Edward Newgate/History

Childhood


After his home country, Sphinx, became too poor to be a member nation of the World Government, Newgate became an orphan. He became a pirate at an early age and supported his village with the money and resources he gained.

Younger Days in Piracy


Before forming the Whitebeard Pirates, he was just another crewmember in another crew going by his real name "Newgate" and that he was not interested in treasure, but instead wanted a family.

Sometime after this, at least 44 years ago, he joined the Rocks Pirates and invited a 15-year-old Kaidou to join under the command of Rocks D. Xebec, but eventually left after the God Valley Incident, 38 years ago, and at least 33 years ago, he would go on to form his own pirate crew, the Whitebeard Pirates.



30 years ago, Whitebeard and his crew were shipwrecked at Wano Country. They encountered Kozuki Oden and he asked to join his crew after a brief clash with Whitebeard.

Afterwards, Whitebeard and his crew had a feast with Oden and his retainers. Oden kept asking to join only to be turned down. Two weeks later, the Whitebeard Pirates tried to leave Oden behind, but he caught up to them and held onto a chain he attached to the ship. Izou also held onto Oden and got dragged away with him. After pulling Izou up onto the ship, Whitebeard gave Oden a test. If he could hold onto the chain for three days, he would be allowed into the crew. Just when Oden only had ten minutes left, he heard a woman in trouble and let go, drifting to an island. On the next day, Whitebeard found Oden and a woman named Toki confronted by Karma and his crew. Whitebeard defeated Karma and finally allowed Oden to join his crew. Inuarashi and Nekomamushi, who had stowed away on Whitebeard's ship, joined the crew as well.

Two years after Oden joined, Whitebeard decided to divide his crew into divisions and appointed Oden as commander of the second division. Sometime later, he met Marshall D. Teach and granted his request to join the Whitebeard Pirates. Around two years later, the Whitebeard Pirates arrived at an island and noticed a commotion that frightened even the animals.

After Oden confronted the Roger Pirates and got blown away by Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard and Roger clashed. The two crews battled for three days. After the battle, the crews formed a truce and exchanged gifts. Roger told Oden and Whitebeard about his intention to reach the final island in the Grand Line and asked to borrow Oden for a year. Though Whitebeard did not fully agree, Oden decided to join Roger. Whitebeard expressed his annoyance after Oden parted ways with his crew. He later found out that Inuarashi and Nekomamushi followed Oden as well.

Clashing of the Crews


Whitebeard, Roger, and Shiki ruled the seas in the days before the Great Age of Pirates. Whitebeard and Roger competed often. Whitebeard came to know certain members of Roger's crew, such as Shanks and Buggy. Somewhere along the Grand Line, Roger pulled away from Whitebeard and made it to Laugh Tale. At some point, the two grew to respect each other, and Whitebeard was one of those Roger met shortly before his death to say goodbye. During the meeting, Roger explained the Will of D.

After Roger's execution, Shiki broke out of Impel Down and had a meeting with Whitebeard aboard the Moby Dick. When Shiki attempted to form an alliance between the two of them, knowing that their combined power would be incredible, Whitebeard responded by threatening to have Shiki thrown overboard, which prompted Shiki to note how Whitebeard had not changed. After claiming it was "Whitebeard's time", Shiki informed him of his plan, leading Whitebeard to note Shiki was plotting something again.

The End of an Era


With Roger's execution and Shiki's seclusion, Whitebeard became the undisputed power of the sea for being the only one able to battle on equal terms with the Pirate King. Whitebeard was always fully aware of events in the Grand Line playing out around him, such as the frequent dueling between Dracule Mihawk and Shanks. In time, the World Government came to dub him, Big Mom, Kaidou, and Shanks as the four strongest pirates in the New World, the Four Emperors.

Sometime after the beginning of the Great Age of Pirates, Whitebeard went to Fish-Man Island and freed it from pirate attacks, stating that the attacking pirates had nerve attacking his old friend's kingdom. He claimed the island as his territory, and in doing so restored peace to the island. He defended Fish-Man Island because he was a good friend of King Neptune, with the two having drank together in the past. Ever since Whitebeard declared Fish-Man Island as his territory, no pirate dared to harm any of the fish-men and merfolk.

