Edward Newgate

Edward Newgate, better known as Whitebeard, the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, was known as the "Man closest to One Piece" or "The Strongest Man in the World" (世界最強の男 Sekai Saikyo no Otoko) and was one of the Yonkou that ruled over the New World. While attempting to rescue Portgas D. Ace, Newgate met his end during the Battle of Marineford at the hands of his former subordinate, Marshall D. Teach, and his crew.

Appearance


Whitebeard was an abnormally large human, roughly five times the size of a normal human. Unlike other large-sized humans, however, he was well-proportioned. He had a long face, ploughed because of the advanced age with many wrinkles around his eyes, and was very muscular. The muscles on his biceps in particular seemed to grow bigger whenever he used his quake-based powers. He had many scars running on his chest; one, in particular, he got from Roger. Like all of his men, he had his own Jolly Roger tattooed on his back. He wore a black bandanna around his head and adorned himself with a white captain's coat which hung loosely from his broad shoulders and bore his Jolly Roger symbol. He was always seen bare-chested, and wore light, loose pants tucked inside his large boots, and a dark pirate sash around his waist.

When he was 52, he used a pirate hat with his Jolly Roger on it over a bandanna with brighter colors, both worn over long, flowing hair he sported back then.

In his younger days, he was not as large in stature and was comparable to other crewmates on his ship. He also had no scars on his chest, donned an open vest, and his trademark mustache was nonexistent.

Later in his life, he grew the prominent crescent-shaped mustache, which would spawn his epithet, "Whitebeard". After Akainu blasted off a portion of his face,

Whitebeard lost his left eye and the left side of his mustache. However, for the entire 72 years that he lived, he had never once received a wound on his back because he never ran away from his battles.

While not in battle, Whitebeard was typically on oxygen and attached to several medical sensor machines, due to health issues concerning his age.

Personality
I am only one man with one heart...Call me a demon, call me a monster...but I can't be the strongest forever...!!!

Edward Newgate seemed to be a cheerful and carefree person during his younger years (before he commandeered his own ship and became known as Whitebeard). Unlike his comrades who loved treasure and riches, Newgate only desired a family and saw that as the greatest treasure.

His reign on the sea, reputation and foreboding power made him appear to be overconfident and fearless (to the point of making it seem that he considered Admirals, Shichibukai and other Yonkou to be annoyances more than legitimate threats). In initial appearances, he seemed unable to see any cause for alarm on any decision he made and refused all advice given to him (from his nurse telling him not to drink heavily or Shanks warning him of Blackbeard). However, later revelations showed that he was much more thoughtful than he appeared. Actions that initially seem to be the result of thoughtless, headstrong bravado actually had strong reasons behind them (his loud declaration that Fishman Island belonged to him freed the island from all pirates and slavery, and his insistence that Blackbeard be punished was merely a cover for Ace, who had set out after him against Whitebeard's wishes). Although from what other people saw of him, he may have seemed to have an overgrown ego, deep down he knew that he was nothing but a single man. He knew that the youth are the keys to the future, and that their lives are more important than his own.

He also seemed to enjoy talking about the past. The first things he talked about when Shanks visited were old memories from the past 22 years, and when he saw Buggy during the war, he recalled some memories from the past. People that were children at that time were still children in his eyes, even men as powerful as his fellow Yonkou Shanks and Admiral Aokiji.

One way to appease him mainly involved bringing and sharing with him a drink (preferably of high quality and very expensive) while striking up a conversation, as seen with his encounters with Shanks, Roger and Shiki. Still, this did not guarantee complete cooperation from the Pirate, judging from the nature of these said conversations.

Among his philosophies in life was that it is fine when a man decides what to make of his life, as long as he doesn't live to regret it. He had also been shown to be forgiving even after being stabbed in the abdomen by his ally Squardo when he realized that Akainu had deceived Squardo.

A distinguishing feature of Whitebeard's nature was his high moral standards. Whitebeard never forgave the death of a crewmate. His stance, that a man cannot live without some form of moral code. The ultimate proof of his unwavering sense of right and wrong came when he declared war with the World Government solely to save Ace's life. Another example is taking on Blackbeard and his crew despite being close to death to avenge Thatch. However, he was willing to go against his moral code under certain circumstances, such as when he instructed Ace to let Blackbeard go because he had an uneasy feeling about him. Like Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard also believed that a child should not be responsible for their parents' sins, and he told Squardo that Ace should not be held responsible for Roger killing his (Squardo's) original crew.

Crew
It'd be a shame if you died here, kid. If you still want to wreck havoc on this sea, bear my name on your back and go wild as much as you like...!!! Become my son!!

