Marines

The Marines are the seaborne military forces of the World Government, tasked with maritime law enforcement and naval warfare operations. They maintain a presence on all of the world's known seas, through countless branch offices; however, the vast majority of their forces are focused on the Grand Line, in which resides their base of operations, Marine Headquarters. Collectively, they stand as one of the Three Great Powers, alongside the Four Emperors and the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who were later replaced by the SSG.

Due to their actions and role, they are one of the major antagonist groups of the series overall, specifically they serve as the main antagonists in the Romance Dawn, Loguetown, Enies Lobby, Sabaody Archipelago, Marineford, Return to Sabaody and Egghead Arcs. They are also antagonists in various non-canon material, such as the Warship Island, Goat Island, G-8 and Marine Rookie filler Arcs, the fifth and eleventh movies, and the third, sixth and tenth specials.

Enlisting
The exact process of joining the Marines is unclear. It appears that one simply needs to ask to join and a ranking officer, presumably the base commander specifically, simply needs to approve the enlistment.

There are no enlistment restrictions regarding gender. While a majority of Marines are seen to be male, there is also a good number of female Marines, including Tsuru, Gion, Hina, Tashigi, Isuka and formerly Bell-mère. There also seems to be no restriction based on nationality. One can even enlist if the base they are enlisting at is outside their homeland, as seen when Koby enlisted at the base in Shells Town, even though he is from somewhere else. There also seems to be no restrictions regarding race; while a vast majority of Marines are human, they are known to also employ giants and (non-canonically) members of the Longarm Tribe. After enlisting, all Marines are assigned a unit, post, Marine code, and photo ID, which can be used to differentiate between fake Marines and the genuine article.

Not all people who join the Marines do so willingly; Mother Carmel was a human trafficker who sold children from her orphanage to the government to be trained as Marines. Another example is Kaidou; the king of his homeland enlisted him in the Marines so that their kingdom could have a place at the Levely and because the kingdom could not handle him.

It is currently unknown if there is minimum age requirement for joining the Marines. Canonically, the youngest known person to enlist in the Marines is Koby, who joined at the age of sixteen. Non-canonically, the youngest known person to enlist is Zephyr, who joined at the age of fourteen. Notably, the orphans that Caramel had been planning to sell to the government all appeared to be under the age of ten.

The Marines try to make sure that no pirates infiltrate their ranks. The Marines at the 153rd Branch in Shells Town had initially wanted to perform a background check on Koby. However, some pirates, such as Vergo, manage to join without the Marines realizing. A former pirate may join the Marines if they undergo a trial and are pardoned for past crimes, such was the case for Jango. It is also possible for a pirate to become a Marine if they have the recommendation of a Marine officer.

Duties


The duty of the Marines is to maintain a law and order throughout the world and impose the will and might of the World Government. The main purpose of the Marines is bringing any criminal to justice, with a particular focus on capturing pirates. They use justice as their constituted policy to manage a world that is made almost entirely of ocean much easier. They are generally divided between those who support Absolute Justice and those who support (generally more lax) personal justices, with the former being the code of conduct for the Marines as a central doctrine.

Amongst their duties is awarding bounty hunters the bounties for the head of a criminal. They tolerate bounty hunters as a method of making their jobs easier, but are known to go out bounty hunting themselves. Apprehended criminals who are brought in alive are handed over to be made an example of. The Marines are left to ensure the transportation of these criminals to prison and/or to their execution.

Higher-ranked Marines (admirals and the fleet admiral) are expected to be on call to lead the Marine forces into war. This may take the form of apprehending many criminals at once, protecting the World Nobles, or calling a Buster Call to tackle a situation. Vice admirals are the ones who serve on the ships that the admirals call out, and are tasked with carrying out the admirals' orders exactly.

Some high-ranking Marines are also involved in infiltrating notorious and/or dangerous pirate crews. The goals for infiltration may vary, from attempting to stop the intake of recruits to monitoring their activities. Also, high-ranking Marines may even be involved in the apprehension of notorious pirates and/or other criminals, to the extent that even an admiral can be tasked to do the job, as seen when Admiral Fujitora was dispatched by Fleet Admiral Sakazuki to arrest Monkey D. Luffy and Trafalgar D. Water Law.

Rank System
The system of military rank in place for the Marines is fairly straightforward, where each rank is clearly outlined. The Marines can be divided into two basic categories: Officers and Infantry. The officers hold a position of leadership while the infantry carry out the officers' orders. A Marine force will usually consist of one or two officers and multiple infantry soldiers.



Commanding Marines often work in pairs, with one superior officer and a second-in-command, or a subordinate who is of a lower rank. These partnerships may remain even during promotions, with both Marines advancing in rank together. In the pair, the higher ranked officer will give the orders to those under their command, while the other acts as an advisor or information gatherer while ensuring their partner's command is undertaken by the subordinates.

Higher ranking Marines are noticeably stronger than lower ranked ones; the admirals in particular are known as the World Government's Ultimate Powerhouses. Officers and recruits stationed at Marine Headquarters are considered "super-elites". All ranks present from "Lieutenant" above are usually trained here, exceptions being those in command of other Marine bases, which includes Axe-Hand Morgan and Nezumi.

It appears that higher ranked Marine Officers have the authority to poach subordinates from Marine Officers of a lower rank, as seen when Vice Admiral Garp transferred Koby and Helmeppo to his command from Commander Ripper.