Expectations and Murder


At some point in the three years prior to Monkey D. Luffy setting out on his adventure, Whitebeard read about Portgas D. Ace's increasing fame as the captain of the Spade Pirates and how Ace refused the offer of a Warlord of the Sea position. Right after the five-day fight between Ace and Jinbe, Whitebeard approached the Spade Pirates aboard the Moby Dick and told his own crew that he would deal with Ace alone.

Whitebeard defeated both Ace and his crew without a single scratch on him. After the confrontation, Whitebeard, aware of Ace's talent, drafted him into his crew, eventually allowing him to become commander of his Second Division despite Ace's young age and multiple attempts to assassinate him.

Around this time, Ace told Whitebeard about his father being Gol D. Roger, but Whitebeard claimed it did not matter because everyone was a son of the sea.

At some point, Ace talked with Whitebeard about going to war with Kaidou to liberate Wano Country. Despite having found out about Oden's death several years after it happened, Whitebeard never agreed to this request fearing he would cause casualties, and many would have lost their lives.

When Blackbeard, who was back then a member of Ace's division, murdered the Fourth Division commander Thatch in order to acquire a Devil Fruit he had found, Ace decided to hunt down Blackbeard by himself. Even though Whitebeard did not want him to go because he felt uneasy about the situation, Ace left anyway.

Jaya Arc
Sometime later, Rockstar arrived, carrying a letter to Whitebeard from his own captain, Shanks. Unimpressed that Shanks sent him a letter instead of coming to see him in person, Whitebeard tore it up in front of Rockstar, whom he told that Shanks should see him in person and bring some good sake.

Post-Enies Lobby Arc
After fighting through a Marine blockade that had been set up to prevent them from meeting and knocking out dozens of the Whitebeard Pirates with Haoshoku Haki, Shanks finally arrived to talk with Whitebeard about Ace and Blackbeard. Whitebeard talked about Gol D. Roger and Shanks' past as an apprentice pirate on Roger's ship alongside Buggy. Whitebeard noted how the duels between Shanks and Mihawk still ringed in his ear. When the subject of his missing left arm was brought up, Shanks replied that he bet it on the new age.



When Shanks asked him to stop Ace because he did not feel he was ready to face Blackbeard, Whitebeard laughed off Shanks' request, saying that he was 100 years too young to tell him what to do before telling him that Blackbeard must be taught a lesson about morality. Claiming he had nothing to fear, Whitebeard clashed with Shanks, causing the heavens above to split.

Sabaody Archipelago Arc
Whitebeard and his pirate crew went to prevent Ace's execution, and the Marines and Seven Warlords of the Sea gathered to face him.

Whitebeard's flagship, the Moby Dick, had started to move, and Whitebeard had taken out all 23 ships keeping an eye on him in an instant, leaving the Marines completely clueless as to exactly where and when he would attack. Kaidou tried to attack Whitebeard, but Shanks intercepted him.

Marineford Arc


Whitebeard's fleet infiltrated Marineford Bay by sailing underwater through coating, and four of their five ships rose up to confront the Marines. Standing on the bow of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard unleashed two massive quakes on each side of the island, and Ace asked why they came to rescue him, as it was his fault he was captured. However, Whitebeard lied that he had told Ace to go after Blackbeard, which Marco affirmed. Whitebeard watched as his quakes caused two massive tsunamis to come toward Marineford, but they were frozen by Admiral Aokiji. Aokiji attacked Whitebeard, and the Emperor shattered his ice body with a quake, but the admiral froze the bay in response. Dracule Mihawk and Admiral Kizaru then unleashed a barrage of long-range laser attacks on Whitebeard, but the attacks were respectively stopped by Jozu and Marco. Admiral Akainu launched magma meteors into the bay, but Whitebeard caught one of them on his naginata without issue.



Little Oars Jr. of the Little Pirates made his way into the bay, and Whitebeard did not approve of his reckless actions, but acceded to his giant subordinate's wishes. Whitebeard was solemn when Oars Jr. was brought down by Gecko Moria, and Vice Admiral Lonz of the Giant Squad attempted to attack him by surprise. However, Whitebeard brought him down with a single quake-powered punch and told his subordinates to press on past their fallen comrade. When he saw several Marines communicating via Den Den Mushi, Whitebeard wondered what Fleet Admiral Sengoku was planning.

