One Piece: Smallest Known Pirate Crews in the Series

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One Piece: Smallest Known Pirate Crews in the Series

Key Takeaways

  • Straw Hat Pirates have 10 members, with each having designated roles.
  • Fake Straw Hat Crew had 8 members and was formed to benefit from the original crew’s reputation.
  • Ideo Pirates consists of 4 members who joined the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

As a longtime enthusiast of the One Piece universe, I must say that the Macro Pirates and Foxy Pirates are two crews that have left quite an impression, each for different reasons. The Macro Pirates, with their origins as former Sun Pirates, present a complex picture of camaraderie turned sour by the allure of power and wealth. Their ruthless pursuit of slaves, despite their own history as slaves themselves, is a stark reminder that even those who have suffered can inflict similar pain upon others.

In the fictional world of One Piece, it’s common for pirate crews to be quite extensive. Many pirates seek power, and it’s true that a larger group can provide some level of strength. However, not all crews have the resources to maintain such a large number of pirates.

In contrast to many major antagonists who boast large teams of foot soldiers as well as higher-ranking members, several crews in the world of One Piece are relatively small. This article will explore some of these compact crews and the reasons behind their limited membership.

6 Straw Hat Pirates

Number of Pirates: ~10

One Piece: Smallest Known Pirate Crews in the Series
  • Crew: Monkey D. Luffy (Captain), Roronoa Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Nico Robin, Franky, Brook, and Jimbei
  • Main Ship: Thousand Sunny, Going Merry (Formerly)

In most pirate shows, the main crew is usually quite large. However, in this series, Luffy’s crew is relatively small compared to the norm. When he first embarked on his piracy journey, he desired only a handful of crewmates, around 10. Currently, he has approximately 9, with Zeus being considered more like an extension of Nami than a full-fledged member. It’s uncertain who will be the final addition to the crew or if Luffy’s self-imposed limit of 10 will indeed be the final count for the Straw Hat Pirates.

Despite Luffy extending invitations to anyone he finds intriguing enough for his crew, in reality, each new recruit takes on a specific role once they join. For instance, Jimbei, the latest official member, serves as the navigator, leveraging his power and expertise to guide the ship. Moreover, every Straw Hat is recognized as a formidable pirate, with Marine Admiral Kizaru labeling them all as monstrous.

The team strengthened their ranks with the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, who pledged loyalty to Luffy due to the crew’s kindness. However, it’s important to note that they are not officially part of the crew and Luffy does not consider them as subordinates. Instead, he views them more as allies.

5 Fake Straw Hat Crew/ Fake Kid Pirates

Number of Pirates: 8-4

One Piece: Smallest Known Pirate Crews in the Series
  • Debut: Chapter 598 (Manga), Episode 517 (Anime)
  • Crew: Demalo Black (Captain; Fake Luffy), Manjaro (Fake Zoro), Monblutain (Fake Sogeking/Usopp), Drip (Fake Sanji), Chocolat (Fake Nami), Nora Gitsune (Fake Chopper), Cocoa (Fake Robin), and Turco (Fake Franky)
  • Main Ship: Unknown

This group of pretenders was established to capitalize on the esteem of the authentic team. They don’t closely resemble their counterparts, but possess enough surface-level similarities for their ruse to have been somewhat effective initially. Notably, they were missing Brook in their lineup, even though he was part of the crew when they first appeared. This might be because his membership was recent and not widely recognized at the time of their creation. The Fake Straw Hats are all voiced by the actors of the real Straw Hats, but have been assigned to different crew members. For instance, their captain, Demalo Black, is voiced by the actors who play Sanji. Furthermore, inadvertently revealing their true nature, some fake Straw Hats boast about their bounties and connections – a behavior uncharacteristic of the genuine team members.

In contrast to Luffy, I, Black, don’t place much emphasis on my subordinates, primarily using them to advance my own interests. Similar to Buggy, I aimed to build a stronger crew, recruiting high-value pirates for the role. My crew included the Caribou Pirates, who were tasked with sabotaging us from within. However, this deception was unveiled shortly after the genuine Straw Hat crew resumed their pirate lives. It was believed that most of my crew had been entombed alive by Caribou, but it seems they weren’t entirely buried, as some were spotted alive and behind bars later on.

While we were detained at the G-4 Marine Base, at least four of us carried on with our schemes under disguise. I, alongside Black, Manjaro, Drip, and Turco, pulled off a clever ruse – posing as the Kid Pirates, who had been presumed to have perished at sea.

4 New Giant Warrior Pirates

Number of Pirates: 5

One Piece: Smallest Known Pirate Crews in the Series
  • Debut: Chapter 706 (Manga), Episode 639 (Anime)
  • Crew: Hajrudin (Captain), Stansen, Road, Goldberg, and Gerd
  • Main Ship: Naglfar

Originally part of Buggy’s Delivery and known as its highest-earning team members, this group consisted of five ex-mercenaries originally from Elbaf. Their leader, Hajrudin, was rescued by the Straw Hat Pirates during their adventures in Dressrosa. This act led Hajrudin to depart from the organization and establish a pirate crew modeled after the Giant Warrior Pirates. Subsequently, he joined the ranks of the Seven Captains within Luffy’s grand fleet, an alliance of crews devoted to the Straw Hat Pirate captain.