The ranks within the Marines from highest to lowest are as follows:

Commissioned Marine Officers



 * Fleet Admiral (元帥)
 * Admiral (大将)
 * Vice Admiral (中将)
 * Rear Admiral (少将)
 * Commodore (准将)
 * Captain (大佐)
 * Commander (中佐)
 * Lieutenant Commander (少佐)
 * Lieutenant (大尉)
 * Lieutenant Junior Grade (中尉)
 * Ensign (少尉)

Infantry and Sailor Division



 * Warrant Officer (准尉)
 * Master Chief Petty Officer (曹長)
 * Chief Petty Officer (軍曹)
 * Petty Officer (伍長)
 * Seaman First Class (一等兵)
 * Seaman Apprentice (二等兵)
 * Seaman Recruit (三等兵) or Recruit (新兵)
 * Chore Boy (雑用) (not an official rank)

Special Ranks

 * Inspector General (大目付)
 * Instructor (教官)

Positions

 * Captain of the Science Unit (科学部隊隊長)
 * Captain of SWORD (「SWORD」隊長)
 * Director of Marine Bureau of Investigation (海軍犯罪捜査局)
 * Base Commander (基地長)

Non-Canon Positions

 * Special Operations Advisor (特別作戦参謀)
 * Special Inspector (特別監査官)
 * Fleet Commodore (提督)
 * (Base) Commander (司令官)
 * Chief (所長)

Rank Insignia
The Marines do not have a system of rank insignia per se. However, there is a significant variation in the kinds of uniforms worn by Marines of different rankings, with many opting to wear a variety of dress showcasing their own eccentric style. However, as a general rule, uniform guidelines are as follows:


 * Upon first entering the Marines, new recruits are given the standard uniform, consisting of a white short-sleeved button-up shirt displaying the Marine emblem, a simplified seagull, with "MARINE" underneath it on the back, and two horizontal blue lines around the collar; a blue neckerchief; dark blue trousers; and a white baseball cap, aqua-green in the front, with "MARINE" across the front in blue letters. All officers at the rank of Seaman (一等兵) and below wear this.
 * Originally, Marines were known to wear dark brown shoes with dusty-blue colored tape tied around their ankles. Later in the series, the standard footwear was changed to black boots.
 * The quasi-rank of "Chore Boy" (雑用) adds the kanji 雑 Zatsu ("various" or "odds and ends") to the sleeves, which are slightly longer, and to the Marine emblem on the back.


 * Once an officer has reached the rank of Petty Officer (伍長), he or she can choose from a number of different uniforms, including his or her own personal clothes. Only those who want to appear "sailor-like" will continue to wear a more traditional uniform. This uniform is generally the standard Marine infantry outfit, but with the addition of red and blue epaulettes.


 * Sailors at the rank of Ensign (少尉) and above are allowed to wear the coat with "Justice" (正義) on the back. This coat tends to be worn like a cape, draped over the shoulders with the arms not in the sleeves. It should be noted that the sleeves of these coats are often much longer than the wearers' arms.


 * For the rank of Lieutenant-Commander (少佐) and above, a suit worn underneath the "Justice" coat is the preferred attire. Individual officers are free to choose the suit's color and pattern.

There are, of course, exceptions: Jango and Fullbody wear their own clothes with the "MARINE" hat, despite holding the rank of "Seaman Recruit" (三等兵). This may have something to do with the exceptional circumstances by which both of these men were brought into their present situation (Jango been a former pirate with a bounty and Fullbody being a Lieutenant who was demoted), the leniency of their commanding officer, or just the fact that the dress code is not strictly enforced. Also, low rank soldiers stationed at G-5 tend to not wear the full uniform due to their disregard for the rules, to the point of wearing slacks and/or wearing a bucket as a hat.

Some high ranking officers are also known to disregard the standard dress code. Smoker continues to be shirtless under his jacket, which he wears under his marine officer coat. Admiral Fujitora also foregoes the conventional suit and tie, and retains his personal clothes underneath his Marine coat.

Some Marines, particularly high-ranking ones, have special custom colors in their coats. While Sengoku was an admiral, his Marine coat sported red epaulettes, instead of the usual yellow that is commonly worn by an admiral. Garp and Tsuru also wear their special epaulettes, as Garp wears red and black, while Tsuru wears purple with white dot epaulettes, and Zephyr's were blue. Similarly, top ranked Marines' coats also have custom-colored cuffs, with the Admirals for example having all of their coat cuffs match their color scheme.

Promotion and Demotion
It is currently unknown what the exact standard is for a Marine to be promoted to a higher rank. The only time a Marine is seen being promoted in the series is when Smoker and Tashigi were both promoted by one rank following the defeat of Crocodile.

A Marine does have the right to reject the offer of promotion and remain at their current rank, as evidenced by Vice Admiral Garp rejected the promotion to Admiral numerous times.

Marines can also be demoted to a lower rank. Fullbody was demoted from Lieutenant to Seaman Recruit as a condition for his friend Jango to be pardoned for his past crimes as a pirate.

Special Units and Departments
In addition to the main military forces, the Marines have employees in charge of several services with the intent of supporting the main troops, including chefs and kitchen employees, doctors, or scientists.

The Marines also have special divisions and squads within their general hierarchy. Those divisions are usually in charge of specific tasks and missions beyond the usual Marine duties and tend to feature their own leadership and ranks. Known units include:

Science Unit Division
The Science Unit (科学部隊) is the Marines' scientific research and development team, consisting of scientists and led by Dr. Vegapunk, the world's smartest man, with his bodyguard Sentomaru acting as captain. The science team is primarily responsible for most of the special technology found in the hands of Marines, including, for example, the use of seastone lining on Marine battleships, which allows those to cross the Calm Belt without disturbing the resident Sea Kings. Another major achievement of this unit consists of the Pacifista project.