Whitebeard then saw as a ship containing Impel Down escapees fell onto the bay from the sky. One of the escapees was Crocodile, who attempted to attack Whitebeard and get revenge on him. However, Ace's brother Monkey D. Luffy kicked Crocodile away. Whitebeard warned Luffy that he would be throwing his life away by entering the battlefield and attempted to intimidate him, but Luffy did not care and brashly proclaimed that he would become Pirate King, not Whitebeard. Whitebeard was stunned, but quickly became impressed. Luffy told Whitebeard that Ace's execution was set to be moved up, and when Marco came with the same news, Whitebeard told him to remain calm. When Luffy went out onto the battlefield, Sengoku revealed to everyone that he was the son of Monkey D. Dragon, and Whitebeard told Marco that he would not forgive him if he let Luffy die.



In order to neutralize any potential nuisance from the Impel Down escapees under Buggy's command, Whitebeard called out to Buggy and proposed an alliance, which the pirate delightfully accepted. Whitebeard attempted to contact Squard, but could not reach him, so he called the Decalvan Brothers instead and ordered them to split up the subordinate crews and lead them around the bay in both directions. Whitebeard grew annoyed when Crocodile continued fighting against his crew, but Crocodile was then dealt with by Jozu. Whitebeard then saw as Sentomaru led an army of Pacifista into the bay from the outside. Squard came onto the Moby Dick to report that their forces in the rear were being hit hard, and Whitebeard decided to join the fight. However, Squard then stabbed Whitebeard through the chest. Squard revealed that he had heard the Whitebeard Pirates and Marines made a deal for Whitebeard and Ace to survive during the war in exchange for the lives of Whitebeard's subordinate crews. Understanding that Squard felt betrayed by Ace's heritage, Whitebeard embraced and forgave him, saying he hated Gol D. Roger, but would not treat Ace differently because he was the late Pirate King's son; he loved all of his sons equally. Whitebeard then unleashed quakes that shattered the frozen tsunamis and gave his subordinates a way to escape, and he warned that anyone who stayed should be prepared to lose their lives as he leaped onto the battlefield.



Whitebeard charged into battle and clashed with John Giant of the Giant Squad. He unleashed a massive earthquake that tilted the entire island to one side and hit John Giant with a large shockwave. The shockwave continued toward Ace's execution platform, but it was stopped by the three admirals. The Marines then put up an encircling wall between the pirates and Ace, and Whitebeard watched as Akainu destroyed the Moby Dick with magma fists. He silently apologized to his ship and unleashed a quake at part of the encircling wall, but it only bent slightly. With Oars Jr. leaving an opening in the wall and regaining consciousness, Whitebeard told him to stay there as he prepared for his crew to charge into the plaza. The crew's final ship then surfaced, and Whitebeard had Oars Jr. pull it through the gap in the wall, allowing the crew to invade the plaza. Whitebeard then unleashed a devastating attack that took out dozens of Marines.



Whitebeard attempted to attack again but was frozen by Aokiji. However, the quake he had formed shattered the ice, and he attacked the admiral with his naginata. Aokiji attempted to move through his naginata but was attacked by Jozu. Whitebeard caught a heavily injured Luffy after the latter was kicked away by Kizaru, and the admiral mocked Whitebeard for putting his trust in someone so weak. Whitebeard threw Luffy to his subordinates for his wounds to be treated, and then clashed with Akainu. When Monkey D. Garp attacked Marco, Whitebeard told his subordinates not to overestimate the vice admiral as he directed Akainu's magma attack into a settlement, destroying much of it. However, Whitebeard was suddenly seized by a sick cough, allowing Akainu to strike him.



