Marines

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Marines
Original Name	海軍
Affiliation	Historically funded and controlled by the World Government; later reunified with the New Marines under Tsugikuni Yoriichi's leadership 129 712
Occupation/Role	Global naval force responsible for combating pirates and other criminal forces, maintaining maritime order, and protecting affiliated nations 129
Headquarters	Marineford 6
Status	Active; undergoing institutional expansion and reform after the destruction of the Celestial Dragons 709 761
First Appearance	Chapter 5

Organization

Command and political position

The Marines are the World Government's public military organization, contrasted with Cipher Pol's intelligence, assassination, and protection apparatus. Although the two organizations outwardly stand on equal footing, the Marines historically remained subject to World Government control and were often treated as subordinate to Cipher Pol. 129

Marine Headquarters is led by a Fleet Admiral and maintains a centralized hierarchy of admirals, vice admirals, rear admirals, field officers, and enlisted personnel. Fleet Admiral Kong formerly led the organization, while Sengoku later directed its major reforms and military operations. 85 129

Period	Organizational development
Early Marineford era	Zephyr reforms the Marine Academy into a comprehensive officer-training institution. 6
Great Pirate Era	Roger's public execution causes pirates to flood the seas, sharply increasing the Marines' burden across the Four Blues and Grand Line. 203
New World expansion	The Marines attempt to establish and link stronger New World branches, including G-ICE and the Dawn Sword branch. 130 155
Split with Yoriichi	Tsugikuni Yoriichi is targeted by Marine Headquarters and the World Government, then establishes an independent force that becomes the New Marines. 263 322 326
Transfer of authority	Following the defeat of the Gorosei, Yoriichi declares himself Fleet Admiral; Sengoku, Borsalino, and Sakazuki accept the transition to prevent further bloodshed. 553
Reunification and reform	Yoriichi returns as a Marine Admiral and Chief of Staff, while the New Marines and Marine Headquarters reunite. 708 712

Branches

Branch / Formation	Area	Role and known details
G-5 Branch	New World	The only New World branch described as actively hunting pirates; the Marines' control of the region is otherwise minimal. 88
G-2 and G-3 Branches	New World member nations	Stationed within affiliated nations but do not normally sail out to pursue pirates. 88
G-ICE Branch	Water Seven / New World	Commanded by Kuzan and Yoriichi after their transfer; intended to stabilize nearby seas, establish communications, and train a stronger regional force. 130 131
Dawn Sword Branch	Dressrosa	Established to connect G-10 and G-ICE and project Marine influence deeper into the New World. 155
Fish-Man Marine force	Fish-Man Island	A specialized force led by Jinbe, valued for Fish-Men's natural advantages in naval warfare. 645
Sword Edge Unit	New Marines	Special-operations unit for personnel who have awakened both forms of Haki and mastered more than three Marine Six Styles. 400

Training and recruitment

Marine Academy

The Marine Academy trains officers rather than merely teaching combat. Under Zephyr, its curriculum includes navigation, firearm use, combat, Marine history, and intensive physical conditioning. 6

• Cadets complete a forty-kilometer daily warm-up run before their other instruction begins. 6
• Admission requires a Doriki Value above 80; an ordinary adult or trained Marine is stated to have a value of roughly 10. 6
• Academy graduates are commissioned as officers when assigned elsewhere. 6
• Merit accumulated during enrollment carries over after graduation, allowing exceptional cadets to leave at substantially higher rank. 45
• Later reforms remove rank insignia from Academy students so entrants begin on equal footing. 363

Recruitment and advancement

The Marines recruit personnel from the Four Blues, the Grand Line, and local branches. Marine Academy students include both new recruits and battle-hardened branch veterans. 48

Following the reunification with the New Marines, Marine Headquarters launches a worldwide recruitment drive, expands branch academies, and raises benefits for enlisted personnel. 726 757

Military capabilities

Marine Six Styles and Haki

The Marines train elite personnel in the Marine Six Styles: Soru, Paper Arts, Geppo, Tempest Kick, Finger Pistol, and Tekkai. These techniques focus on extreme bodily control, speed, evasion, offense, and defense. 17

Haki is divided into Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. Observation senses opponents and anticipates movement, Armament reinforces offense and defense and can strike Logia users, and Conqueror's Haki derives from the user's spirit and will. 20

Naval artillery and logistics

The Marines' greatest conventional advantage is their logistical capacity and superior naval technology rather than universal superiority in individual combat. 239