Within the Science Unit, there also exists a special group known as the SSG that is intended to replace the Seven Warlords of the Sea within the Three Great Powers structure of the world through the Seraphim project.

Giant Squad
The Giant Squad (巨人部隊) is a Marine group composed solely of giants. During the Summit War of Marineford, they were assigned with the duty of protecting the execution platform holding Portgas D. Ace.

SWORD
SWORD is a secret unit within the Marines consisting of publicly resigned Marines, apparently led by X Drake. Despite their status, they can still operate on the Marines' behalf and are not beholden to orders from higher command, but are considered expendable should their actions prove troublesome.

Bureau of Investigation Division
The Marine Bureau of Investigation (海軍犯罪捜査局) is a Marine division in charge of investigating and collecting data of major incidents happening within their jurisdiction. They are led by Tensei, the division's director.

They were summoned by Akainu to investigate the events that happened during the latest Levely, particularly the surprise assault of the Revolutionary Army and the murder of King Cobra of Arabasta Kingdom, as well as the supposed disappearance of his daughter.

Communications Department
The Communications Department (通信部) is a Marine division in charge of detecting, intercepting and tracing Den Den Mushi calls from outlaw organizations, such as the Revolutionary Army.

Before the Lulusia Kingdom was wiped off the map, the department had managed to locate Sabo while he made an emergency call to his fellow revolutionaries. However, to prevent the intel Sabo held from being revealed to the department itself, the Five Elders ordered the whole operation to be cut off and dismissed with no acknowledgement that it was made in the first place.

Photography Department
The Marines' Photography Department (海軍写真部) is the Marine unit responsible for taking pictures of pirates and other criminals to utilize in wanted posters. They were once led by Attach, until he got fired for frequent mistakes.

Military Powers


Although the exact total number of Marines in the world is unknown, it is without a doubt the mightiest military power in the world of One Piece. The last time there was an assembly of a massive force was during the execution of Portgas D. Ace. The number reported to have assembled was around 100,000-foot soldiers, accompanied by 50 Battleships. In the aftermath of the war, it was shown that Marine bases all around the world still had a very large number of troops stationed there during the battle.

Marines are allowed to wield whatever weapon they are most comfortable with, no matter how unusual they may be. They are even free to fight bare-handed. Some Marines possess Devil Fruit powers, some of which are very strong and versatile.

The Marines enlist not only humans, but also giants as well. Including Vice Admiral John Giant, there are currently nine known giants in the Marines. Later, they added the mechanized Pacifistas to their ranks, which have the physical form of Bartholomew Kuma with the augmentation of Admiral Kizaru's laser beams.

They were also aided by the dreaded Seven Warlords of the Sea, seven extremely powerful pirate captains who assist them in their endeavors in exchange for no longer being considered wanted criminals. The Warlord system was later abolished and replaced by the SSG and their Seraphim.

Then there are the powerhouses in the form of the Admirals, as well as numerous Marine officers who are not only strong and effective, but also have made their names known and remembered. Last but not least, they also boasted possibly the strongest Marines to have ever lived, Former Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Former Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, though the two of them have since retired.



The strongest offense the Marines can unleash is the Buster Call; an assault of ten battleships lead by five Vice Admirals. The Buster Call is equal in strength to an entire nation's military and the target island is completely destroyed, the buildings, the people, even the island itself. Within the Marines, only the three admirals and the fleet admiral have the authority to order a Buster Call, of course, they could bestow the privilege onto someone else temporarily.

The Marines are protected by their Headquarters Marineford, later relocated to New Marineford, which is one of, if not the strongest Marine Fortress in the Grand Line, with numerous defense mechanisms and artillery in almost every direction.

It is a force formed all for the sake of defending, ensuring, and enforcing the might of Justice. With the battle against Whitebeard's forces that came to a close, they emerged victorious, although many had perished as a result. However, that did not stop the uninterrupted march of the Marines, as they have spent most of their time rebuilding their damaged forces. With Whitebeard's final proclamation bringing about a new wave of pirates and new military staff reassignment with Admiral Akainu becoming Fleet Admiral, the Marines have doubled their efforts in cracking down on the new surge of pirates, especially in the New World.

With the way things are progressing, it is most likely that another war will start, and the Marines might have to conjure an even greater force to combat what is to come.

Questionable Actions
The main problem within the Marines is their approach to Justice. There is little worry from the higher-ranked Marines as to how the Justice is carried out, so long as it is, leading those who truly support absolute justice to take questionable actions in carrying out their duties. In some cases, even causing more damage than the pirates they were trying to stop would have, sometimes deliberately. Examples include the destruction of Ohara and the decimation of Flevance.



As the main military force of the World Government, they are considered the key strategic development force in the World Government and are expected to obey. Sometimes these orders are questionable; however, they are expected to carry them out no matter what, even if it means sacrificing allied Marines. Those who do not obey the orders will be punished with death.



The Marines were also aided by the Seven Warlords of the Sea, seven powerful pirate Captains who have been pardoned by the government in exchange for their impressive combat prowess being at their beck and call. A severe act of hypocrisy, as the main practice of the Marines is to capture pirates. Several Marines, such as Aokiji, Akainu, Smoker, Sengoku, Kizaru, and Fujitora think of the Seven Warlords of the Sea as no more than pirates. In turn, the Seven Warlords of the Sea have no obligations to obey the Marines unless under the direct orders of the World Government itself. The Warlords also continue their pirate activities, with the Marines being unable to do anything about it.

One of the most questionable parts of their "Justice" is when it comes to slavery. Despite the practice supposedly being abolished years before, it is often shown that they just look the other way. Especially when it comes to the slaves of the World Nobles', where it is even seen as a crime to free said slaves, even if the person is merely a child. Often, they are tasked in finding and retrieving the person to be a slave once again. The Marines have even purchased promising children from slave traders to be recruited and trained into soldiers.

