Maelstrom Spider Pirates

The Maelstrom Spider Pirates is a pirate crew, led by Squard.

Crew Strength
The crew from twenty-four years ago was unknown, but they were decimated by the Roger Pirates, with their captain the sole survivor. The current crew is presumably strong, as their captain has managed to make himself a reputation in the second half of the Grand Line, and are allied with the Whitebeard Pirates.

Twenty-Four Years Ago
Twenty-four years before the start of the storyline, the Maelstrom Spider Pirates were massacred by Gol D. Roger. Their captain, Squard, was the only survivor, which led him to develop a hatred against the pirate king. He was plunged into a deep depression until meeting Roger's rival, Edward Newgate, also known as "Whitebeard", who adopted him as a son, saving him from the loneliness. From this, Squard was able to regain enough confidence and rebuild his crew, forming a new Maelstrom Spider Pirates, which was allied to the Whitebeard Pirates.

Battle of Marineford
The Maelstrom Spider Pirates were amongst the forty-three New World pirate crews to join the Whitebeard Pirates in attacking the Marines to save Portgas D. Ace from execution. Squard was manipulated by Admiral Akainu to attack Whitebeard, with Ace being Roger's son as the catalyst. Despite this, Squard was forgiven and he and his crew continued to fight against the Marines on Whitebeard's sakes. They tried to destroy Marineford after Ace was rescued by commandeering one of Whitebeard's paddle-boats, as Squard's way of repentance, but Whitebeard ordered them all to retreat. After Whitebeard died at the hands of the Blackbeard Pirates and truce was declared, the Maelstrom Spider Pirates left tearfully, in order to hold a funeral for Ace and Whitebeard.