Everything One Piece fans know about the Blackbeard Pirates
One Piece 1063 is about to thrill fans with a major turn of events, featuring the upcoming battle between the Heart Pirates, led by Trafalgar Law, and Marshall D. Teach, the man known as "Blackbeard."
Law and his comrades will not have an easy time against Blackbeard. The Emperor is also assisted by some members of his crew, namely Jesus Burgess, Van Augur, Doc Q and Stronger. Follow this thread to learn everything about them and the other members of the Blackbeard Pirates.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to Chapter 1063 and reflects the writer's personal views.
As One Piece 1063 highlighted, the Blackbeard Pirates are the main threat
An overview of the crew
With Marshall D. Teach having been proclaimed one of the Four Emperors, the Blackbeard Pirates have now become a Yonko crew. The Emperors are the four most notorious pirate captains in the One Piece world. Given their immense individual strength and the remarkable power of their subordinates, they directly govern a significant number of territories and islands.
The Blackbeard Pirates are organized like a fleet. Teach, the captain, is considered to be sort of an admiral for his leading position in such a compound. His main subordinates are called the Ten Titanic Captains, each of whom has command over their own ship within the fleet.
Since the time skip, the Blackbeard Pirates have been hunting and stealing Devil Fruit powers to increase the crew's overall strength. Due to this behavior, they have made a name for themselves as "Ability User Hunters".
Recently, the crew has gained a powerful ally in Kuzan, the former Marine Admiral Aokiji. His status within the crew is currently unknown. First appointed to be the successor to former Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Aokiji was opposed by Admiral Akainu. The two fought a fierce battle, which lasted ten days.
Aokiji ended up losing the fight. Following that outcome, he left the Marine and started an unspecified affiliation with the Blackbeard Pirates. Aokiji is one of the strongest characters in the One Piece world. If he really joined the Blackbeard Pirates, the crew's potential would increase dramatically.
Marshall D. Teach, the captain
Better known as "Blackbeard," Teach is one of the main antagonists in the One Piece series and the founder and captain of the Blackbeard Pirates. He is the only known person in the story to wield two Devil Fruits, and is one of the very few people who carry the initial D. in their name. Teach became one of the Four Emperors during the time skip.
Teach is a weird individual who is both ambitious and cowardly. At times, he looks strong and fearsome, while in other moments, he seems weak and pathetic. Despite being a Will of D. owner, Blackbeard greatly fears death. He is a deceptive individual, prepared to go to any lengths to satisfy his hunger for power and his aim to become the next Pirate King.
He started his pirate career as an apprentice in the Whitebeard Pirates. He left that crew after murdering a comrade, Thatch, in order to steal the precious Dark-Dark Fruit. He later defeated and captured Portuguese D. Ace, offering him to the Marines in exchange for the status of Warlord, which he used to enter the prison of Impel Down, where he recruited new powerful fighters for his own crew.
Subsequently, he arrived in Marineford in the middle of the Paramount War. He attacked Whitebeard, who was already at death's door after suffering deadly attacks from Admiral Akainu. Blackbeard and his crew ganged up on the old Emperor and struck him together, killing him. Somehow, Blackbeard was then able to steal the powers of the Quake-Quake fruit from Whitebeard's corpse.
During the time skip, Blackbeard devoted himself to taking over Whitebeard's territories. Seeking revenge, Marco and the other remaining members of the Whitebeard Pirates attacked him. However, the Blackbeard Pirates crushed them completely. As a result, Teach was declared to be a Yonko.
Born with superhuman endurance and physical strength, Teach quickly became one of the top dogs in the One Piece world. He is an extremely dangerous individual who possesses the powers of two of the strongest Devil Fruits.
The Dark-Dark Fruit enables him to create and control darkness at will, allowing him to conjure a black void that devours and crushes everything. Moreover, using this power, he can completely nullify the abilities of other Devil Fruit users by simply touching them. However, unlike other Logia fruits, the Dark-Dark Fruit does not give Blackbeard access to an intangible elemental state.
The Quake-Quake Fruit grants Blackbeard immense attacking power and destructive capabilities. This Devil Fruit is fearsome, being reputed to be able to destroy the world. In fact, it is considered to be the strongest Devil Fruit within the Paramecia-class, having powers no weaker than those of a Logia-class.
Blackbeard seems to have some ties with Rocks D. Xebec. The latter was such a legendary figure that defeating him took the combined efforts of Gol D. Roger - the Pirate King, and Monkey D. Garp - the Marine Hero. The World Government feared Xebec to the point where they erased every trace of his existence from history.
The connection between Blackbeard and Xebec is also hinted at in the name that the former gives to his ship, which is called "Saber of Xebec".
Shiryu, the number two
Shiryu "Of the Rain" is the former Head Jailer of the Impel Down prison. After meeting Marshall D. Teach, he decided to renege on Impel Down and join the Blackbeard Pirates. Shiryu is a vicious and deceitful individual. He enjoys killing, even slaughtering his former subordinates without mercy.
A formidable swordsman, Shiryu owns a Graded Sword and can perform deadly attacks in the blink of an eye. One Piece author Eiichiro Oda recently released information that Shiryu is the second strongest individual in the Blackbeard Pirates, more powerful than any other member, except for Teach himself.