Another part of the hypocrisy of the Marines is when it comes to their treatment of islands that are not affiliated with the World Government. By law, Marines are not allowed to aid unaffiliated island, meaning they're not allowed take any actions against pirates present there. However, whenever any Marine sets foot on an island that is not affiliated with the World Government, they are no longer bound by usual laws. Therefore, they are basically allowed to do whatever they please and treat anyone on the island anyway they like, including murdering them should they feel like it. In worse cases, corrupted Marines would sometimes invade unaffiliated islands for personal interests and attack defenseless citizens in a similar manner to pirates. Strangely, Marines can still arrest pirates on unaffiliated island if they want to, as Admiral Ryokugyu had entered Wano Country to kill Luffy after the Raid on Onigashima and arrested Edward Weevil on Sphinx.

The New Age
In the aftermath of the Summit War of Marineford, because of Blackbeard's actions and the death of Whitebeard, a new age has begun upon the world and the "Age of Pirates" that Roger established has ended. Thus began a new time for the Marines as well. With the greatest Marines, Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp resigning, a power vacuum for the position of fleet admiral occurred.

Despite Sengoku's recommendation for Aokiji to replace him as leader of the Marines, the upper echelons of the world government wanted Akainu to become fleet admiral. While Aokiji is normally very laid back, he was quite adamant in his disapproval of Akainu receiving the promotion.



The two admirals commenced a ten-day duel on the island of Punk Hazard. The whole world knows of the duel, but details of what happened during the battle were agreed to be kept secret. It was decided that the loser would withdraw his candidacy without complaint and the winner would become the new fleet admiral.

Both admirals were heavily injured, but ultimately Akainu managed to win and therefore became the new leader of the Marines. However, after the battle, Akainu spared his rival's life, his reasons for this remain unknown. Aokiji, disliking Akainu and his methods and not wanting to serve under him, resigned from the Marines and disappeared.

To compensate the loss of so much military power, the World Government granted the Marines unprecedented power, and with Sakazuki as the new fleet admiral, the organization has become a much more powerful organization of justice.



To better combat the forces of the Four Emperors and all the other pirates strong enough to handle the New World Akainu had the base of operations for the Marines relocated to the New World. It is now on an island known as New Marineford, which was previously the location of the G-1 base, which is now located at the old Marine Headquarters in Marineford.

The Marines also held a World Military Draft to conscript additional troops, among them were the two new admirals that took Aokiji and Akainu's places.

Past
Exactly how long the Marines have been around for is unknown, as well as how they were created; however, it has been commented that Marineford has been their "stronghold/watchpost of justice" for centuries, implying that they have existed for quite a while.



Over 100 years ago, the Marines issued bounties to the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, Dorry and Brogy. 100 years ago, the Marines captured the other members of the crew after they dispersed, and prepared to execute them. However, the execution was staged in coordination with the underworld dealer Carmel, who appeared during the execution to spare the giants' lives. This move allowed Carmel to establish an orphanage in the powerful giant country of Elbaf, where she secretly sold children of all races to be enlisted by the Marines and Cipher Pol. Within 37 years, John Giant became the first giant ever to enlist in the Marines thanks to Carmel, and he would be joined by several more over the years. The Marines' partnership with Carmel was ended when she died 62 years ago.

Ten years later, Oimo and Kashii of the Giant Warrior Pirates were captured by the Marines and tricked into working on Enies Lobby under the impression that Dorry and Brogy were imprisoned.

Fifty-six years ago, Monkey D. Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru joined the Marines and gained high rankings and renown during their careers.



Garp became known as the "Hero of the Marines" 38 years ago due to the God Valley Incident, where he and the pirate Gol D. Roger joined forces to defeat the dangerous pirate Rocks D. Xebec and his crew the Rocks Pirates. In the next two decades, Garp would pursue and corner Roger frequently as the latter ultimately became Pirate King.



27 years ago, Garp and Sengoku attempted to stop a clash between Roger and Shiki. Three years later, Roger turned himself in to the World Government and was set to be executed. Shiki attacked Marineford in retaliation, but was defeated by Garp and Sengoku and imprisoned in Impel Down. However, Shiki managed to escape from Impel Down two years later.

After Roger's death, the Marines continued pursuing people who were connected to him, and later arrested and executed Tom, who had built his ship, the Oro Jackson.

Twenty-two years ago, around the time when Shiki escaped from Impel Down, the World Government discovered that scholars on Ohara were studying the Poneglyphs and commissioned a Marine Buster Call. Five vice admirals, including Sakazuki and Kuzan, led the attack and utterly destroyed Ohara and its scholars, with Sakazuki killing the other citizens in order to ensure no scholar survived. Vice Admiral Jaguar D. Saul defected against the Marines and allowed the young Nico Robin to escape, causing the Marines to pursue her for her ability to read the Poneglyphs.

Shortly before the present day, X Drake, the captain of the secret unit SWORD and a rear admiral, left the Marines in order to work undercover as a pirate, forming the Drake Pirates.

Romance Dawn Arc


The Marines stationed under Captain Morgan at Shells Town imprisoned Roronoa Zoro after he attacked Morgan's son Helmeppo; they planned to execute him later. Days afterward, they worked to erect a statue of Morgan, but the statue was broken when Monkey D. Luffy came flying in. Luffy captured Helmeppo and went to free Zoro as the Marines chased after him. Luffy blocked their bullets as Zoro was freed, and the two battled the Marines, defeating Morgan in the process.