Whitebeard considered every single member of his crew, as well as his allies, his "sons". His strong love for his crew and allies traced all the way back to before he even had a crew, when he stated that the one thing he wanted more than anything was a family. Any nakama from Whitebeard's crew who kills another nakama had to be punished by another member of his crew, they were to be hunted down by the commander of that former crew member's division. Whitebeard's strong stand against crewmate killing was based on his fatherly stance over every member of his crew. As a result of this treatment the whole crew affectionately refered to him as "Pops". However, Whitebeard did not force commanders to hunt down wayward crew members if he had an uneasy feeling about the situation. In the case of Blackbeard, for example, Whitebeard tried to make an exception and stop Ace from hunting down Blackbeard. In spite of Whitebeard's advice Ace insisted on hunting Blackbeard for the sake of Pops' honor. This was not blind loyalty as Whitebeard was willing to go to war with the World Government to save Ace. In addition, Whitebeard took full responsibility for the actions of his crew and kept a stern iron fist outward appearance for non-crew members, falsely claiming to outsiders that he ordered Ace to hunt down Blackbeard. Whitebeard also treated all of his "sons" and "daughters" equally, and claimed to Squardo that Ace was no different than any other, despite being Gol D. Roger's son. In battle, while this unshakable bond between him and his crew stood, Whitebeard's subordinates knew better than to get in the way of their captain.

Allies
Whitebeard had a great number of allies from the New World, strong and infamous pirates, among which were "Bohemian Knight" Doma, "Thunder Lord" Makugai, the Decalvan Brothers, "Great Whirlpool Spider" Squardo, Oars Jr., and "Ice Witch" Whitey Bay. He treated them as though they were his sons, just like his crew.

Because of his role as a protector of Fishman Island, Whitebeard was considered a hero by many Fishmen, in particular Jinbei of the Shichibukai. This view is also carry out by the other islands that he control.

Whitebeard seemed to have some form of respect for Luffy after hearing about him from both Ace and Shanks. Whereas Ace had shown excitement that Luffy was on the Grand Line, Shanks had stated that he had given up his arm on a "bet on the New Age", referring to Luffy. After showing his fierce tenacity, Luffy had managed to gain Whitebeard's respect, something that he did not give to many other "brats". Whitebeard went as far as assigning his top commander Marco to act as Luffy's bodyguard during the war and "wouldn't have forgiven" him if Luffy had died. As the war went on, his respect for Luffy increased after witnessing Luffy's true potential to the point that Whitebeard decided to assign all his forces to fully support Straw Hat Luffy with all their might, a decision which even surprised his own men. This also marks the first time that Whitebeard called him by his given name, Straw Hat Luffy, instead of "brat" showing that through the course of the war Whitebeard came to acknowledge him and his strength.

Luffy respects Whitebeard as well believing that anyone whom Ace admires can't be a bad person. He respected him so much he was willing to go so far as to intercept an attack from Crocodile aimed at Whitebeard's life.

Despite their initial clash, his most powerful ally was proven to be Red-Haired Shanks, who after his death saved his crew and the other allies and gave him and Ace a proper burial.

Enemies
Despite having been rivals to Gol D. Roger he seemed to have a lot of respect for him. Not long before his death, Roger met with Whitebeard on an island to have what seemed to be an entirely cordial get together, with Roger even offering to give the location of Raftel to Whitebeard. The respect between them later led Whitebeard to adopt and protect Roger's son from the hands of the World Government.

Since none of the Yonkou are united together, any other Yonkou is a threat to him and his crew. When he first appears, he receives a letter from Red-Haired Shanks delivered by Shanks' newest crewmate Rockstar. However, before even reading the letter, Whitebeard throws it away, claiming that if Shanks wants to talk, then he should visit in person. He even asks Rockstar to tell Shanks to prepare an expensive bottle of sake when Shanks comes to visit. Most of all, he refuses to accept Shanks as anything more than the snot-nosed kid he was 22 years ago, believing he is 100 years too young to tell him what to do.

He has also made many enemies over the years besides the other Yonkou and World Government. There are many prisoners in the lower levels of Impel Down who wish to kill him because of personal grudges, the only one known by name so far however is Crocodile. Another enemy of his is Blackbeard, for killing Thatch and for Ace's capture and execution. Claiming that Blackbeard alone is one of his crew that he refuses to consider his son, Whitebeard attempted at taking Blackbeard's life prior to his death.

Being one of the few important figures from the old times, even Sengoku was respected by Whitebeard, especially for his strategic skills. According to Shanks, the Fleet Admiral respected the old pirate as well.

Abilities and Powers
Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate was given the title of the "strongest man in the world" for his unmatched physical strength, and was the only man in the world who could match the late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, in a fight (the only one to come close was Marine Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp, said to have cornered Gol D. Roger numerous times).

