This was the crew that traveled around the Grand Line together and the things they did were part of legends. They made it as far as Skypiea and the end of the Grand Line, Raftel, on their ship the Oro Jackson. Roger was one of the most famous figures of his day, while the name of their first mate, Silvers Rayleigh, is widely known and famed as well.
Ironically, only the captain and the first mate seem to have been remembered while the rest of the crew have apparently faded out of memory, all save those still active like Shanks and Buggy. The first introduction to their crew comes from Buggy, who recalls his days with Shanks as a cabin boy in their crew.[1] Their captain, Roger, is the first character introduced in the series.[5]
Four years prior to his death, Roger was diagnosed with an incurable disease. Rather than fading out and dying, Roger decided to lead his crew on one last journey into the Grand Line. After they reached the lighthouse at Reverse Mountain, they recruited Crocus into their crew who traveled with them to keep their captain alive on the condition they helped him find another crew he was looking for information on. The crew eventually made it to Skypiea where their captain was able to befriend Gan Fall, the God of Skypiea. After leaving Skypiea, they traveled to Water 7, where Tom made a ship for them, the Oro Jackson. At some point they passed the Red Line, into the New World, and eventually made it to Raftel.[6] They had also found the information lost to the void century, but had the possibility of not fully understanding it, as they were not scholars like Oharans.[7]
Disbanding
After the Roger Pirates conquered the Grand Line by reaching Raftel, Roger started to be referred to as "The Pirate King". Being a man that loved big flashy things, he rejoiced upon his new title. Finally, upon Roger's orders, the crew disbanded and the members disappeared and went their own way. One year later, Roger gave himself up to the Marines and was sentenced to public execution in his town of birth: Loguetown.[6]
The Roger Pirates's ship, the Oro Jackson, was constructed by the most skilled shipwright of the era, Tom. It was built from wood taken from the Treasure Tree Adam, which is valued at about 200,000,000. When fighting Shiki, the ship had a large cannon in the front surrounded by a pair of mermaids. This cannon was powerful enough to destroy an entire ship.
The construction of this ship led Tom to become a criminal, since the ship was affiliated with the Pirate King.
Crew Strength
The crew has been referred to as the strongest crew ever to sail the Grand Line and the New World. The few members that have been seen are amongst the most powerful pirates in the current storyline, with Rayleigh being referred to as being 100 times stronger than the 11 Supernovas and able to fight AdmiralKizaru to a stalemate, despite being an old man. Shanks over the decades has established a reputation and obtained power, becoming one of the four powerful pirates known as the Yonko. Both he and Rayleigh display powerful Haki abilities. Crocus did not display this, though it is not known whether or not he possesses the ability. However, he was not a member of the original crew; he was taken in to keep Roger alive on their final journey. Kozuki Oden a Daimyo of Wano Country and member of the Kozuki Family was also a member of the crew and like his captain, was one of the few people known to possessed the ability to read Poneglyphs. As a result, the crew has not one but two people potentially capable of locating and reviving the Ancient Weapons as a result of their ability to read Poneglyphs.
Despite not being an original member of the crew, however, he did display some strength as an old man, stopping bazooka blasts with his own body. Buggy appears to lack this ability, indicating that even on their crew there was a strength divide. However, even Buggy has attained the status Shichibukai after the timeskip, albeit by exploiting his former crewmates' reputations. Their captain, Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, was the strongest pirate ever to live.
Jolly Roger
The Roger Pirates jolly roger is the traditional skull in One Piece with a mustache that resembles Gol D. Roger's mustache.
Trivia
Even though the crew disbanded, the Marines would never allow the crew to be forgotten. If a crew member is encountered, the Marines cannot simply let them go.[2] Similarly, Portgas D. Ace, being the son of Roger, is not spared from this prejudiced hunt.
References
↑ 1.01.1One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 3Chapter 19 and Episode 8, Buggy speaks about his days with Shanks as a cabin boy. Note: the crew was not mentioned to be Roger's pirates at the time of chapter.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 25Chapter 233 (p. 12) and Episode 151, Buggy mentions Whitebeard of being the only one able to fight on par with Roger.
↑One Piece Manga — Vol. 1Chapter 1 (p. 1), We Are! theme, Roger's speech and death, the introduction to One Piece.
_Portrait.png){kind=link}
200,000,000. When fighting Shiki, the ship had a large cannon in the front surrounded by a pair of mermaids. This cannon was powerful enough to destroy an entire ship.