Marine Headquarters

The Marine Headquarters is the main division of the Marine organization. They are considered "super-elites" among the Marines and are about three ranks apart from the standard Marine ranks in terms of standards of power. Whereas the Marine Branches are in charge of the four blues, the Headquarters' jurisdiction covers the Grand Line. The Headquarters' base of operations is currently in the New World, near the Red Line. Until two years ago, its base of operations was set in Paradise, on Marineford.

Marineford


Before the timeskip, the base of operations for Marine Headquarters was based at Marineford. However, after the Battle of Marineford, operations were moved to a new location.

New Marine Headquarters Base
The new Marine Headquarters is set on the island where the G-1 Base was set until two years ago. It is shown to have a mainly western style, in contrast with the ancient Japanese-stylized former one. To mark this difference, the new palace shows also the occidental name of the organization, other then the usual kanji.

Its perimeter is followed by a rectangular-shaped wall, with large towers in the corners, on top of which there are cannons, watchtowers and flags. On the wall is reported the text "MARINE".

In the inside of the wall there's a huge cylindrical-shaped tower with the Marine symbol on it and the kanji for "Marines" (海軍). On the top of this tower is collocated a structure similar to a Roman colosseum, with three concentric scaled lines of fake arcades where are positioned various cannons.

In the inside of the colosseum structure, there's an ancient Japanese-stylized tower, similar to the previous Headquarters, with a huge entrance and a pagoda-shaped upper structure.

From the pagoda's sides, two huge curved ramps starts, ending out of the external wall. On their highest points, two little structures are collocated.

While the location of the island is unknown, there are bubbles in the air, similar to those produced by the Yarukiman Mangrove in Sabaody Archipelago.

Grand Line Branches
The Marine Headquarters has an unknown number of Branch bases scattered across the Grand Line.

G-8
(non-canon)

Outside the Grand Line
The Marine Headquarters usually have their hands full with the Grand Line, and thus have no time to deal with problems in the Four Blues. However, should circumstances be severe enough, or if it so happens to be convenient, HQ would send forces to deal with such situations, the little known cases are:
 * Twenty-two years ago, a Buster Call was used on Ohara in the West Blue.
 * Twelve to thirteen years ago, Vice Admiral Tsuru chased the Donquixote Pirates in the North Blue.
 * Captain Smoker and Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi were stationed at the Loguetown Marine Base in the East Blue.
 * Lieutenant Fullbody ambushed the Krieg Pirates in the East Blue, right after the crew had managed to exit the Grand Line.
 * Vice Admiral Garp was sent to the East Blue to pick-up a prisoner, the former captain Morgan, and take him to be prosecuted.

Before and during the Battle of Marineford
The Marine Headquarters was collocated on the island of Marineford until two years ago. In its past, it was been setting of various known events, as Shiki's assault and the Battle of Marineford.

Post Battle of Marineford
After the battle at Marineford, Sakazuki, the new Marine Fleet Admiral decided to change the location of the Marine Headquarters with the G-1 branch, which was in the New World, directly opposing the dominion of the Yonko.

Dressrosa Arc
After Doflamingo's resignation from Shichibukai was made public in the newspapers, a conference about the situation is set in the new Marine Headquarters, under Brannew's overview. The reunion is interrupted by Sakazuki, who said he already sent Fujitora to deal with the Straw Hat Pirates and Trafalgar Law.

Trivia

 * The One Piece Film: Z, set after the timeskip, shows a different version of the Marine Headquarters base, resembling more a traditional Marine Base with its many towers built into the island and the wave-imitating paint job, giving it a far more militaristic feel, alluding probably to the fact that the new headquarters used to be G-1, and thus was originally a normal Marine fortress base.

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