He was one of the Yonkou, four of the most formidable pirates that rule the second half of the Grand Line, along with Shanks, Kaidou, and Big Mom. They are considered the biggest pirate threats to the World Government. Newgate's reputation was so great, his simple declaration of Fishman Island being his territory was enough to keep slave traders and pirates from attacking the place further, making him far more effective than the treaty signed with the World Government 200 years ago.

Edward Newgate was the captain of the "Whitebeard Pirates", directly controlling an enormous pirate fleet of 1,600 pirates, divided into 16 divisions, each one being led by a powerful division commander. A testament to his power is the fact that the Shichibukai and World Government used virtually all their power to prepare to fight him.

Whitebeard's powers were so great that few would dare challenge him or any of his crew, making Ace, Crocodile, Akainu, and Blackbeard a few very brave and powerful people. In the past, Ace tried to attack Whitebeard over a hundred times, with each attempt resulting in failure and with Ace ending up injured every time. Whitebeard's retaliation was so effortless, that he was able to do so even when he was sleeping. After Akainu killed Ace, Whitebeard brutally injured the Admiral, temporarily defeating him in a mere two hits, though it should be noted that Akainu burned off half of Whitebeards' face.

Another example of his power is his "fight" with Shanks as when their weapons clashed "the heavens" split in two. Based on his physical strength, he stopped one of his ships with one hand, even blocking a two-handed downward swing from the giant Vice-Admiral John Giant with only one hand on his bisento. He extinguished the flames of one of Akainu's molten rocks with just a puff. All these feats surely confirmed his title.

During the Marineford war, he completely overpowered many Marine officers and giants. He has also been shown to be able to move at considerable speed, having snuck up on Akainu, with the latter only realizing it once his soldiers yelled at him to watch out. The very fact that he launched a surprise-attack on the Admiral, one with very acute hearing, also demonstrates that Newgate had impressive stealth attributes, despite his gigantic size.

Whitebeard appeared to have some health problems, possibly stemming from his advanced age and severe drinking. He was always surrounded by nurses, when not in battle he used oxygen tubes, and was hooked up to intravenous tubes and life support systems. Despite this, he used to literally drink sake by the barrel. However, Marco noted that Whitebeard's health had gotten worse, and he no longer possessed the reflexes to avoid Squard's surprise attack, which was, in the past, something impossible to achieve.

Even with his health issues, Newgate was still considered the world's most dangerous and powerful pirate, which raises the question of how powerful he must have been in his prime during the days of Gol D. Roger. His physical resistance was amazing: he was also able to keep fighting despite the number of life threatening injuries which included part of his head being burned off. This also proves that Newgate possessed incredible amounts of stamina and endurance; no matter how much damage he took throughout the battle, Whitebeard continued to press forward and fight, only stopping (and finally dying) once the near-entirety of the Blackbeard crew collectively shot and stabbed him to death at point-blank range. It was shown that even in his old age, in a heavily wounded state, and without his Devil Fruit powers, he could take down a Shichibukai-level opponent without a problem as demonstrated in his fight with Blackbeard.

Besides his formidable power, Whitebeard was a skilled military strategist, and a match for Sengoku the Buddha. His tactical prowess was demonstrated when he scattered the pirates so that they wouldn't be routed by Pacifista, or when he bypassed the siege wall.

Devil Fruit


Whitebeard ate the Gura Gura no Mi, a Paramecia type Devil Fruit that made him a "Quake Man". According to Sengoku, Whitebeard had the power to destroy the world. This is considered to be the strongest Devil Fruit within the Paramecia class.

With the power of this fruit, Whitebeard was able to create shock waves by shattering the air like glass. These shock waves then would be redirected into the ground, resulting in earthquakes and, if under the seafloor, tsunamis. He has been shown to create such quakes even in the air, rendering airborne attacks ineffective. He could also use these shock waves to attack enemies, with wither widespread or specific targets. Whitebeard's powers also allowed him to manipulate the air with his hands to tilt the environment around him.

Whitebeard was also able to create these airwaves to block physical attacks as well as non-physical attacks making his devil fruit powers perfect for both offensive and defensive capabilities. After his death, the power of the fruit was later stolen through some unknown means by Blackbeard.

Weapons


Whitebeard fought with a heavy halberd called a bisento, and was immensely skilled with it. The bisento could be used in conjunction with his Devil Fruit and Busōshoku Haki. He usually employed the bisento using both hands, but was also seen capable of using it proficiently with just one hand. Most of the time he kept it in his right hand, and sometimes he was seen planting its blade in the ground, in order to use both of his hands freely.

When it clashed with Shanks' saber, the "heavens" literally split.

With Whitebeard's Busōshoku Haki, the bisento could withstand Admiral Akainu's molten lava attacks.