Later, Luffy staged a fight in order to distance himself from Koby so that the latter could join the Marines. The Marines took Koby in and ordered the Straw Hats to leave, but thanked them for defeating their abusive captain.

Diary of Koby-Meppo
Koby and Helmeppo joined the Marines as cabin boys. One day, they served on a ship captained by Vice Admiral Garp that was taking the captive Morgan to face trial. However, Morgan escaped and brought his son with him as a hostage. Koby managed to prevent the Marines from killing Helmeppo with Morgan, and Helmeppo freed himself and returned as Morgan sailed away at large.

Baratie Arc
The Marine Fullbody came to Baratie to eat, but got in a fight with the chefs and was left badly beaten.

Arlong Park Arc
Commodore Pudding Pudding attempted to free the people of Cocoyasi Village from their captivity to the fish-man Arlong, but was killed by Arlong and his crew.

Captain Nezumi took bribes from Arlong to prevent Marine investigation. After Arlong was defeated, Nezumi attempted to take Arlong's credit and money, but was defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates; enraged, he made sure that Luffy was given a bounty. Afterward, Nezumi returned to the 16th Branch base and reported the incident to his superiors; where these offered a bounty of 30,000,000.

Loguetown Arc


Captain Smoker was stationed on Loguetown, where he successfully captured all pirates stepping foot in there. His petty officer Tashigi encountered Zoro while shopping for swords. Later, as the Buggy and Alvida Alliance failed to publicly execute Luffy, Smoker and his men raced to capture the pirates. Smoker trapped the Buggy and Alvida Alliance and succeeded in chasing and pinning down Luffy. Meanwhile, Tashigi angrily confronted Zoro, but was quickly defeated by him. Smoker was forced to free Luffy when a man unknown suddenly arrived, and the Straw Hats were able to escape Loguetown. Smoker then decided to go after Luffy, along with Tashigi, abandoning his post in Loguetown.

Jango's Dance Paradise
Fullbody participated in a dance contest at Mirror Ball Island, but lost to the disguised pirate Jango. Not knowing who he was, Fullbody struck up a quick friendship with Jango. Yurikah and the Tulip Pirates then attacked, managing to overpower Fullbody. Jango worked with Fullbody to defeat them, although he revealed his identity in the process. Jango was tried and set to be executed, but Fullbody bailed him out at the cost of a demotion. Jango then joined Fullbody as a cabin boy on Hina's ship.

Drum Island Arc
Smoker captured the Baroque Works agent Mr. 11 in order to find out more information about the organization.

Arabasta Arc


Smoker confronted Luffy again on the coast of Arabasta, but was stopped by Luffy's brother Ace, and the two fought to a stalemate. While the Marine ship was docked at Nanohana, the captive Mr. 11 was shot by his fellow agent Mr. Mellow.

Smoker later confronted the Straw Hats again at Rainbase, but they were led into Crocodile's seastone cage. They were eventually freed by Sanji, and Smoker decided to not arrest Luffy.

Smoker, Tashigi, and his men apprehended Crocodile upon his defeat. He later heard that he was the one to receive credit for Crocodile's defeat, to his anger.

When the Straw Hats set off from Arabasta, they were confronted by Hina and her troops. However, Mr. 2 Bon Kurei arrived and held off the Marines long enough for the pirates to escape.

Long Ring Long Land Arc
The Straw Hat Pirates encountered Marine Admiral Aokiji, who taunted them about Nico Robin and her checkered past. An angry Luffy attacked him, but Aokiji incapacitated almost the entire crew and froze Robin before facing off with Luffy, but easily defeated the captain. He decided to let them go, since he was indebted to Luffy's grandfather, but before leaving, he reminded the latter that sooner or later he would have to leave Robin because of the danger he represented.

Enies Lobby Arc


Hundreds of Marines stationed on the island fought when the Straw Hat Pirates and the Franky Family invaded Enies Lobby, but they were routed.

When Spandam accidentally ordered a Buster Call, many large Marine ships came to destroy the island. Despite Spandam's pleas, they were unable to prevent the Straw Hats from escaping.

Post-Enies Lobby Arc
Monkey D. Garp and his men came to Water 7 in order for Garp to speak to his grandson Luffy. Koby and Helmeppo also came and reunited with Luffy and Zoro.

During a celebration on Water 7, Aokiji secretly confronted Robin about his involvement in the destruction of Ohara.

As the Straw Hats prepared to leave Water 7, Garp returned under orders to capture them, but the pirates managed to escape.

On an unidentified island, the newly promoted Commodore Smoker and his right hand, the newly promoted Ensign Tashigi had just captured a pirate with a bounty of 50,000,000. However, Smoker found it to be too easy for a pirate of that bounty, claiming that he would need more strength to stop the Straw Hat Pirates in the New World.

Sabaody Archipelago Arc


When Luffy hit a World Noble, Marine Admiral Kizaru volunteered to take him out. The initial Marine reinforcements were defeated by the Heart Pirates, Kid Pirates, and Straw Hats. Kizaru and his troops then arrived, where they confronted the pirates present. Here Jewelry Bonney and Capone Bege easily got rid of the Marines they faced. On the other hand, Kizaru quickly defeated Urouge, Scratchmen Apoo, X Drake, and Basil Hawkins. Bartholomew Kuma and Sentomaru then appeared to fight the Straw Hats, where they were joined by Kizaru, before Silvers Rayleigh appeared to defend the crew. In the end, Bartholomew Kuma dispersed all of the Straw Hats.

Amazon Lily Arc


Vice Admiral Momonga came to Amazon Lily in order to give the Warlord of the Sea Boa Hancock her mandatory summons to participate in the upcoming Summit War of Marineford. She refused, turning his men to stone. However, she later relented and freed his men in order to bring Luffy to Impel Down.

