Make no mistake, the famous pirate Whitebeard was not a giant! Yet, measuring three times the average height of an adult male , he was incredibly tall for a human. At 6.66 meters tall, some claim he weighed almost a ton! 🏋 So many characteristics that made him a formidable opponent. Renowned as the closest Yonko in One Piece, he was the only rival to the Pirate King, Gol D Roger.
Who is the pirate Whitebeard?
Known to be the strongest man in the world, Whitebeard 🎅 owes his reign over the sea and his power to his unshakeable self-confidence. Nothing scared him . So much so that even admirals, corsairs and other sea emperors were considered mere nuisances by the captain of the crew who bore his name.
However, many thought that Whitebeard was incapable of taking into account the advice or comments that could be given to him, which actually got him into some trouble… 🙅♂️ But that was not knowing him well. Edward Newgate was not impulsive contrary to appearances. He was even thoughtful and sometimes showed humility , such as when he declared that he was just a man with a heart when he was awarded the title of World's Strongest Man.
Although his admirers and rivals saw him as a sea lord with an incredible ego, he realized that he was ultimately only a human, whose fame alone would survive through the ages, his body before as to leave room for subsequent generations. This is Whitebeard's true personality: one of the greatest pirates ☠️ in the One Piece universe actually only dreamed of starting a family.
Whitebeard's height
Beyond his combat skills, Whitebeard's fame was also due to his incredible size . 6.66 meters, just that! This, however, did not prevent him from being perfectly proportioned, which gave him physical capacities three times greater than any other man. 💪 Despite his size and weight, Whitebeard managed to jump to impressive heights.
And although his advanced age could have gradually weakened him, he remained extremely skilled and enduring until his death. The Yonko still survived the combination of 267 sword strikes, 152 bullets and 46 cannon blasts 🔫 during the summit battle. Who says better ?
Whitebeard, the Yonko
Another testament to Whitebeard's influence on the Grand Line was his status as Yonko, which can be translated as "Emperor" . Four in number, the emperors were considered the most famous and above all the most powerful captains in the world of piracy .
In the anime, it is during episode 314 that Monkey D. Garp reveals to us that Whitebeard is one of the emperors who live in the New World. 🗺️ A status far from being usurped, as Edward Newgate was unanimous when discussing the strongest pirates. This notoriety earned him to be considered one of the masters of the world , 👑 granting him the privilege of doing almost anything he pleased.
Whitebeard's flag
Originally, the flag of the Whitebeard crew could have been the subject of much controversy. Indeed, initially, Oda wanted to symbolize the Whitebeard flag with a face adorned with a large mustache, with a swastika as a background theme. But this symbol, still too permeated by the use made of it by the Nazi regime, ❌ could have been interpreted as a swastika.
This is why the final flag contains a simple cross, represented by bones. 🏴☠️ This theme, more classic, appears more suitable and less contradictory. However, if Oda wanted to use the swastika, it was to pay homage to its original meaning: it is an Asian symbol which combines the notions of intelligence and strength , as a sign of good fortune.
Note that Whitebeard's allied crews who sail in the new world also have a cross flag as a sign of allegiance , 👌 even if the mustachioed face is replaced by a crescent.
The fruit of trembling
In addition to his natural strength, Edward Newgate also had the power linked to devil fruits. To that of a fruit in particular: by eating Gura Gura no Mi, he was able to make anything that came his way tremble . This power allowed him to hit the air with his fist, causing shock waves to spread. By doing this, he created devastating earthquakes and tsunamis over distances of several kilometers! In this regard, Sengoku said that the Gura Gura no Mi made its possessor capable of "destroying the entire universe".
The battle on Marine Ford was the best demonstration of this. Whitebeard triggered a tsunami there 🌊 in order to drown the Marines. Without Aokiji's intervention, he would have achieved his goals. But his power still allowed him to escape from the Admiral's clutches, his ice coffin cracking thanks to the vibrations produced by Whitebeard.
Whitebeard's Crew
As emperor, Whitebeard could count on a dedicated crew, including many pirates who were famous in their own right. This was the most powerful crew in the world during its captain's time. More than 1600 pirates 💯 worked under the orders of Edward Newgate.