Haki
Whitebeard was one of the few people to have mastered all three kinds of Haki.

With his Kenbunshoku Haki, Whitebeard was able to foresee all of Portgas D. Ace's attempts to kill him, even while asleep, retaliating to each assault and launching the young pirate away great distances. In the bay of Marineford, he managed to predict Crocodile's sudden attack but did not move, knowing that Monkey D. Luffy would block it. However, he failed to predict Squardo's betrayal and thus got severely injured, something which, according to Marco, was totally unexpected from the Yonkou.

His control over Busōshoku Haki was such that he could, in most cases, negate the intangibility of Logia-based Devil Fruits. In the past, he was able to defeat Crocodile - even though it's unknown if the former Shichibukai had already eaten his Devil Fruit - and to beat Ace more than one hundred times. The split in the heavens provoked by his clash with Shanks during the meeting of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Red-Haired Pirates was the result of the amazing Busōshoku Haki imbued in their weapons. At the former Marine Headquarters, Whitebeard successfully landed blows on Admiral Akainu.

He possessed Haōshoku Haki  even though he was never seen using it. During the Battle of Marineford, he was on the verge of using it against some World Government's executioners (and Galdino who was disguised) to protect his 2nd Division Commander, but failed because of a sudden illness attack.

Whitebeard's Past
You're a pirate and your not interested in treasure? What exactly are you looking for... eh, Newgate!

Young Days
Little is known about Whitebeard's past before he created the Whitebeard Pirates; however some facts are known, including the fact that he was just another crewmember in another crew going by his real name "Newgate" and that he was not interested in treasure but wanted a family.

Clashing of the Crews


It is unknown how events happened that led to the rivalry between Whitebeard's crew and Roger's. They competed often, leading to much bloodshed. Whitebeard came to know certain members of Roger's crew and came to know certain familiarities amongst the crew such as seeing Shanks with Buggy. Somewhere along the Grand Line, Roger pulled away from Whitebeard and made it to Raftel. 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.

Shiki's Visit
After the execution of Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, one of his closest pirate rivals is seen on the Moby Dick. Shiki attempts to create an alliance between him and Whitebeard, knowing that their combined power would be incredible, Whitebeard's response is to threaten to have Shiki thrown overboard. Shiki proceeds to comment on Whitebeard not changing and calling it "Whitebeard's time". Lastly he informs Whitebeard about his plan, Whitebeard comments "Plotting something again are you...?"

The End of an Era
Soon after Roger was executed, 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 fighting going on between Mihawk and Shanks. In time, the World Government came to dub him, and three other pirates, as the four-strongest pirates in the New World, the Yonkou.

Some time ago Whitebeard went to Fishman Island and freed it from pirate attacks. He made this island one of his own and restored peace on the island. This stills stands today, but now that Whitebeard is dead the fate of Fishman island and many other islands fate are in question.

More than twenty-two years ago, Blackbeard joined his crew. In an incident involving Shanks, Blackbeard was able to scar the Red-Haired Pirate across his left eye.

Expectations and Murder


At some point in the three years prior to the present time, Whitebeard finally met Portgas D. Ace, who had spent a long time looking for him, willing to defeat him and claim his throne. Whitebeard, however, defeated both Ace and his crew without a single scratch on him. After the confrontation, aware of the boy's talent, he drafted him into his crew, eventually allowing him to become commander of his Second Division, despite his young age and even though Ace had tried numerous times to kill him. Blackbeard, back then a member of Ace's division, killed Thatch, the Fourth Division commander, to gain a Devil Fruit he had found. After the death of Thatch, Ace decided to finish off Blackbeard by himself, even though Whitebeard did not want him to go.

Shanks Calls
Some time later, Rockstar arrives, 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 tears it up in front of Rockstar, telling him that Shanks should see him in person and bring some sake.

Discussion with Shanks


Shanks finally arrived to talk with Whitebeard, over Ace and Blackbeard, after barging his way through a Marine blockade that had been set up to prevent them from meeting. After talking about the years gone by, Shanks demands that Whitebeard pull Ace back, believing him to be not ready for Blackbeard. Whitebeard ignores the request and the talk between the two break down into a fight which leaves the crew of both Captains uneasy, and splits the clouds above them. Jozu (commander of Whitebeard's Third division) mentioned that some kind of deal must have been broken, as he indicates that "the sky... no, the very Heavens have split".

Whitebeard War Saga
We have already angered....The Ruler of The Seas.

Ace's Execution


Whitebeard and his pirate crew are going to prevent Ace's execution. Doflamingo states that the Shichibukai are getting ready to battle Whitebeard and his crew. While Ace's execution is in a week's time, the Marines are expecting something much sooner and are rallying the Shichibukai for his assault.

