Teach

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Teach was originally Lin Ming, a person from another life who reincarnated into the body of Marshall D. Teach aboard the Moby Dick. He quickly recognized the world of One Piece and realized that Ace was still alive, while Thatch remained his friend and crewmate. Rather than repeat the original Blackbeard’s betrayal, he resolved to become a different kind of Blackbeard. 1

As a longtime member of the Whitebeard Pirates and vice-commander of the Second Division, Teach had already possessed considerable physical ability. Marco revealed that Teach had previously fought Red-Haired Shanks during a clash involving the Roger Pirates and had caused the scar Shanks still bears. 5

Teach later challenged Whitebeard to a sparring match so that he could measure the gap between them and receive his captain’s guidance. He survived Whitebeard’s final Seaquake by combining the Six Powers with his developing Dark-Dark Fruit techniques. Whitebeard accepted his request to leave the Moby Dick and train independently. 6 7

After reaching Sabaody, Teach recruited Shitt and Fakyu, then began building an independent crew. He later recruited Jesus Burgess after defeating him in the Champion Colosseum and formally established himself as captain of the Blackbeard Pirates. 8 15 16

Teach’s power and bounty rose rapidly. After destroying Vice Admiral Onigumo’s ship, he received a 700-million-Beli bounty. The Marines later raised it to 1.3 billion Beli and attempted to control his growth by naming him a Shichibukai. 10 14

He continued expanding his crew and influence by recruiting Laffitte, Van Augur, Shiryu, and other powerful figures. Teach also commissioned the heavily armed Thunder Gaba at Water 7 and used his Shichibukai privileges to extort kingdoms, raid Marine facilities, and manipulate the World Government. 17 23 24 25 26 27 28

Although publicly aligned with the Marines, Teach remained loyal to Whitebeard and secretly planned to support the Whitebeard Pirates during the coming war. He intended to conceal his allegiance until the decisive moment and use the conflict to inflict heavy damage on Marine forces. 43

Teach helped rescue Thatch during the Paramount War and subsequently clashed with Kaido at Dressrosa. The fight awakened his Cerberus Fruit and brought the consciousnesses of his two younger sisters into its additional heads. He later brought Domi into the Blackbeard Pirates and recruited Gild Tesoro and Giants as allies. 54 63 64 73 136

Teach’s original family history explains his abnormal body. He was born one of triplets to the scientist Marshall D. Jeska. When the children faced a medical crisis, Jeska used his research to save them by fusing the three into Teach’s body, leaving him with three hearts. The Celestial Dragons later forced Jeska back into their service and killed him; Teach’s mother died a year afterward. Orphaned at six, Teach lived as a beggar until Whitebeard took him in. 90 298

During a later war over Teach’s killing of a Celestial Dragon, attacks by Sengoku and members of the Five Elders destroyed one of his hearts and left him apparently dead. His sisters sacrificed their hearts and souls to keep him alive. Teach returned to the battle, killed Saint Mjosgard, and grievously wounded Sengoku. He later used a system-provided Resurrection Heart and drops of his blood to restore his sisters to separate bodies. 83 89 90 188

Teach’s standing continued to rise: he became recognized as an Emperor of the Sea, defeated Garp, and challenged leading World Government fighters. Imu, foreseeing that Teach would join another person in overthrowing Celestial Dragon rule, proposed marriage to win him over. Teach rejected the arrangement after demanding an end to inherited Celestial Dragon supremacy, then shared his knowledge of Mary Geoise with Sabo and returned to a celebratory welcome on Crescent Moon Island. A later account identifies Teach as the King of the Pirates. 158 162 163 166 167 185 201 336

Appearance

Teach has a distinctive, disproportionate build: an extremely bulky torso, long slender limbs, a large black beard, and missing teeth. He commonly wears a black coat and a wide-brimmed hat or pirate attire marked with his crew’s skull emblem. His appearance changes dramatically when he enters his Cerberus Beastman Form. 1 19

Distinguishing features include:

• A large, round body with unusually thin limbs in his normal form.
• A thick black beard and a prominent missing-tooth smile.
• A black coat bearing a white-bearded skull emblem during his early Whitebeard period. 8
• A three-skull Blackbeard Pirates emblem with a Whitebeard symbol replacing the central skull. 15
• A six-meter-tall Beastman Form with three heads, red eyes, sharp claws, enlarged muscles, and protruding teeth. 19
• A three-meter-tall appearance during his later dealings with the Lendo Kingdom. 23
• A Whitebeard Pirates tattoo across his back, damaged by Saint Charlos’s sword strike. 89
• A later, approximately ten-meter-tall Cerberus Form when he unleashes his full strength against Luffy. 286

Personality

Teach combines genuine loyalty with extreme ambition and brutality. He considers Whitebeard and the Whitebeard Pirates his family and refuses to betray Thatch for the Dark-Dark Fruit, yet he is willing to kill, extort, manipulate, and exploit enemies without hesitation. 1 43

He is theatrical, provocative, and fond of using fear to control a situation. He deliberately goads Shanks into fighting, intimidates Marines with Conqueror’s Haki, and turns technicalities—such as Shanks’s supposed debt—into leverage. 18 20

