One Piece: 7 Unwritten Rules Pirates Must Follow

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This list contains spoilers.

Summary

  • Avoid underestimating Yonko as they are incredibly powerful and can destroy crews easily.
  • Personalized ships are crucial for crews to reflect their style and crew identity.
  • Bounties signify a pirate’s danger level, with higher values boosting status and ego.

The world of *One Piece* often appears bright and cheerful, and it can be! However, those familiar with the series know it’s also filled with danger. This is especially true for pirates, who instantly become targets the moment they set sail. Becoming a pirate – and especially a captain – requires a lot of courage.

Pirates in the world of *One Piece* have been around for a long time, and over the years, certain unspoken rules have developed. While pirates don’t usually talk about these rules openly, following them seems to be the best way to stay safe from the Marines and rival pirate crews.

7. Don’t Take A Yonko Lightly

Avoid These Powerful Captains Unless Absolutely Necessary

The Yonko are among the most powerful characters in the series, and that’s no surprise – becoming one is incredibly difficult. Pirates usually hear about them early in their journeys, and while they’re interesting to read about in the news, it’s clear that you should avoid them at all costs. Each Yonko is strong enough to wipe out an entire pirate crew with just one attack.

If a pirate crew dares to challenge one of the Yonko, they need to be far better prepared than for any normal battle. Characters like Law and Kid have learned the hard way just how dangerous the Yonko are, and no crew should ever underestimate them.

6. Personalize Your Ship

Ships Feed Into The Crew’s Aesthetic And Style

The Water 7 arc reveals that pirates often view their ship as a fellow crew member. This makes sense when you see how much effort they put into personalizing their vessels – they’re rarely plain or unremarkable. Instead, pirate ships are usually decorated to reflect the personalities and values of the captain and crew.

Each pirate ship in the series has a unique design that reflects the crew’s personality. The Thousand Sunny is cheerful and vibrant, while Thriller Bark’s ship is designed to be frightening, matching the creepy atmosphere created by Gecko Moria. Whitebeard’s ship, the Moby Dick, is massive and imposing, mirroring his own powerful presence, and Big Mom’s ship is decorated with all sorts of tempting food. It’s clear that a memorable ship is essential for any pirate crew wanting to make a statement, and this has led to some truly amazing ship designs throughout the story.

5. The Higher The Bounty, The Better

Bounties Can Indicate How Dangerous A Pirate Is

It would scare most people to know a reward is offered for their capture by bounty hunters or the Marines. But for pirates in *One Piece*, a bounty is a sign of how powerful and well-known they’ve become to the government. They see a higher bounty as a boost to their reputation and a point of pride.

The Straw Hats are a great example of this – whenever they get new bounty posters, they immediately start arguing over who has the highest one. What was meant to be a way to scare pirates has turned into a competition to see who can get the biggest reward. In reality, many pirate crews secretly want to reach those impressive bounty numbers.

4. Alliances Are Temporary

Riding Alongside Another Crew For Too Long Can Be Risky

Captains often prefer to operate independently, but occasionally they need to join forces to defeat a powerful enemy. This was common during the Yonko Saga, where Luffy and his crew allied with Capone Bege to deal with Big Mom, and later with Law and Kid once they reached Wano. While they might negotiate the specifics of their partnership, the unspoken truth is that these alliances are never meant to last.

Ultimately, these are still pirates, and only one crew can claim the One Piece treasure. That means no pirate would willingly share the journey to Laugh Tale with another crew alongside them. This is particularly true because captains are so quick to betray allies, as we saw with Apoo, who turned on Kid and Hawkins to gain Kaido’s favor.

3. Every Pirate Needs To Be Unique In What They Offer

Having A Single Type Of Crewmate Won’t Be Enough To Survive

New captains often prioritize recruiting strong fighters, but surviving the challenging voyage to the One Piece requires a well-rounded crew. While skilled swordsmen are valuable in battles, it’s equally important to have a doctor on board to heal injuries and keep everyone healthy when things get tough.

A cook is vital for keeping the crew fed and energized during their voyages, and a skilled sharpshooter is needed to take out enemies from a distance. Many of the most famous and effective pirate crews, like the Red Hair Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates, and particularly the Straw Hats, demonstrate this kind of diverse skillset – the Straw Hats are arguably the most varied crew sailing the seas.

2. Pledge Full Loyalty To The Captain

Nobody Should Act Without A Captain’s Input

Crews often become very close, almost like families, but it’s important to remember there’s still a clear chain of command. The captain is ultimately in charge, and while some crew members might gain power and let it go to their heads, they’ll face consequences if they disobey the person who gave them this opportunity.

Even someone as inept as Captain Buggy expects his crew to be loyal, even if they secretly wish they were in charge. It’s a basic expectation, but a reminder is sometimes necessary to prevent anyone from trying to overthrow him.

1. Never Betray The Crew

One Of The Biggest Sins A Pirate Can Commit

Pirate crews are built on trust and loyalty. When people join a crew, they commit to watching each other’s backs for years to come, essentially making a promise to never betray their shipmates. This idea of unwavering loyalty is a recurring theme, first highlighted early on by Luffy’s brother, Ace, during the events in Alabasta.

Ace was determined to find Blackbeard, who had committed a terrible act by betraying Whitebeard’s crew to steal the powerful Dark Dark Fruit. Even pirates known for being ruthless, like Eustass Kid’s crew, generally avoid betraying their own, as shown when Killer willingly ate a dangerous artificial SMILE Fruit to safeguard his captain. While betraying a crewmate is considered a grave offense among pirates, many ambitious individuals have broken this code for their own gain.

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2025-09-19 08:35