It has been revealed that Whitebeard's mother ship, the Moby Dick, has started to move, and that he has 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 will attack. Recently, one of Momonga's subordinates mentioned that Kaidou had tried to attack Whitebeard but that Shanks had interfered.

It was revealed that Whitebeard and his crew had the power to make Marine Headquarter arrange 100,000 elite soldiers and 3 Marine Admirals, and call all the Shichibukai to battle his crew. Whitebeard's allies have entered the execution grounds, ready to do battle with the Marines, Admirals, and the Shichibukai. Whitebeard himself and his commanders have all entered directly into the bay in the front of the execution stand, using a coating to travel underwater. As Whitebeard walks onto the galleon figure of the Moby Dick, he tells Ace to hold on a little longer.

When Ace asked him why they came to save him, even if they all told him to not go after Blackbeard in the first place, Whitebeard denies this, saying he himself sent Ace after Blackbeard. He then uses his Gura Gura no Mi powers to cause a massive sea-quake to raise two gigantic tidal waves against Marine Headquarters.

However, the two tsunami are stopped by Aokiji who then attacks him with ice spears which, along with the ice Admiral, are shattered by an air-quake from Whitebeard. This forced him to freeze the sea creating a solid platform for the oncoming battle. Mihawk, wishing to see how much stronger Whitebeard was, launched a powerful sword slash in his direction. However, Third Division Commander Jozu blocked the attack with his diamond-based Devil Fruit power.



Kizaru then tries to attack Whitebeard with an array of light beams, but this is stopped by First Division Commander Marco who states that they can't make a play for "the king" on their first turn causing Kizaru to state that the Whitebeard pirates are "scary". Whitebeard was later seen patronizing Akainu after he stopped Jozu by telling him to go light some birthday candles.

When Oars Jr. began his reckless attack through the plaza, Whitebeard called him a fool for being suicidal. However, he sent his men to back up the giant. When Oars falls to the ground, the marine giant Vice-Admiral Ronse attacks him but he easily defeats him while the rest of the marines are shocked at his tremendous power. Then he calls forth another ally to break the ice surrounding the bay.

New Allies Arrive


After Luffy arrives at Marineford and prevents Crocodile from attacking Whitebeard, he comments about Luffy's straw hat. Luffy then declares that he will become Pirate King, something that amuses Whitebeard and renders everyone else speechless. Luffy is now currently, and at least temporarily, allied with Whitebeard with the same goal in mind; to rescue Ace from the impeding execution. While Luffy is attempting to get to Ace, Whitebeard says that he will not forgive Marco if he lets Luffy die.

He then manipulates Buggy into temporarily allying with him until the the Marines are defeated. Next, he orders the New World pirate captains into breaking off to the left and right in a new formation, apparently because he has caught on to Sengoku's plan. When Crocodile began his assault back to Whitebeard after his first failed assassination attempt, Whitebeard comments on him being an annoyance.



As the Pacifista arrive from behind, in the hopes of trapping the pirates into the bay, Whitebeard yells for the pirates to attack the platform in order to save Ace. During this time, Squardo, one of the allies of the Whitebeard Pirates arrives from behind and informs Whitebeard that many of the pirates are struggling at the back, moving between Whitebeard and the battlefield as he does so. Whitebeard declares that he too will now join the attack to which Squardo responds with his gratitude towards the Whitebeard pirates. Marco, who is in the battlefield, looks up to notice Squardo with Whitebeard. As he does so Squardo thrusts a large katana into Whitebeard's abdomen, which follows through out to the other side. Whitebeard looks down upon Squardo in shock.

Squardo accused Whitebeard that he made a deal with Sengoku to spare Ace and the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates' lives in exchange for the lives of the 43 New World captains. Crocodile commented that he did not lose to this weakling (Whitebeard). Marco commented how his health is getting worse as time passes and if that was the real Whitebeard in his prime, he should have dodged Squardo's attack with ease. Whitebeard is then seen in a flashback, ripping medical devices off his chest telling his crew that he does not want the enemy to pity him. He embraces Squardo and tells him that he is a fool but even if he is, Whitebeard loves him like a son. He then asks Squardo who pulled his loyal and honest heart into the darkness. Whitebeard learns from Squardo that it was Akainu's doing, on which he commented how Sengoku hasn't changed a bit.



Whitebeard tells Squardo that holding children accountable for the sins of their fathers is foolish, that they are all his family and Ace is no different from his other sons. Whitebeard asks if the pirates are saying that he sold off the heads of his sons. Then, Whitebeard creates a quake, destroying the walls of ice which prevented the pirates from escaping and tells the pirates to believe what they want. Whitebeard then reflects on Crocodiles' comment that he was a weakling. He said that he is still just a man with only one heart. Others may call him a demon and a monster, but he can't stay the most powerful man forever. Whitebeard also states if he saves the future of one young life, he should be allowed to retire from this life. Finally, Whitebeard comes down from the ship and heads toward the enemies saying if anyone wishes to come along with him, they have to be ready to lose their lives. Sengoku calls out to the Marines to brace themselves as the strongest man in the world is about to attack.