This was depicted with the color spread of One Piece chapter 1031, which portrayed the "number two(s)," i.e. the second strongest individuals from the most prominent crews. Oda featured Zoro for Strawhats, Rayleigh for Roger Pirates, Shiryu for Blackbeard Pirates, and more.
Before the time skip, Shiryu was said to be as strong as Magellan, the dangerous Head Jailer of Impel Down. After the two years of time skip, Shiryu likely improved his fighting capabilities. He also gained the power of Clear-Clear Fruit, which enhanced his stealth abilities, making him one of the most lethal fighters in the One Piece world.
Lafitte
"The Demon Sheriff" Lafitte is the navigator of the Blackbeard Pirates. He also holds the position as the crew's chief of staff, hence many One Piece fans consider him to be the third strongest member of the Blackbeard Pirates after Teach and Shiryu. Despite his appearance as a polite individual, Lafitte is a cruel and ruthless pirate.
Lafitte is a stealth master. He was able to infiltrate Marineford and Mary Geoise, two of the most highly guarded places in the One Piece world. He ate a Devil Fruit that allows him to sprout wings on his back and fly. He also possesses the power of hypnosis. Whether these abilities are connected or not is yet to be revealed.
Burgess
"The Champion" Jesus Burgess is the helmsman of the Blackbeard Pirates. He is a brawler who fights using wrestling moves enhanced through Armament Haki. He possesses great physical strength further enhanced thanks to the abilities granted by the Power-Power Fruit.
Burgess was able to take down all the contestants in Block A of Dressrosa's Corrida Colosseum without getting a single scratch. He later tried to sneak attack Luffy and steal his Devil Fruit power. However, his attempt was stopped by Sabo, the number two of the Revolutionary Army. Burgess didn't stand a chance against the latter.
Van Augur, Doc Q and the other members of the crew
"The Supersonic" Van Augur is the sniper of the Blackbeard Pirates. He has incredible eyesight and marksmanship skills, allowing him to fire bullets over long distances with extraordinary accuracy. After the time skip, Van Augur gained the powers of the Warp-Warp Fruit, which enables him to instantly teleport a person of his choosing anywhere he decides.
"Death God" Doc Q is the medician of the Blackbeard Pirates. Despite having some sort of chronic sickness, he has superhuman strength and endurance. He makes for a formidable opponent with his horse, Stronger. Stronger gallops towards the enemy at high speed while carrying Doc Q, who then strikes them down with his double-bladed scythe.
Doc Q owns the powers the Sick-Sick Fruit, which gives him the ability to infect a target of his choice with a specific disease. Stronger ate the Mythological Horse-Horse Fruit Model: Pegasus allowing it to transform into a mythical winged-horse creature with the ability to fly.
"Corrupt King" Avalo Pizarro was once the tyrannical ruler of a kingdom in the North Blue. Due to his evil deeds, he was imprisoned at Level 6 of Impel Down. After being freed from Blackbeard, he became a member of his crew. His abilities are yet to be revealed, but he was powerful enough to be one of the strongest individuals among all the Level 6 prisoners.
"Crescent Moon Hunter" Catalina Devon is considered to be the most ruthless female criminal in the One Piece world. A testament to this, she killed many beautiful women and collected their severed heads. Catalina ate the Mythological Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Nine Tailed Fox, which gave her the ability to perform shapeshifting, transforming herself into a clone of other people.
"Heavy Drinker" Vasco Shot is a vicious individual with a lecherous nature and lust for killing. Like Pizarro, Catalina and Sanjuan, he was imprisoned at Level 6 of Impel Down and joined the Blackbeard Pirates after Teach stormed the prison.
"Colossal Battleship" Sanjuan Wolf is a giant and a former prisoner of Impel Down's Level 6. After eating a currently unnamed Paramecia-class Devil Fruit, he has become the largest giant to have ever lived.
Final thoughts
The Blackbeard Pirates is clearly one of the most important pirate crews in the One Piece series. Fans have formulated several theories in regards to future issues where the Blackbeard Pirates will be involved.
Most fans consider Teach to be Shanks' sworn enemy. The two first met many years ago - when they were still young apprentices - during a skirmish between Roger Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates. A certain time after that, the two fought. Teach was able to wound Shanks, leaving him with a noticeable scar on his left eye.
Shanks deems Teach the greatest threat to the One Piece world and challenged him head on in the Paramount War. The latter renounced, knowing he wasn't ready to face him at the time. However, a fight between Red Hair Pirates and Blackbeard Pirates seems bound to happen sooner or later.
Many One Piece fans are also interested in learning if the former Marine Admiral Aokiji has truly become an ally of Blackbeard, or is trying to infiltrate his organization on behalf of the Marine. Some fans have assumed that Aokiji is behaving in agreement with Akainu. Others have theorized that he could be a member of SWORD, the secret unit within the Marine.
Teach recently tried to seize Boa Hancock's Devil Fruit power, but was stopped by "Dark King" Rayleigh's providential intervention, which forced him to give up his intent and retreat. However, on that occasion, Teach captured and abducted Koby, an old acquaintance of Luffy and Zoro. This could lead to a fight between the Blackbeard Pirates and the Strawhat Pirates.
Since then, Blackbeard seems to be on the move once again. He ambushed Trafalgar Law and his crew with the intention of crushing them and stealing their Road Poneglyphs. With the series having just entered its endgame, it seems that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda is ready to let the baddest crew take action.
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