Impel Down Arc
When they arrived after four days at Impel Down, the Marines stationed there spotted him and his crew and let them in as he, Hancock, and a hidden Luffy got off the ship and walked to the door. Momonga told Hancock that, since she was still a pirate, she must wear seastone handcuffs and undergo a full body search before she could go inside to see Ace. As he was about to leave, Lieutenant Zotto gave him the report that Shanks and Kaidou had clashed in the New World, making the Marines anxious about possible problems that could arise from the conflict between the two Emperors.

23 ships of the Marines patrolling the Moby Dick were destroyed by Whitebeard.

Marineford Arc


After Marshall D. Teach had captured the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates Portgas D. Ace to become a Warlord of the Sea, with Ace's execution being announced, the Marines were preparing to have an all-out war against the Whitebeard Pirates, which took place at Marineford. Alongside the Whitebeard Pirates came Monkey D. Luffy and a motley crew of Impel Down breakout convicts, and the battle had escalated to its final phase after an hour and a half.

Upon Ace and Whitebeard's deaths, Shanks arrived to stop the war, and Sengoku agreed with him. With that, the world who despises pirates celebrated the Marines for their victory, only to be shocked that pirates became more aggressive due to Whitebeard's death. However, Sengoku then finds out that several Level 6 prisoners from Impel Down escaped thanks to Blackbeard, and is even more furious when the World Government declares the second mass escape must be suppressed from the general public.

Post-War Arc
Shortly after the end of the war, Sengoku resigned from his position as fleet admiral, three weeks after Garp did.

During the Timeskip
The position of fleet admiral was replaced after a great ten-day battle between Aokiji and Akainu at some point between the two years, following the war. The victor was Sakazuki, who became the new fleet admiral, and though Kuzan was alive, he refused to work under Akainu and thus left the Marines. Aokiji's resignation was a great loss to the Marines although they have become much stronger under the command of their new fleet admiral.

The Marines held a World Military Draft (世界徴兵), through which Fujitora and Ryokugyu received a special appointment to the rank of admiral.

During his operation as a pirate, X Drake joined the Beasts Pirates and quickly rose in rank, becoming one of their Shinuchi.

Return to Sabaody Arc
After the Straw Hat Pirates were confirmed to have returned, Sentomaru, now officially a member of the Marine Corps, went looking for them with a group of Marines and a couple of Pacifista. When the Marines arrived, they went to arrest Brook, but to no avail. They then encountered the Fake Straw Hat Crew, who were quickly defeated; although when the true Straw Hats appeared, they were able to escape without any problem, destroying the Pacifists on the way.

One Piece Film: Z
A division of the Marines was sent to Firs Island to prevent Z, the leader of the Neo Marines and former Admiral of the Marines, from seizing the Dyna Stones that the World Government kept there, but in the end, they were defeated. However, just before Z left the island, Admiral Kizaru appeared and entered into a savage battle him. Z, in a desperate act to defeat him and at the same time destroy the endpoint, threw a dyna stone at Borsalino which exploded, destroying the entire place.

Later, the multiple senior Marines officials gathered to discuss what happened to the endpoint, they suspected that Z did not die in the explosion and that he intended to destroy the other two remaining endpoints in order to raze the New World.

Several marines were sent to the second endpoint, Secon Island, to prevent Z from destroying it but to their dismay their efforts were in vain, and that island was also devastated by the dyna stones stolen by the Neo Marines.

When Z was finally defeated on Piriodo by Monkey D. Luffy, Admiral Kizaru appeared followed by several Vice Admirals intent on exterminating the Neo Marines and the Straw Hats alike. However, Z, in a final act of redemption, sacrificed himself for everyone, facing the multitude of Marines alone to give the others a chance to escape.

Caribou's Kehihihihi in the New World
The pirate Caribou was taken to the G-5 Marine base by Jinbe. The Marines tied Caribou to a stake to burn him, but Caribou's crewmates suddenly arrived to rescue him. They succeeded in freeing Caribou, but Caribou immediately abandoned them at the base. However, the crew eventually managed to escape from the base, where they also took a Marine ship.

Punk Hazard Arc


Now stationed at G-5, Smoker found out that the Straw Hat Pirates had entered the New World, following them to the forbidden island Punk Hazard. Smoker then encountered the Warlord of the Sea Trafalgar Law, who defeated him, took his heart, and switched him with Tashigi. The Marines then attempted to invade Caesar Clown's lab, having found out about him experimenting on abducted children. However, they encountered and battled the Straw Hats, and Caesar arrived and easily defeated them, putting Smoker and Tashigi in a cage with the Straw Hats and Law.



Caesar put the cage outside for them to be poisoned by its gas, but they escaped and re-entered the facility to stage a counterattack. Smoker confronted Vice Admiral Vergo, who was actually a spy for the Donquixote Pirates, but was defeated; however, he managed to return Law's heart, who managed to defeat Vergo. Meanwhile, the G-5 Marines worked to liberate the captive children while running from the gas, and with help from Zoro, Tashigi managed to defeat Caesar's underling Monet. During the frenzy, many G-5 Marines became encased by the gas Shinokuni as they sacrificed themselves to help Tashigi and others.



With Caesar being defeated by Luffy and Vergo being defeated by Law, the Marines and the Straw Hats managed to escape from the facility with the children before the gas reached them. They then celebrated, though halfheartedly attempted to separate themselves from the pirates. However, they were saddened when the Straw Hats and Law left.

Later, Donquixote Doflamingo came to the island in search of Caesar, routing easily the Marines and brutally beating Smoker. However, he was stopped by Kuzan, and decided to leave.