Luffy then commented how "that guy" thinking of Whitebeard, is really something. John Giant tried to stop him but Whitebeard created a earthquake on the ground. This earthquake was so strong that the Marines commented that the whole island even the sea is tilting to one side and by making the earthquake he destabilized John Giant. The pirates commented that it is better now to keep their distance from the old guy. On the other side, the Marines said that this is beyond just an earthquake. Doflamingo said that Whitebeard is one crazy old man. From this earthquake, the city started crumbling. Whitebeard then fired off another earthquake into John Giant's chest that appears to have caused internal damage. The pirates said that Whitebeard almost made it to the platform and that he needs to take them all out. Luffy asked if Whitebeard cares about hurting people on his own side or not. Jinbei replied that his crew knew what to expect and stayed well out of the way. After the Marines raised the encircling wall, Whitebeard said aloud that his forces could still be victorious. However, when Akainu used his meteor magma attack to destroy the layer of ice that served as the battlefield, Whitebeard looked up solemnly.



As the ice was destroyed, melting back into water, the Marines took the opportunity to start picking off the now-swimming Whitebeard pirates, while Whitebeard himself watches his ship, the Moby Dick, burn and then apologizes. Later, he fired off a shockwave at one of the wall sections, only for it to cause a large dent in that wall section and prompting a pirate to comment on how it was no ordinary iron. When Luffy, with Jinbei's help, is hurled over the wall in a waterspout and with a broken piece of a ship's mast, Whitebeard comments on how Luffy's recklessness is just like Ace's. He then shouts out to Oars Jr. to stay where he is for they would need his help before yelling over to Jozu to ready the Trump Card and then ordering his men to charge the plaza.

Sengoku showed shock as Whitebeard raised another ship of his from bottom of the sea; Whitebeard comments that he never said all his ships were present and accounted for at the surface. He and all the remaining pirates allied to him reache the plaza as Oars grabs the ship, lifts it, and places it in the plaza. Whitebeard asks Ace whether his head is still attached and then asks all of his sons to stand back as he creates a huge shockwave with his bisento, taking out a lot of Marines. He then gives the order to destroy the Marines and rescue Ace.

As Whitebeard prepares to launch yet another shockwave, Aokiji appears and freezes him, encasing him in a block of ice - only to see Whitebeard breaking it with a simple quake mere seconds later, followed by impaling him with his bisento. As Aokiji is about to return the favor with an Ice Partisan, Jozu interrupts the battle, shattering the Admiral into pieces with a tackle and asks his "father" to handle the battle to which Whitebeard complies. He then catches an unconscious Luffy in midair who was blown by Kizaru's kick. Whitebeard is taunted by Kizaru who says that he shouldn't let his emotions get the best of him and not let such garbage lead the charge. As an answer, he remains silent - and hands Luffy over to his men so they can tend to his wounds, telling Luffy he has done enough as he retains consciousness. Whitebeard comments on how he always held a soft spot for people like Luffy, despite the fact that they can merely "talk the talk".



Charging towards the Marines, Whitebeard is intercepted by Akainu who engages him in battle. Akainu says that at the rate the current events are proceeding, Whitebeard is going to wipe Marineford off the face of the planet. Whitebeard laughs and tells Akainu that all he needs to do is stop him. He is later seen noticing that Garp has joined the battle. As Akainu and Whitebeard continue their fight, Whitebeard suddenly collapses, succumbing to the effects of old age. Akainu uses this opportunity to deal a devastating blow to him. Doing the same, multiple Marine Officers act upon this chance to barrage him with attacks of their own. However, they are quickly swept away by a fierce swing of the bisento. Although he is severely wounded, Whitebeard claims that he cannot die before he secures the future of his children and stands his ground while his crew's commanders, including Jinbei, take position behind him with swords raised, ready to guard their Captain from behind. Sengoku's reply over Whitebeard's statement was that he would show the future of his children here and now by proceeding to give the order for Ace' execution. Whitebeard tries to stop it but his condition prevents him from doing. Just when all hope is lost, Luffy, who went straight back to battle after receiving another dose of Ivankov's Tension Hormones (per Luffy's request), lets loose a surge of Haōshoku Haki yelling at the executioners to stop, knocking them out, along with several weak-willed pirates and Marines in the process, which seems to shock Whitebeard.



