Helmsman

Helmsman
Statistics
Japanese Name:	操舵手
Romanized Name:	Sōda-shu
First Appearance:	Chapter 222; Episode 146

A Helmsman is a person who steers a ship and many types of boats. In the merchant Marine, this is usually an able seaman. In the Marines, it is a seaman or a quartermaster.

In One Piece

Jesus Burgess is the helmsman of the Blackbeard Pirates, and the first one to be introduced into the series. It is unknown if Burgess is still a helmsman, as he was promoted to captain of the Blackbeard Pirates' first ship during the timeskip when Blackbeard became one of the Four Emperors.

Shiki is the helmsman of the Golden Lion Pirates, in addition to being the crew's captain. This is because the movement of his ship is controlled and levitated in the air by his Fuwa Fuwa no Mi powers. Any changes in course must be relayed to Shiki for him to conduct the change in trajectory.

Jinbe's masterful helmsman skills allowed the Thousand Sunny to surf a giant wave.

Before the Straw Hats offically had a helmsman, the most common people seen steering the Thousand Sunny were Nami, Usopp, or Chopper in his human form. However, Franky and Sanji have also been seen steering the ship many times. Since joining the Straw Hats, Jinbe serves as the crew's helmsman. He has demonstrated tremendous skills as a helmsman, being able to guide the Thousand Sunny into a small "Green Room" within the giant sentient wave Big Mom created, enabling the ship to surf away from the crushing waters safely; Nami commented that Jinbe's skills in controlling a sloop ship as an extension of his body qualifies him as a helmsman of such a caliber she has never seen before. Even Franky when he later heard of Jinbe's skills admitted that Jinbe was the best candidate to bring out the Thousand Sunny's full potential.

Trivia

• In the anime, Jean Bart was seen piloting the Polar Tang during the Heart Pirates' escape from the Summit War of Marineford. This is non-canon, however, as the manga would confirm that Hakugan is the official helmsman of the crew.
• While Jesus Burgess is the helmsman of the Blackbeard Pirates, he required assistance from Doc Q to pilot the crew's raft in the one time he was shown performing his job.