Dressrosa Arc


Having received the news of Luffy's and Law's alliance, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki sent Admiral Fujitora to deal with them on Dressrosa. Marines were stationed on Dressrosa at the Corrida Colosseum, waiting to arrest the multitudes of criminals inside. Vice Admiral Maynard attempted to enter as a contestant in order to take out criminals, but was easily defeated by the pirate Bartolomeo. When Doflamingo went back on a deal he made in order to ambush Law, Fujitora accompanied him, and together the two managed to defeat Law. Law managed to escape and rendezvous quickly with some of the Straw Hats on the Thousand Sunny. Fujitora attempted to attack them by flying a Marine battleship towards them, but the ship was damaged by Law and Fujitora decided to turn back. When Doflamingo defeated Law again, Fujitora returned to assist him, easily dealing with Zoro as he and Doflamingo took Law away.

Fujitora accompanied Doflamingo to his palace, where he revealed his intentions to destroy the Seven Warlords of the Sea system, creating some friction between him and Doflamingo. Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Bastille led a convoy of Marines to assist the Donquixote Pirates against Franky at the Toys House. Together, they managed to defeat Franky.

When the toys on Dressrosa became humans again, chaos erupted in Dressrosa, and Doflamingo took back control by trapping everyone with a giant cage. Doflamingo used the Birdcage to take control of some Marines and cause them to attack others indiscriminately. As this happened, Fujitora went to confront Luffy, Law, and Zoro, but their battle was interrupted when the Donquixote Pirate Pica attacked.



The Revolutionary Sabo then arrived, defeating Bastille before battling Fujitora. Fujitora eventually left their battle to tell the former king Riku Doldo III that he would be betting everything on the Straw Hats to win against Doflamingo. He and the Marines, in the meantime, worked to control the chaos inside the Birdcage. When Doflamingo began constricting the Birdcage, Fujitora and his soldiers eventually assisted the Straw Hats and their allies in trying to stop it until Doflamingo was defeated.



When Doflamingo was defeated, the Marines arrested him and most of his crew. Maynard then broadcasted the destruction to neighboring islands, and Fujitora lay prostrate before Riku in apology for the Marines allowing this to happen. On Mary Geoise, Sakazuki angrily confronted the Five Elders over Doflamingo's earlier deception, but found out about Doflamingo's defeat in the midst of this. He became angry at Fujitora and ordered him to capture Luffy and Law, or else he could never enter another Marine base. Fujitora agreed to do so, but only if his die said it was right. For two days, it did not.



On the third day, Sengoku and Tsuru arrived on Dressrosa to assist in transporting Doflamingo. Mansherry came to the Marine camp and asked for donations so that she could heal injured people, and the Marines easily agreed. Tsuru rolled Fujitora's die, and this time it did not land on a one. Fujitora led his troops to capture the Straw Hats and their allies, who attempted to escape the island. The dwarves helped delay the Marines by stealing their weapons, tying down their ships, and immobilizing the men who had given healing donations. Fujitora confronted the pirates himself and prepared to crush them with a giant mass of rubble. Luffy attacked Fujitora, and was overpowered by the admiral, but the pirates took the opportunity to rush to the port. Fujitora prepared to crush them, but the citizens of Dressrosa rushed in, saying they would take out the pirates themselves, although they were really trying to protect the Straw Hats. Not willing to harm citizens, Fujitora dropped the rubble on some enemy ships that were attacking the Straw Hats and their allies.

Zou Arc
The Marines then departed Dressrosa with Doflamingo in tow. However, they were attacked by Jack of the Beasts Pirates who sought to rescue Doflamingo. Although the pirate sunk two ships, he was brutally defeated, so the marines continued

Marines contacted each member kingdom of the World Government, preparing themselves to become escorts for royals attending the Levely. Hina escorted the royals of Arabasta, the Nefertari Family, to Mary Geoise. The king of Prodence Kingdom declined an escort from the Marines.

Levely Arc
With the time of Levely approaching, the Marines were occupied with escorting royals and their companions to Mary Geoise. Fleet Admiral Sakazuki was furious when a Marine escort group failed to protect Komane's ship from pirates, but Koby and Helmeppo managed to intercept the abducters just as the pirates were about to attempt abducting Viola as well. Koby's ship became an escort for the Dressrosa and Prodence Kingdom ships.

Sakazuki was furious when he learned from Captain T Bone about Fujitora's presence on Levely. At Mary Geoise, Fujitora and Ryokugyu had a friendly conversation, despite Ryokugyu receiving orders to make Fujitora leave. At the Red Port, Garp escorted the Neptune Family to the bondola and encountered Sterry, whom he had an unpleasant conversation with. Garp then took his leave after the Neptune Family reached the bondola.

The Marines later intercepted a communication between Big Mom and Kaidou.

"Gang" Bege's Oh My Family
In Dressrosa, an intoxicated Kyuin was seen kissing and consequently knocking out Marines that were attempting to subdue her. Later, a group of Marines caught Charlotte Lola in a hair salon, mistaking her for her sister Charlotte Chiffon when she is recognized as Capone Bege's wife. Gotti then attacked the Marines to rescue Lola, whom he also thought was Chiffon.

Wano Country Arc


On the fourth day of the Levely, Ryokugyu and Fujitora confront Sabo and his group of revolutionaries who infiltrated Mary Geoise to rescue Bartholomew Kuma from slavery. The admirals failed, as the revolutionaries managed to rescue their enslaved comrade and escape.

After the royalty at the Levely voted to abolish the Seven Warlords of the Sea system, Marine fleets were sent to capture them. However, Dracule Mihawk, Buggy and Boa Hancock managed to escape.