As he seems to be impressed after witnessing Luffy's Haōshoku Haki, he knocks out the charging Marine troops in front of him and immediately orders his men to back up Luffy with all their might. Whitebeard's men react surprised at his sudden order, but follow it nonetheless. Whitebeard's reason for this order is because he wants to witness if Luffy might live up to his expectations as he states that Luffy, who is the carrier of Will of the D., might be able to show him what lies at the end of the current era.

He's later seen intercepting Kizaru who tries to stop Luffy from reaching the platform. As he watches the event that unfolds on the passage, Kizaru manages to slip from Whitebeard's attack and is seen aiming his beam on Whitebeard which could be interpreted that Whitebeard was shot in his fight with Kizaru. During the big explosion which was caused by the Marines who aimed their fire at the collapsing scaffold, he's seen very relieved after witnessing Luffy and Ace emerging safely from the explosion thanks to Ace's Mera Mera no Mi powers.

Whitebeard is next seen smiling as Luffy and Ace make their escape. When Squardo appears in a paddle boat begging everyone to escape while he fights the Marines as an act of repentance, Whitebeard chides him and explains that it would be tragic for him to see one of his "sons" lose his life before him. Whitebeard says that Squardo should not feel any guilt as a "pesky stab" did nothing to sway his life. Whitebeard then gives his "final order" despite protests from many of those present. He asks them to fall back to the New World safely. He explains that he is a relic of history and has no place in the "new age." Upon further protests, he maintains that they must do as he says as it is an order from the captain. The pirates begrudgingly accept. As they part, his final words to them are to not look back, that the times were changing. Whitebeard reminisces about the past before he begins his final attack, causing Marines to be blown away and Marineford to crack. Whitebeard stands facing the Marines with a triumphant grin on his face and saying that he'd traveled a long way. He then yells a challenge to the Marines to finish the battle once and for all.

Whitebeard's Last Stand


Whitebeard continues to reduce Marineford to ruins and attack any Marines that are interfering with the pirates' escape. He then asks Ace if he is a good father and Ace replies "of course." After being provoked by Akainu, Ace attacks Akainu who in turn dominates the battle and uses his magma fist to penetrate Ace from behind. The pirates, shocked by this turn of events, suddenly yell out Ace's name and Whitebeard is seen looking with disbelief in Ace's direction. Later on, when Ace speaks his last words, Whitebeard realizes that it's too late for Ace and tearfully reminisces the day when he met Ace who came to claim his head.

After Ace's death, an enraged Whitebeard attacks Akainu, damaging the Admiral severely, but not without getting nearly half of his face torn off. Whitebeard retaliates with an attack that splits the island of Marineford in two, thus separating him from his crew and pirate allies. This attack also reveals that the Blackbeard Pirates have been watching the whole ordeal from the shadows. Blackbeard greets his former captain by saying that he has come to see his death. Sengoku and Blackbeard throw words at each other, and Blackbeard explains how he used the title of Shichibukai to get what he wanted; to break into Impel Down and free Sanjuan Wolf, Avalo Pizarro, Vasco Shot, Shiliew, and Catarina Devon.

As soon as they're done talking, however, Whitebeard strikes the Marine HQ, forcing the Blackbeard Pirates to lose their footing. Whitebeard snarlingly claimed that he no longer considers Teach to be his son for killing Thatch, and intends for revenge by executing the traitor. Whitebeard then attempts to punch Blackbeard with a quake punch, but Blackbeard blocks it. Blackbeard then asked Whitebeard how it feels to not be able to create earthquakes. Whitebeard strikes Blackbeard with his bisento, pins him down and uses his Gura Gura ability to choke Blackbeard. While choking him, Blackbeard fearfully asked him if he would kill his own son, to which Whitebeard ignored and released the shock wave to heavily injure Teach.



Blackbeard then commands his pirates to attack, resulting a pointblank barrage of blades and bullets; while he's being attacked, Whitebeard suddenly starts remembering when Roger told him about his own death and the true meaning of "D." Soon the Blackbeard Pirates run out of bullets, and Whitebeard is amazingly still standing. Whitebeard proceeds to tell Teach that he is not the man that Roger is waiting for, and he also tells Sengoku that the bloodline of those who carry the Will of Roger still burns, and that one day a grand battle that will engulf the whole world will begin.

He then says that when someone finds "that" treasure, the world will be turned upside-down, before finishing his speech by shouting to the world that "One Piece" exists, much to Sengoku's fury. Whitebeard once again remembers his younger days when one of his crewmates asked him if he didn't want treasure, what was it that he was interested in. Whitebeard's answer was "family," much to the amusement of the man who had posed the question.