• Marine warships use rapid-fire artillery with substantially greater range than pirate cannons. 239
• During the Risky Red Island campaign, Marine artillery struck pirate fleets from roughly 8,000 meters away and destroyed numerous wooden vessels before the pirates could respond effectively. 239
• Admiral Sengoku's flagship uses alloy-steel armor and linked cannons that can be aimed and operated together without individual manual crews. 113
• The New Marines' later technological development introduces advanced firearms, steel warships, specialized support vessels, and modernized naval guns; this equipment becomes available to Marine Headquarters after reunification. 645 760
• Submarine technology is among the military projects integrated into the reunited organization. 760

Specialized equipment

• Seastone weapons — Commonly carried by officers to restrain Devil Fruit users when powerful Armament Haki is unavailable. 457
• Mechanical Sea Beasts — Dr. Vegapunk-modified Sea Kings used to defend Egghead Island; a single unit can rival several commodore-led warships in destructive capacity. 339
• Marine Science Academy equipment — Produces specialized gear, including Magellan's toxin-filtering mask. 657

History

Great Pirate Era

The Marines publicly executed Gol D. Roger in Loguetown. Rather than ending piracy, Roger's final declaration inspired countless people to seek his treasure, triggering a surge of pirate activity throughout the Four Blues and Grand Line. 203

The organization subsequently mounted major operations against pirate powers such as the Roger Pirates and the Beasts Pirates. Its campaign at Risky Red Island demonstrated the devastating effectiveness of coordinated Marine artillery, though the ensuing land conflict became complicated when Kaido used civilians as shields. 86 239 241

New World expansion

The New World remained a major weakness for the Marines. G-5 was their only branch actively hunting pirates there, while pirate crews and powerful captains controlled much of the region. 88

Yoriichi's proposal to establish a Dressrosa branch sought to link G-10, G-ICE, and Dawn Sword into a network capable of extending Marine influence across the New World. Headquarters approved the plan despite the risk that the branch could be destroyed by pirates. 155

Dawn Sword and the New Marines

Dawn Sword initially operated as a Marine branch under Yoriichi. Its personnel built public support in Dressrosa by compensating victims of pirate attacks with pirate bounties, paying civilian workers, and conducting anti-pirate operations. 183 184

After Yoriichi came into direct conflict with Marine Headquarters and the World Government over the Celestial Dragons, he was declared wanted. He subsequently formed the Neo Marines, changing Dawn Sword's seagull emblem into a crimson phoenix. 322 326

The breakaway force later expanded as the New Marines, controlling territory in the New World and developing its own military, administrative, intelligence, and technological systems. 425 427 645

Reunification

After the Gorosei's defeat, Yoriichi chose not to destroy Marine Headquarters outright, judging that the institution remained beneficial to the world if separated from Celestial Dragon control. 553

Sengoku later announced Yoriichi's restoration as a Marine Admiral and appointment as Chief of Staff. The reunited Marines began seizing former World Government assets, restructuring Heavenly Gold collection, shutting down inhumane experimental facilities, and expanding their manpower base. 708 709 726

Policies and conduct

• Marines are prohibited from harming civilians; Yoriichi disciplines a drunken Marine for assaulting a resident of Water Seven. 112
• Captured pirates may be sent to Impel Down rather than executed. 27
• The Marines historically assisted Cipher Pol operations, including the lockdown of Baterilla Island during CP9's investigation of Roger's family. 203
• Responsibility for collecting Heavenly Gold shifts from Cipher Pol to the Marines, placing Marine personnel in direct contact with member nations. 276
• After the Celestial Dragons' fall, the Marines collect less Heavenly Gold than the former World Government and direct aid toward impoverished nations. 726
• At the World Conference, Borsalino proposes an Internal Affairs Department to investigate crimes by pirates and corrupt nobles; many rulers oppose the measure as interference in domestic affairs. 761

Relationships

• World Government — Historical sponsor and controlling authority; the Marines were publicly presented as its justice force but were often treated as subordinate to Cipher Pol and the Celestial Dragons. 129
• Cipher Pol — Parallel World Government intelligence organization responsible for espionage, assassination, protection, and other Celestial Dragon-directed tasks. 129
• New Marines — Yoriichi's breakaway force and Marine Headquarters' former enemy; the two organizations later reunify. 326 712
• World Government member nations — Traditionally receive Marine protection in exchange for Heavenly Gold, though the relationship becomes increasingly contentious as Marine Headquarters expands its authority. 95 712 761
• Pirates — The Marines' principal military adversaries; piracy intensifies dramatically after Roger's execution and remains particularly entrenched in the New World. 88 203
• Revolutionary Army — A major opposing force whose activities become one of the Marines' central security concerns after the World Government's decline. 722 756