There were so many of them that they could not all be under the direct orders of their master. To maintain control, Whitebeard divided them into 16 divisions, each of which was led by a commander. At the head of the first divisions, we found pirates who reigned in terror 👹 like Marco, Joz or even Portgas D. Ace, the son of Whitebeard's eternal rival, Gol D. Roger!
Marco the Phoenix
Marco commanded the first division within Whitebeard's crew. Faithful among the faithful , he was able to keep his cool 🧘♂️ in all circumstances, except when it was necessary to worry about his master's health.
His nickname, Marco the Phoenix, comes directly from the power linked to his Devil Fruit, of the Mythical Zoan type. Thanks to this, he was able to transform into a phoenix . 🦜 He could also, of course, regenerate whenever he wanted.
Whitebeard's right arm, he was his closest friend. Excellent in combat, his physical strength and super reflexes allowed him to gain the upper hand over his opponents without even using his Devil Fruit or Haki. His speed and endurance 🏃♂️💨 also allowed him to surprise the Marines or even Kizaru when he had to fight him. A particularity specific to Marco, he preferred to fight with his feet than with his hands, his hybrid form allowing him to go into combat while flying.
Diamond Joz
Joz led the third division of Whitebeard's crew. Charismatic, he had incredible authority over the pirates on his ship. It must be said that he was much stronger than most of the pirates in Whitebeard's crew. His extraordinary strength allowed him to throw icebergs the size of houses ❄️ at impressive distances.
Well aware of this advantage, Whitebeard always placed Joz 's division at the forefront of the crew , so as to seriously weaken the Marines and other adversaries before throwing himself into combat. 💢 Joz was actually used as the "diamond shield" that protected the emperor's crew.
This nickname of Diamond Joz comes from his devil fruit, Paramecia type, called “Kira Kira no Mi”. Thanks to it, he could transform every part of his body into a diamond. 💎 Practical. This gave him resistance to all tests, so much so that none of his adversaries have ever managed to cut him . His diamond body also gave him terrible power, without losing speed of execution. Yet, oddly enough, he never bothered to fully transform into a diamond.
Portgas D.Ace
This is the crew whose members have eaten the most devil fruit, making them even more powerful! But they could also count on other pirates to come to their aid: in the New World alone, they could count on the support of forty-seven other ships ! ⛵
Portgas D. Ace is probably the most interesting member of the Whitebeard crew . Son of the pirate king, Gol D. Roger, 🤴 he was taken in by Whitebeard when the latter was his father's greatest rival until his death. Also known as Ace of the Fiery Fists , Portgas is also the spiritual brother of Monkey D. Luffy.
Commander of the Second Fleet of the crew of the Yonko , Whitebeard, he only experienced piracy for three years. Three years during which he showed a lot of personality, until the moment of his death during the Battle of Marine Ford. 🏝️ Legendary pirate , he aroused the admiration of his enemies, such as Akainu, who himself recognized that if he had managed to gain the upper hand over Portgas, it was only thanks to the natural superiority of magma over the fire.
This mastery of fire, 🔥 Portgas D. Ace obtained it by eating the Mera Mera no Mi, of the Logia type. His devastating pyrogenic powers allowed him to easily destroy several ships with a single blow, as fans saw with Baroque Works. This combat ability made him a charismatic character, not to mention the fact that he naturally knew how to use Royal Haki, another card in his already well-stocked sleeve.
Whitebeard vs Shanks
While Shanks was one of the Four Emperors himself, Whitebeard always viewed him as a child. It must be said that he had met him very young, when Shanks was still fighting in Gol D. Roger's crew. Not stingy with insults, Whitebeard has the trait of “Carrot Hair” 🥕 or even “kid”.
Shanks also irritated Edward Newgate when he decided to visit him. By sending a letter through an intermediary, his approach upset his emperor counterpart, who decided to attack him. A surprising reaction as the two men maintained an ambiguous relationship, marked by mutual respect. 🤜🤛 However, the fight was not half done, their confrontation having the effect of splitting the clouds and literally cutting the sky in two ...
If you want to know more about the youngestYonko, Red Shanks , head over to our blog article!
