates, Rocks Pirates (Formerly)

Edward Newgate was an orphan hailing from the island of Sphinx. The island’s poverty was such that the marines would not protect it, as it had not paid the Heavenly Tribute, a tax imposed upon protected territories that would go toward funding the lavish lifestyles of World Nobles. As a result, the island became even poorer and was riddled with crime. When Newgate himself began his career in piracy, under the alias, Whitebeard, money was largely spent on aiding the citizens of Sphinx. He was also shown to have amassed other territories, and given at least a few of them his flag, a sign to all that capturing the land was a declaration of war against his massive crew.

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Due to their longstanding neglect of his home, it is unlikely Newgate would want to have anything to do with the Marines. However, his desire to protect others at all costs is a trait most genuinely heroic marines would praise, or at the very least, envy. That said, the only time any marines have been seen interacting with his territory is to capture the treasure hidden within.

5

Marco

Whitebeard’s Right Hand

Marco had been a member of the Whitebeard Pirates since a very young age. However, as time marched onward, he grew to be his captain’s primary confidant, gaining control of his crew’s first division. Even after his captain’s death, he still wants to carry out his vision. To this end, he traveled to Wano Country to help liberate it once and for all, likely as a favor to the late Kozuki Oden and his companions who had traveled with the Whitebeard Pirates.

Additionally, after Whitebeard’s death, Marco’s primary place of residence was Sphinx, where he became a doctor. He took this occupation to guarantee the island’s safety after his captain’s death. While his past has not been elaborated upon, it is likely he too was a child who slipped through the cracks, finding solace in his captain’s crew, which was meant to be the family he never had. Marco’s Devil Fruit showcases his compassionate side. He can use his Phoenix flames to heal himself but also mend others who suffer injury and disease. As one whose instinct is to rescue and heal, Marco would be an optimal marine.

6

Bartholomew Kuma

A Criminal Existence

• Crew: None, Previously Affiliated With The Revolutionary Army

Bartholomew Kuma is a mighty man from the buccaneer race, which consists of tall, giant-blooded humanoids. He was previously a slave in God Valley due to the persecution faced by his kind. However, after teaming up with a pair of other child slaves, known as Ivankov and Ginny, Kuma managed to escape and gain a Devil Fruit power. In his home of Sorbet Kingdom, Kuma had become a priest who healed elders with his Devil Fruit, which could remove their chronic pain.

He and Ginny later became members of the Revolutionary Army after Sorbet’s ruler planned to oppress portions of the population. Unfortunately, she was captured, dying of disease, forcibly married off to a noble, and ended up conceiving a child with said noble. Kuma took to raising the child, Jewelry Bonney, himself. Bonney was overcome with the same fatal disease as her mother, which led Kuma to consult Dr. Vegapunk. While Vegapunk found a cure, the terms upon which the deal had been altered led him to forcibly sacrifice his autonomy and become the template for a series of destructive cyborgs the government would create, known as Pacifistas. He was eventually added to the Seven Warlords of the Sea, becoming one of their most loyal members. However, even during this time, he took steps to aid both his former allies and the Straw Hat Pirates. After spending time as a mindless slave, Kuma fought against his programming and saved his adoptive daughter.

Despite the government wishing to have him under their thumb, Kuma could never be a proper marine due to the extent to which his race was persecuted. Yet how he was valued and treated by the government showcased the flaws in the navy are systemic. Rather than projecting his kind, caring nature, and the self-sacrificing ability he had along with it, they focused instead on copying his destructive side, giving a wholly incorrect impression of the man he was.

One Piece

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

Directors

Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

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  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

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  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)