Each of these pirate crew members, much like the Straw Hat group, has their unique position within the team: Stansen handles ship maintenance as our shipwright, Goldberg is responsible for preparing meals as our cook, Road navigates our journey as our navigator, and Gerd serves as our doctor.

3 Ideo Pirates

Number of Pirates: 4

One Piece: Smallest Known Pirate Crews in the Series
  • Debut: Chapter 799 (Manga), Episode 744 (Anime)
  • Crew: Ideo (Captain), Blue Gilly, Abdullah, and Jeet
  • Main Ship: Unnamed (Formerly owned by Orlumbus)

The Ideo Pirates were among a few groups established within the Straw Hat Grand Alliance, an association of pirates who pledged allegiance to the Straw Hats in gratitude for their deeds in Dressrosa. While some members had been active pirates before the crew’s creation, others joined piracy specifically with this goal in mind. Unlike other crews serving the fleet, such as the Happo Navy and the Yonta Maria Grand Fleet, the Ideo Pirates didn’t have a previous existence.

Originally, the quartet on this team took part in the Colosseum Corrida and subsequently engaged in battles against the Donquixote Pirates. Interestingly, all four were afflicted by Sugar, transforming them into playthings bound to serve Doflamingo, thus making themselves forgotten, even from their own memories. After their liberation, they stood steadfast with the Straw Hat crew, fending off those aiming to collect their bounties.

As captain, Ideo is an expert in longarm martial arts, having won the New World Central Fighting Tournament twice. Blue Gilly, a member of the longleg tribe, follows the Jao Kun Do style. The other two crew members, Abdullah and Jeet, were once bounty hunters who often team up to fight. They have an infamous past involving the bombing of a government building. In keeping with the martial arts theme of the group, they are both modeled after well-known Canadian professional wrestlers.

The ship they now sail was bestowed upon them by Orlumbus, a former commander of a vast fleet, boasting more ships and crew members than any other captain in the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. It remains uncertain whether the Ideo Pirates aim for expansion, as their intentions beyond serving Luffy have yet to be disclosed.

2 Macro Pirates

Number of Pirates: 3

One Piece: Smallest Known Pirate Crews in the Series
  • Chapter 197 (Cover Story), Episode 386 (Anime)
  • Crew: Macro (Captain), Gyaro, and Tansui
  • Main Ship: Unnamed (Destroyed by Hatchan)

One of the two groups that split from the Sun Pirates is known as the Macro Pirates. This breakaway occurred when their leader, Jimbei, assumed the role of a Warlord. Given their origin, this pirate crew consists entirely of fish-men. What sets them apart is each member resembles a specific freshwater fish: Macro takes after a pelican-eel, Gyaro looks like a pop-eyed goldfish, and Tansui mimics an arowana.

Among the Sun Pirates, Macro was known for his ruthless nature, with no qualms about taking human lives. However, he, alongside Gyaro and Tansui, showed a tender side towards Koala, a former human captive they had helped reunite with her family. Tragically, this act of kindness would ultimately lead to the disintegration of their crew. This was due to the fact that their captain, Fisher Tiger, met his end, and Arlong was apprehended by the marines. The family of Koala, in exchange for overlooking her past slave status, had contacted the marines to arrest them.

It’s uncertain to what extent the perceived act of betrayal influenced the philosophies of the Macro Pirates, but regardless of their past as part of the Sun Pirates – a crew with roots among ex-slaves – they seemed unfazed about enslaving others. Notably, they made 31 attempts to capture Camie, a high-value kissing gourami mermaid, due to her worth as a slave. Additionally, they tried capturing their former companion, Hatchan, on at least one occasion for similar motives.

As a diehard fan, I can’t help but notice that the team, despite their past ties with the Flying Fish Riders, seems less than adept, as they’ve yet to successfully capture anyone onscreen. It’s plausible that this might no longer be the case given Duval’s shift in allegiance. And let’s not forget, their diminutive size could be attributed to the fact that fish-men, in general, seem to have a strong stance against slavery, which may make recruitment challenging for them.

1 Foxy Pirates

Number of Pirates: 3

One Piece: Smallest Known Pirate Crews in the Series
  • Debut: Chapter 304 (Manga), Episode 207 (Anime)
  • Crew: Foxy (Captain), Porche, and Hamburg
  • Main Ship: Sexy Foxy (Formerly)

Originally, the formidable crew known as the Foxy Pirates were renowned for their massive numbers, with hundreds of members. They augmented their size through a pirate custom called Davy Back Fights, where crews would engage in combat, and the losing side often had to surrender some of their own members to the victors. One day, they encountered the Straw Hats, trying unsuccessfully to embarrass them and take their preferred crewmates. Regardless of their frequent dishonest tactics during the Davy Back Fights, it seems that their team members possess genuine prowess in the competitions they choose to join. The captain of this pirate group is Foxy, who wields a Devil Fruit that enables him to temporarily halt anything caught within beams he can generate.

Despite their skill level, they often fall short when compared to powerful pirate crews like the Straw Hats in the New World. After an initial setback, they’ve largely become a laughing stock, mostly appearing in non-essential storylines of the anime. The Final Saga suggests that the Foxy Pirates have reached their lowest point, with only Foxy, Porche, and Hamburg visible on a small boat, which is not their usual ship, the Sexy Foxy. While it’s not explicitly mentioned, it’s plausible that the rest of the crew, along with their ship, were either defeated or lost in one or more battles against other New World crews.

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2024-09-27 06:34