One Piece: Whitebeard’s Best Friends, Ranked

Highlights

• Whitebeard was known for his compassion and benevolence, defying the traditional image of a pirate, and his goal was to find a family.
• Vista, Izou, Jozu, Marco, and Ace were all loyal members of Whitebeard’s crew, who saw him as a father figure and were willing to sacrifice for him.
• Whitebeard had a special bond with Gol D. Roger, Kozuki Oden, and Portgas D. Ace, treating them like old friends and caring deeply for them.

A former rival of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, Edward Newgate — better known as Whitebeard — was one of the most powerful pirates in the world of One Piece in his time. Dubbed the “Strongest Man in the World,” and the “Man Closest to One Piece” after Roger’s passing, Whitebeard was famed for his fearsome combat abilities, massive crew, and his unyielding compassion, which defied the traditional image of a pirate.

In fact, unlike many of his contemporaries who sought fame, power, wealth, and glory, Whitebeard’s real goal throughout the course of his travels was to find a family. As a result, he amassed innumerable subordinates whom he grew to call his “sons,” and they in turn treated him with great respect. Above all else, Whitebeard was known for his compassion and benevolence, where his actions were always in the interest of helping others, and he seldom let his ego get in the way of that. He made many allies throughout his travels, and quite a few of them wound up joining his crew.

7 Vista

Commander Of The Fifth Division

A swordsman with few equals, Vista was once the Fifth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and a staunch devotee of his captain, being one of his most trusted lieutenants. Just like other members of the crew, Vista often referred to Whitebeard as his “father,” and was quick to defend his reputation when he was insulted by people such as Blackbeard.

He was a major player in the Summit War of Marineford, and even went as far as to attack Sakazuki after the Marine Admiral inflicted a fatal wound upon his comrade Portgas D. Ace. Vista was visibly distraught at Whitebeard’s death, and openly wept when his captain met his end during the war.

6 Izou

Commander Of The Sixteenth Division

When they first encountered one another, Izou and Whitebeard did not see eye to eye at all, as the former was enraged at how Whitebeard had treated his master, Kozuki Oden. As the Whitebeard Pirates left Wano, Oden clung to a chain at the rear of their ship and was challenged by Whitebeard to continue holding on for three days in order to join his crew.

Fortunately, once Oden passed the test, he was inducted into Whitebeard’s crew, which improved the relationship between him and Izou and well. Eventually, Izou became quite fond of the crew and even elected to stay on with them when Oden decided to join the Roger Pirates. By the time of the Summit War of Marineford, Izou had grown to become the Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates’ Sixteenth Division, indicating that the great pirate acknowledged him as one of his sons.

5 Jozu

Commander Of The Third Division

One of the Whitebeard Pirates’ strongest fighters and the commander of the Third Division, “Diamond” Jozu was renowned for his incredibly powerful Devil Fruit, which allowed him to turn any part of his body into diamond. This ability was extremely important during the Summit War of Marineford, when he deflected attacks from Dracule Mihawk as the Whitebeard Pirates attempted to save Ace.

Jozu’s gruff, foreboding demeanor hid his extreme loyalty and concern for his comrades, as well as his captain. However, his compassion towards his allies has been taken advantage of, as he can become distracted in the heat of battle when any one of his allies is injured or defeated. He does have a playful side to him at times and tends to point out things that others may overlook.

4 Gol D. Roger

The Pirate King And A Close Rival

Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger fought many times over the course of their respective journeys as pirates and eventually developed a great deal of respect for one another. At the height of their notoriety, the pair were seen as the two strongest pirates on the seas, and Whitebeard was considered the only person who could truly rival Roger in terms of power.

Additionally, Whitebeard was one of the last people that Roger met before his death, where the two of them held an informal drinking session and spoke about the secrets that the Roger Pirates had uncovered upon reaching Laugh Tale. Despite their rivalry, both of them treated each other like old friends, and Roger was even ready to divulge the location of Laugh Tale to Whitebeard, which would have allowed him to claim the One Piece.

3 Kozuki Oden

Samurai Turned Commander Of The Second Division

On first meeting him in Wano Country, Whitebeard was impressed by Kozuki Oden’s strength but viewed him as a dangerous individual due to how unpredictable he was. Later on, after testing Oden’s resolve to join his crew, Whitebeard welcomed him with open arms, and the two developed a special bond.

Seeing him as something akin to a brother, Whitebeard grew fond of Oden and appointed him to the position of Second Division Commander. He was outraged at Roger’s request to have Oden join his crew, even if it was only a temporary arrangement. Whitebeard even left the position of Second Division Commander vacant for quite some time after Oden’s departure and eventual death, a testament to how much he cared for him.

2 Portgas D. Ace

Enemy Turned Commander Of The Second Division

Upon meeting Whitebeard, Portgas D. Ace was soundly defeated by the great pirate, who saw potential in him and gave him the chance to join his crew. At the time, Ace was unwilling to submit to Whitebeard and attempted to kill him over a hundred times while being held captive aboard his flagship. Over time, he began to genuinely care for Whitebeard’s crew, and became one of them, with a new goal to make Whitebeard the next Pirate King.

Ace held Whitebeard in very high regard and viewed him as his real father. In turn, Whitebeard cared deeply for Ace and was willing to risk his own safety as well as that of his crew to take on the Marines at their headquarters in order to save his beloved son. Even when Ace defied orders and set out on his own to avenge Thatch’s death at Blackbeard’s hand, Whitebeard took full responsibility for his actions without any hesitation. He also encouraged Ace to accept his heritage as the son of Gol D. Roger, and did not want him to be punished for his father’s sins.

1 Marco

His Right-Hand Man

As the Commander of the First Division of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco was one of the people closest to Whitebeard and knew more about him than anybody else on the crew. He was aware of his captain’s troubled childhood as an orphan in the country of Sphinx, as well as Whitebeard’s later attempts to help those from his homeland after he accrued wealth and notoriety as a pirate. Whitebeard relied heavily on Marco’s strength, judgment, and tactical insight, as he was constantly by his side during the Summit War of Marineford.

Following Whitebeard’s death at Marineford, Marco honored his captain’s final wish and escorted Luffy to safety, ensuring that Ace’s sacrifice was not in vain. He also gathered the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates and instigated the Payback War against Blackbeard, but was unsuccessful in his search for revenge. Eventually, he settled down in Sphinx and became a local doctor for the people, in honor of his former captain’s love for his homeland.