Around the same time, X Drake reported from Wano that Big Mom and Kaidou had formed an alliance, putting the Marines on edge. Due to this news, Sengoku told several rookie marines about the Rocks Pirates and the God Valley Incident. As Brannew was going over the bounties for each of the Four Emperors and Roger, he was interrupted by Sakazuki, who decided not to send any marines due to how few resources they had.

A week after the Raid on Onigashima, Buggy, now an Emperor of the Sea, alongside Dracule Mihawk and Sir Crocodile founded the Cross Guild, issuing bounties on Marines, making them target to assassinations from both pirates and civilians.

Meanwhile, Admiral Ryokugyu flew towards Wano Country, despite Sakazuki's warnings. Upon arrival he defeated King and Queen effortlessly, being there he intended to kill Luffy and earn Sakazuki's respect. However, he abandoned the mission once the Red Hair Pirates arrived.

Egghead Arc
At Egghead, Admiral Kizaru was tasked with accompanying Jaygarcia Saturn, one of the Five Elders, who made his way towards Egghead while simultaneously dealing with the Straw Hat Pirates present at Egghead. They were later joined by hundreds of Marine battleships, surrounding the island to cut off the Straw Hat's escape route, eventually reaching Egghead Island, summarizing the Marine's fleet to a total of 100 ships, including 20 battleships, with 30,000 Marines, led by 9 Vice Admirals and Admiral Kizaru. The assault was started by Kizaru, who was ordered to do so by Saturn, immediately dueling Sentomaru and after defeating Sentomaru, engaged Emperor Monkey D. Luffy in a duel. While both were engaged in a heavy duel with back and forth blow trading, the Marine fleet outside was attacked by the Sea Beast Weapons and the Mark III. Pacifista, which were previously ordered to do so by Kizaru. However, due to Kizaru defeating Sentomaru, he was able to override the command and instead had the Mark III. Pacifista destroy the Sea Beast Weapons. This led to the Marine forces finally being able to invade Egghead. They were met with some resistance though by Jewelry Bonney, who ended up on the lower level of Egghead after having been sent down by Kizaru earlier.

At the same time, the previous Captain of the Marine Science Unit and personal bodyguard of Vegapunk, Sentomaru, decided to cut ties with the Marines and join forces with the Straw Hats who agreed to protect Vegapunk.

Koby was "kidnapped" by the Blackbeard Pirates, though in secret he voluntarily had himself get kidnapped in exchange for Marine prisoners. Unknown to the Marines, Vice Admiral Garp, upon hearing this news, immediately set out to rescue him, taking a squadron of Marine soldiers, Tashigi and SWORD members with him to invade and attack Hachinosu, engaging in heavy battles with the Blackbeard Pirates present on the island, encountering his former protege and Marine Admiral, Kuzan, now an official member of the Blackbeard Pirates and one of the Titanic Captains, and after battling both Kuzan as well as several Titanic Captains, decides to stay behind, after having saved Koby successfully, to ensure Koby and the rest of the Marines can escape safely.

At the Marine HQ, both Sengoku and Tsuru were reading up on the news about the murder of T Bone by an unknown person, having been motivated by the bounty system the Cross Guild had established. Both agreed of the growing threat the Cross Guild posed to the Marines and their impact on the general public, suggesting striking at them to stop Cross Guild from continuing their operations.

Early Concepts
Per One Piece Green: Secret Pieces, the Marines were originally designed with a Mafia-esque theme, emphasizing hard, brutal faces and black suits instead of white coats (a concept that was apparently repurposed for the Cipher Pol). Interestingly, a few minor Marines, such as John Giant and Brannew, were among the earliest-planned characters, and the least-changed in the final publication.

Translation and Dub Issues
The "proper" English translation of this organization's name remains a point of dispute among both fans and professional translators. Although the term "MARINE" (in Roman characters) is directly displayed on countless uniforms, ships, and installations throughout the manga and anime, in-series dialogue almost invariably uses the term (Kaigun), which translates most closely to "Navy"—a discrepancy particularly noticeable to American audiences, as the United States Marine Corps is well-known for its fierce rivalry with the United States Navy.

While English-speaking fans almost universally use "Marines" for both individual personnel and the organization as a whole, each of the series' professional English translations differs:


 * The VIZ manga favors "Navy" for the overall organization, but occasionally uses terms such as sailor, soldier, or even Naval Marine when referring to smaller divisions or individuals. In-story text—both 海軍 and "MARINE"—is usually left unchanged, but sometimes edited to read "NAVY" (a notable instance being Chapter 96's introduction of Marineford).
 * The 4Kids-dubbed anime uses "Navy" in all instances, and edits every piece of in-story text—no matter how minor—accordingly.
 * The Funimation anime largely follows the VIZ manga, referring to the whole organization as the "Navy" while using more disparate terms—including "Marines"—for smaller groups and individuals. The uncut Funimation dub uses "Marines" more frequently, though not universally.

(It should be noted that in several non-English languages, such as French and German, "Marine" serves as a literal translation of Navy; one of these, rather than the English term, may have served as Eiichiro Oda's inspiration.)

The live-action series exclusively uses the term "Marines" for the organization and its members, and retains the "MARINE" writing on the uniforms.

Trivia

 * Unlike most (if not all) real-life militaries, the Marines' salute aims the palm completely inward. Eiichiro Oda explained this as an adaptation of traditions (particularly among the British and American navies) to prevent sailors showing their frequently tar-dirtied palms to superiors, though it should be noted a fully palm-inward position weakens the main purpose of a salute: to symbolically demonstrate no weapons are being hidden.

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