Whitebeard was then attacked by several Marines and was hit by multiple blades and bazooka shots. However, he proceeded to fight them off, refusing to die until he had secured his sons' safety, and several fighters gathered to defend him from behind. The Marines then attempted to execute Ace, and Whitebeard was unable to stop them. To his surprise, however, Luffy knocked out the guards by unleashing Haoshoku Haki. As Whitebeard continued fighting off Marines, he told his subordinates to back up Luffy. When Kizaru attempted to stop Luffy from reaching the execution platform, Whitebeard attacked the admiral. However, Kizaru shot Whitebeard through the chest and resumed going after Luffy. Despite this, Whitebeard watched as Luffy was able to free Ace.



With Ace freed, Squard and his men attempted to ride the ship into the plaza in order to allow Whitebeard and his crew to escape. However, Whitebeard stopped the ship singlehandedly. He then declared that everyone was to escape while he would meet his end here at the end of this era, and he prepared for his final stand against the Marines. He rejected his crew's pleas against this and started attacking once more. Upon seeing Ace nearby, Whitebeard asked if Ace thought he was a good father, which Ace affirmed. However, Ace was soon fatally injured by Akainu, and Whitebeard wept as he watched his son die.



Enraged at the death of Ace, Whitebeard brutally attacked Akainu with a quake punch to the head, and although Akainu responded by burning off a portion of his head, Whitebeard attacked him again with a powerful strike that heavily damaged Marine Headquarters. The attack created a chasm that separated Whitebeard from his crew as the Emperor continued fighting the Marines with ferocity. However, the battle was then interrupted by the arrival of the Blackbeard Pirates.



Whitebeard immediately unleashed a quake at the wall Blackbeard was standing on, intending to avenge Thatch. Blackbeard stripped Whitebeard of his Devil Fruit powers with the Yami Yami no Mi, but Whitebeard struck his former son with his naginata before furiously slamming his head into the ground with a quake-imbued punch. Blackbeard then told his subordinates to attack, and he and his crew struck Whitebeard with several bullets and blades. Whitebeard told Blackbeard that despite carrying the initial D., he was not one of the people Roger was waiting for. He then proclaimed to the Marines that the discovery of the One Piece would result in a grand battle that engulfed the entire world, declaring that the One Piece did indeed exist. Whitebeard silently apologized to his crew and bid them farewell. He then died after having been slashed and stabbed 267 times, shot by 152 bullets, and hit by 46 cannonballs. Even in death, however, he remained standing, and did not have a single wound on his back.

Postmortem


After Whitebeard's death, Blackbeard used an unknown method to steal Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi powers from the corpse. When Shanks arrived to end the war, Whitebeard's and Ace's bodies were taken for a proper burial, a request that Sengoku allowed despite Vice Admiral Doberman wanting to show their heads to the world to symbolize the Marines' victory. Whitebeard, along with Ace, were buried on an island near Whitebeard's homeland somewhere in the New World.

His coat and naginata were made into a grave marker, with his pirate flag tied to it and a bouquet of flowers hanging from the halberd's handle. His grave was put beside Ace's and filled with flowers and swords left behind by his crew members, and the members themselves stood on either side of the island, paying their last respects to the two deceased.

From the Decks of the World


Two years later, the grave markers had become tattered with age. Sabo visited them and placed a bottle of sake and three cups on a crate next to Ace's grave, pinning the recent newspaper article of the Straw Hats' return onto Ace's grave as a message to him that Luffy is doing fine.

Legacy
Whitebeard's death was a devastating blow to the balance of power in the world. Because of his great power and influence, many of the islands he controlled as protectorates descended into anarchy as pirates began invading his territory. One of the more prominent pirates was his assassin, Blackbeard, who annexed most of Whitebeard's territory. Nonetheless, Whitebeard's dying words provoked the New Age of piracy and inspired countless pirates to voyage to the New World, just as Gol D. Roger did.

One year ago, the Whitebeard Pirates, led by Marco, attempted to avenge their fallen captain by taking down Blackbeard in what became known as the Payback War, but suffered a complete and utter defeat by Teach and his crew, forcing them to disband and disappear into obscurity. This victory, coupled with annexing most of Whitebeard's territory, allowed him to be recognized as his former captain's replacement in the Four Emperors. In addition, Buckingham Stussy and Edward Weevil—who claim to be the late Emperor's lover and son, respectively—are going after all his subordinates in order to claim his non-existent fortune.