After saying his final farewell to his grieving crew and distraught allies, Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate dies standing on his feet. It is stated that despite his grievous wounds, and even with half his face gone, he continued to strike down enemies, proving he was truly a "monster." Once he dies, his coat falls from his back and it is revealed to have been untarnished by a single wound of retreat not only from the battle, but from his entire life as a pirate.

Postmortem


After Whitebeard's death, Blackbeard used an unknown method under a black cloth 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 for a victory trophy to increase their faith in the Marines. Newgate, along with Ace, was buried on an unknown island somewhere on the second half of the Grand Line. His coat and bisento 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.

Major Battles

 * Edward Newgate vs. Gol D. Roger (several times, have yet to actually be shown)
 * Edward Newgate vs. Crocodile (has yet to actually be shown)
 * Edward Newgate vs. Spade Pirates
 * Edward Newgate vs. Portgas D. Ace (at least 100 times)
 * Edward Newgate vs. Shanks (not exactly a real battle)
 * Edward Newgate vs. Admiral Aokiji
 * Edward Newgate vs. Vice-Admiral Ronse
 * Edward Newgate vs. Squardo (not a real fight, Squardo stabbed Whitebeard after being deceived)
 * Edward Newgate vs. Vice-Admiral John Giant
 * Edward Newgate vs. Admiral Aokiji (in the plaza)
 * Edward Newgate vs. Admiral Akainu
 * Edward Newgate vs. multiple Marine Officers
 * Edward Newgate vs. Admiral Kizaru
 * Edward Newgate vs. Admiral Akainu (after the death of Ace)
 * Edward Newgate vs. Marshall D. Teach
 * Edward Newgate vs. Blackbeard Pirates

Anime and Manga Differences
In the manga and other related merchandise, the color of Whitebeard's coat underneath was initially green. In the anime and other related merchandise, it is red. Later in the manga however, this was changed to red.

In the manga also, Whitebeard has no hair showing. In the anime, he initially had some brown hair. His hair was later retconned to follow the manga. His pants were also left hanging over his boots in his first appearance in the anime and, probably as an error, during one of the scenes of his meeting with Shanks. In the manga, his pants were always tucked inside his boots.

Anime and Manga Influences
He is one of 3 characters whose name comes from the real life Blackbeard, otherwise known as Edward Teach.

Whitebeard's character design is based on the owner of the pub Oda liked going to. The owner often sat down in the store with medical equipment hooked up to his nose and drank, calling sake "medicine" while telling war stories. Whitebeard's own line in his first appearance, "I'm not talking to any snot-nosed airheads." was in fact an exact phrase the owner often said to customers. Unfortunately, the pub owner passed away by the time Oda revealed this fact.

Translation and Dub Issues
The name Whitebeard is not a literal translation. In Japanese, his nickname is Shiro Hige. The word "Shiro" meaning white, and "Hige" meaning "facial hair" (the Japanese do not have words for the individual styles of facial hairs).

Merchandise


Edward Newgate's figure is to be released on late November 2010 by Portrait of Pirates series and on December 2010 for the Figuarts Zero series.

Trivia

 * Like other characters in One Piece, he has a distinct laughter which is "Gu ra ra ra ra". Like Perona, his laugh is similar to the name of his Devil Fruit, the Gura Gura no Mi. However in the anime (before the Marineford Arc), his laugh was changed to a regular "Ha ha ha ha ha". In the American Shonen Jump, his laugh is changed to "Gu ha ha ha ha".
 * In the 4th Japanese Fan Poll, Whitebeard is currently ranked the 69th most popular character in One Piece.
 * A pirate with a similar appearance to Whitebeard, Crescent Moon Galley, can be seen in one of Oda's early "Romance Dawn" one shots. His most notable feature is his crescent-shaped mustache, similar to Whitebeard's.
 * The number of hits Whitebeard took during his final battle could be a reference to the final stand of the real-life Blackbeard, who was shot at least 5 times and took at least 20 slashes and stabs during his last battle. At the time of his death, Whitebeard had taken 267 sword wounds, 152 gunshot wounds, and 46 wounds from cannon balls. The sum adds up to a total of 465 hits.
 * Several of Whitebeard's characteristics seem to be inspired by the legendary sōhei (warrior monk) Musashibo Benkei. Benkei was said to be five times the size of a normal man (in actuality, he stood just over 2 meters), and was a master in combat, a naginata being his weapon of choice. He was reputed for defeating over 1000 opponents single-handedly, and due to his large stature and fighting prowess, Benkei was often referred to as a "monster." Like Whitebeard, Benkei died standing up while aiding in the escape of his friend and master, lord Minamoto Yoshitsune, during the Gempei War.
 * In a SBS of Volume 58, Oda revealed that Whitebeard had a dog, Stefan, with a mustache similar to his own. This however is most likely a joke.

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