Whitebeard to Marine Ford
The Battle of Marine Ford, titled "Marinfodo Chojo Senso", meaning " War at the Top of Marine Ford " is one of the most important battles in the One Piece series. 💥 It pitted the Navy, supported by the Grand Corsairs, against the crew of Edward Newgate and his allies.
After capturing Portgas D. Ace, the Navy absolutely wanted to execute him, ⚰️ even if it would automatically lead to a merciless war with Whitebeard, Portgas' adoptive father. It did not take long and Marine Ford was therefore the terrain where this decisive battle would take place.
Initiator of the fight, Whitebeard nevertheless arrived on the spot after his allies. But the wait was worth it for the fans: it was underwater, in the center of the Marine Ford port , that he arrived with his ship. ⚓ Totally unexpected! And to impress even more, it was accompanied by the 4 main ships of his fleet that he launched hostilities.
Whitebeard vs Akainu
The opposition between Whitebeard and Akainu during the Battle of Marine Ford takes place in several stages. When the main characters come into play, the gap between them is still significant. 😵 Admiral Kizari, of the Navy, launches a first attack, immediately stopped by Marco the Phoenix. In return, Joars propels a huge block of ice into the air, to destroy the scaffold Portgas is on. But Admiral Akaini, thanks to his lava fist , pulverizes the projectile before it reaches its target.
Later, Akainu intervenes again through trickery. By manipulating Captain Squardo, he makes him believe that Whitebeard had sold his allies in the hope of saving Portgas , his adopted son. Squardo, who came to report to his master, then suddenly stabs him, 🗡️ before realizing the magnitude of his action. Whitebeard, injured, nevertheless forgives him and launches into battle. The whole island is shaking.
But the repetition of Admiral Akainu's attacks harms Whitebeard's ships. The admiral seeks to break the ice covering the bay to force the pirates into the boiling water. This becomes even more complicated for Whitebeard as Akainu takes the opportunity to attack Luffy. On the verge of ending the life of the main hero of the series, 😱 his plan is then temporarily thwarted, Portgas throwing himself in front of him to protect his spiritual brother and dying in his place, pierced by the lava fist.
Mad with rage at the sight of this scene, Whitebeard intervenes. Akainu dodges it and takes advantage of the dismay to tear off half of the Emperor's face . But Whitebeard, much more powerful, then takes the initiative to protect his allies by digging a huge ravine 🕳️ separating them from the Navy. Once his allies were protected, he then decided to attack the Marine headquarters. Unfortunately for him, Blackbeard and his crew then appear...
The death of Whitebeard
The arrival of Blackbeard changes the entire course of the fight . As soon as he disembarks, he declares that this era is over and that the new one will henceforth be his. Briefly upset by an attack from Sengoku, he regains his senses and resumes the fight with a vengeance. 🥊
But Whitebeard is much stronger, and the power of darkness of Blackbeard , a former member of the crew of his enemy of the day, can do nothing against the blows of the strongest man in the world . 💪 He then asks his crew to concentrate all their forces on his "former father".
Despite the numerous blows from swords, guns, cannons 💣 that he endures (there are more than 450 in total ), Edward Newgate, the famous Whitebeard, ends up succumbing. But even in death he impresses his adversaries. Never giving up, even until his last breath, it is by remaining standing that he ends up dying, looking straight at his adversaries.
This moment frozen in time marks a major turning point in history. Blackbeard, hungry for Whitebeard's powers, then seizes the Devil Fruit from his former mentor. This is the first time that a man has managed to have two fruits , 🍍🍍 which was until then considered impossible. With this dual power, Blackbeard then took the opportunity to also take the title of Emperor from the deceased Whitebeard.
Follow in the footsteps of Whitebeard
This concludes our presentation of the strongest pirate in the world. His rivalry with Gol D. Roger and his many adventures after the death of the Pirate King made Whitebeard one of the most famous pirates in history ! 🏴☠️ Would you also have liked to be part of Whitebeard's crew? Do the many charismatic captains of its fleet inspire you?
So, get on board and join Edward Newgate's allies by discovering our collection of Whitebeard t-shirts, figurines and other accessories , ⚔️ to continue to proudly raise his colors!