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The One Piece marine ranks can be tough to grasp for people new to the anime. Marines in the world of One Piece pose a significant threat to pirates as several strong characters owe their unwavering loyalty to the Navy. Among the One Piece marine ranks are several popular marines like Monkey D. Garp and Smoker.
The ranking system among the marines is fairly simple and defined with clear boundaries. However, fans may get confused due to Eiichiro Oda's long list of characters introduced in the series. Hence, this article will attempt to clear up all the confusion one may have regarding the hierarchy of One Piece marine ranks.
Explaining the intricacies of One Piece Marine Ranks
The World Government has supreme authority over the entire fleet of marines, but as they're not a part of the marines, they are excluded from the ranks. However, as per the Marine's internal structure, Fleet Admiral is ranked the highest.
Fleet Admiral
The top commander of the entire Marine force in One Piece is the Fleet Admiral. Having supreme authority over the fleet of Marines is no joke, and this role deserves someone extremely powerful to inspire others in battle.
Only the Fleet Admiral and the other three admirals have the authority to initiate a Buster Call. They can also pass on this power to lower-ranking Marine members whenever they deem it necessary.
Sengoku is still immensely renowned as the Fleet Admiral but was soon replaced by Sakazuki, also known as Akainu.
Admiral
Only the strongest among the ranks of Marines are bestowed with the status of Admiral. They are regarded as the World Government's greatest military weapon and, thus, are widely respected and feared.
Fans will remember Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji as soon as they think about One Piece admirals, but many events have changed the lineup. While Akainu rose to the rank of Fleet Admiral, Aokiji left the Marines to join the Blackbeard Pirates for undisclosed reasons.
Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral, and Commodore
Vice Admirals hold the third most prestigious ranking in the Marines. Popular Vice Admirals like Garp the Fist and Smoker hold this rank. In terms of strength, they are supposed to be inferior to the Admirals, but Garp would be an exception as his story is a lot more complicated.
Several Vice Admirals are known to use at least one form of Haki and typically use swords or Rokushiki for their primary attacks. In case of a Buster Call, at least five Vice Admirals must be present in the fleet.
Rear Admirals and Commodores follow behind Vice admirals as the fourth and fifth most prestigious ranks among the One Piece Marine ranks. While Rear Admirals have lesser authority when compared to their superiors, they are known to be great fighters and can also take on additional responsibilities.
Commodores have the authority to command the lower ranks but are generally tasked with authoritative positions. As a Commodore, one may take on additional responsibilities that may even be up to par with their superiors.
Captain, Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenants, and Ensign
In the extensive hierarchy of the One Piece marine ranks, Captains, Commanders, Lieutenant Commanders, and Lieutenants hold ranks sixth to ninth when it comes to authority and power. Captains manage and operate several marine bases scattered on islands worldwide. Axe-hand Morgan and Smoker used to be captains and had their own domain of power.
Ensigns are the lowest ranked members among the commissioned marine officers, and characters like Tashigi and Makko are known to have this rank.
Unfortunately, many Commanders, Commander Lieutenants, and Lieutenants have not been showcased in the series extensively or are non-canon. Thus, this is where the Marine Officers branch of the Marines ends.
Final thoughts
The commissioned officers of the Marines are what one refers to when the hierarchy of authority is involved. However, many other ranks crowd the Infantry and Sailor Division of the Marines.
These are low-ranking members of the marines tasked with relatively menial tasks. Infantry and Sailor Division ranks are arranged into a descending order when it comes to power and are included here:
- Warrant Officer
- Master Chief Petty Officer - Formerly held by Koby and Tashigi
- Chief Petty Officer - Formerly held by Helmeppo and Morgan
- Petty Officer - Formerly held by Zephyr
- Seaman First Class - Held by Lines
- Seaman Apprentice
- Seaman Recruit - Formerly held b Jango
- Chore Boy - Formerly held by Koby and Helmeppo
