SWORD

SWORD is a Marine Headquarters Secret Special Force (機密特殊部隊) that consists of Marines who have formally resigned themselves from the actual command structure of the organization, but still operate on its behalf.

Overview
According to Kuzan, members of SWORD "are Marines, but also not". On paper, they have submitted their resignations and turned in their identification codes, but in reality they still retain their loyalty and can operate as part of the Marine forces.

Unlike ordinary Marines, members of SWORD are allowed the freedom to disregard any orders they choose and can move and act as they please without repercussion, meaning they can take on missions that are normally forbidden or would otherwise require clearance, such as starting a confrontation with one of the Four Emperors. In return, the Marines and the World Government assume no responsibility for their actions and can disavow or cut off any remaining ties with SWORD members should it become a convenient option. They also have no obligation to help or rescue SWORD personnel who get into trouble; but conversely, this also means that other members of SWORD can go out of their way to rescue their captured counterparts without clearance from the higher-ups. In a way, SWORD acts as a black ops division within the generally law-abiding Marines, with Kuzan even describing them as "wild-card commandos".

Because of the nature of their organization, SWORD members can take the mantle of pirates in order to further legitimize their actions, as is the case with X Drake. That said, SWORD members are permitted to station themselves in Marine bases or join official Marine squads during missions. It is also possible for members of SWORD to return to the Marines as full-fledged personnel, even if they have been assigned a bounty as criminals. Members can also still be promoted to higher Marine ranks.

They are not informed of Cipher Pol's operations and their covert activities. In addition, there appears to be some animosity between SWORD and CP0, as Guernica did not see any issue in attempting to kill Drake despite both individuals belonging to World Government-affiliated organizations.

Strength
Although the current strength of the group is unknown, the accomplishments of its members are notable.


 * X Drake: Captain (隊長) of SWORD and former Marine Rear Admiral, formerly undercover as a member of Kaidou's Beasts Pirates, and an infamous member of the Worst Generation. Within two years of joining Kaidou's crew, Drake was able to become a member of the Tobiroppo, a group that is considered the strongest of the Shinuchi. He is the user of the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Allosaurus.
 * Prince Grus: A Marine Rear Admiral who was able to easily take down Gotti, a member of the Fire Tank Pirates with a bounty of 90,000,000. He is the user of the Gunyo Gunyo no Mi.
 * Kujaku: A Marine Rear Admiral who is the granddaughter of Tsuru, a Vice Admiral famous for her tactical skills. She is the user of the Muchi Muchi no Mi.
 * Koby: Marine Captain and an important figure during the Rocky Port Incident, which granted him the title of "Hero". For that reason, he is worth 5 stars under the Cross Guild bounty system, a value that is beyond the usual for Marine captains. Trained by Vice Admiral Garp, a legendary Marine.
 * Hibari: Marine Commander and an associate of Koby. A very skilled sniper who utilizes Vegapunk's GP flower technology for combat.
 * Helmeppo: Marine Lieutenant Commander and partner of Koby. Also trained by Vice Admiral Garp.

"Gang" Bege's Oh My Family
Prince Grus and his squad were sent to Dressrosa after Bege and tracked down who they believed to be his wife, Charlotte Chiffon, and captured her. Gotti, a member of the Fire Tank Pirates saw the squad and gave chase, only to be defeated by Grus. Gotti later attacked their ship and rescue Chiffon's sister, Charlotte Lola.

Wano Country Arc


X Drake contacted Koby from Wano Country to debrief him on the progress of an unknown mission. He also updated Koby on Kaidou and Big Mom's alliance. Drake revealed that CP0 was also present in Wano, to which Koby reacted with shock and foreboding. Koby then informed Drake that the Seven Warlords of the Sea had been abolished and that he was sailing in a fleet of Marines to apprehend Boa Hancock on Amazon Lily. However, Koby failed to arrest Hancock for being too weak against her as well he and the Marines (along with the Blackbeard Pirates) were droved off Amazon Lily by Silvers Rayleigh and Shakuyaku.

Egghead Arc
After the Blackbeard Pirates kidnapped Koby, both Helmeppo and Hibari begged Prince Grus's help in rescuing Koby but were denied due to Grus's unwillingness to go to war against the Emperor in their own territory, even with a Seraphim unit, and Drake's unavailability. SWORD later accompanied Monkey D. Garp to Hachinosu and rescue Koby from the Blackbeard Pirates, engaging in heavy battle with them. They succeeded in rescuing Koby and managed to escape, but only because Garp chose to stay behind on the island full of pirates so that the others could escape.

Trivia

 * Their name, SWORD, contrasts them with CP0, whose full name is Cipher Pol Aigis Zero. The word "Aigis" comes from the word "Aegis", meaning "Shield" in ancient Greek.
 * Volume 4000000000 states that the two groups are "rivals".

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