Teach is also intensely attached to cherry pie. His appetite frequently produces comedic conflicts with Ace, Thatch, and his own crew, but interruptions to his meals or sleep can provoke immediate violence. 1 4 16

As a captain, Teach uses harsh training, mockery, and unreasonable punishments to strengthen his crew. Beneath this cruelty, he recognizes their potential and actively seeks Devil Fruits, equipment, and training methods suited to each member. 14 32 40

He insists that his crew direct their violence toward enemies rather than companions or innocent people, and the Blackbeard Pirates later screen would-be recruits for strength and character. His conduct is nevertheless inconsistent with a broader concern for civilian safety: his battle with Kaido causes extensive destruction and civilian deaths in Dressrosa. 63 201 234

Teach rejects status inherited solely by birth, including for his own future children. He refuses Imu’s proposed political marriage because he believes it would preserve Celestial Dragon supremacy and allow her to control him. 162 163

Abilities & Skills

Dark-Dark Fruit

The Dark-Dark Fruit grants Teach control over darkness and allows him to nullify another Devil Fruit user’s ability through contact.

• Dark Water pulls targets toward Teach and suppresses their Devil Fruit powers. 13 46
• Dark Entanglement combines darkness with physical strikes to injure and send opponents flying. 13 19
• Black Hole absorbs and compresses objects, including a massive tsunami. 7
• Black Hole: Dark Space allows Teach and nearby allies to disappear into darkness and escape attacks. 13
• Dark Veil enables Teach to conceal himself while extracting a Devil Fruit ability. 17
• The fruit does not allow Teach to transform into darkness like an ordinary Logia user. 4
• His Black Hole was initially incomplete and could not necessarily absorb Whitebeard’s full power. 7
• His darkness can sense the presence of Devil Fruit abilities within other people. 69
• Once awakened, it can absorb and neutralize poisonous gas over Punk Hazard. 66
• Miniature Black Hole creates a gravitational pull that redirects ranged attacks and slows nearby fighters; Teach can later retrieve absorbed objects from Dark Space. 74
• Black Vortex can spread darkness across the ground or envelop a large area. Black Vortex: Liberation releases absorbed force in an attack that clashes with Sengoku’s Wisdom King Shockwave. 88 231
• The fruit’s side effect intensifies the pain Teach feels from injuries. 281

Tremor-Tremor Fruit

The Tremor-Tremor Fruit grants Teach devastating quake-generating power. He can crack the air, create seaquakes, and combine the ability with darkness for greater destructive force.

• Used to defeat Synd with a single strike. 4
• Combined with the Dark-Dark Fruit to attack Marine defenses. 49
• Synchronized with Whitebeard’s quake attack to destroy reinforced steel barricades. 49
• Combined with the Dark-Dark and Cerberus Fruits in Requiem of Hell. 50
• Airquake fractures the air and can destroy incoming slashes and shockwaves. Its later power leads Whitebeard and other observers to recognize Teach’s advancement toward awakening. 87 231
• Teach uses a massive earthquake to break the Giants’ Warrior’s Dance formation in the Grand Gladiatorial Tournament. 133

Cerberus Fruit

The Cerberus Fruit strengthens Teach’s body and allows him to transform into a monstrous three-headed Beastman.

• Greatly increases physical strength and durability. 12
• Allows Teach to grow two additional heads. 12
• Provides resistance to Akainu’s magma, which Teach treats as though it were a hot spring. 50
• Enhances his speed, claws, killing intent, and close-combat power in Beastman Form. 19
• Does not grant the poisonous abilities associated with some Cerberus myths. 12
• After the fruit awakens during his fight with Kaido, the extra heads house the distinct consciousnesses of his younger sisters, though Teach remains in control of the body. 64 65
• His fully unleashed form reaches approximately ten meters tall during his later battle with Luffy. 286

Haki

Teach possesses all three forms of Haki documented in the story.

• Conqueror’s Haki: Can knock out large groups of weaker opponents and clash with the Haki of Whitebeard, Shanks, and Rayleigh. 7 16 18 37
• Armament Haki: Coats his fists and body, allowing him to block Shanks’s sword and overpower Moria. 11 18 46
• Observation Haki: Helps Teach react to high-speed attacks and detect hidden or approaching threats. 18 31
• Advanced Armament Haki: Can penetrate an opponent’s Armament coating and cause internal damage, as Teach demonstrates against Burgess and Luffy. 74 283
• Conqueror’s Haki coating: Strengthens his physical strikes and techniques, including his attack on CP0 commander Moffitt. 73 86
• Future sight: His Observation Haki allows him to foresee and evade Luffy’s attacks. All three forms of Teach’s Haki are later described as having reached their peak. 144 281

Six Powers

Teach learns and masters the Marine Six Powers, combining them with his Devil Fruits and Haki.

• Shave: Grants explosive bursts of speed and lets Teach appear to teleport. 2 19 26
• Geppo: Allows Teach to move through the air and attack airborne ships. 16
• Kami-e: Lets him evade Whitebeard’s punch by making his body move like paper. 7
• Rokuogan: Used to blast a hole through Whitebeard’s tsunami. 7
• Shigan: Combined with his Beastman claws in Hell Finger. 19
• Pinnacle-level mastery significantly improves his physical combat ability. 16
• Tekkai: Helps him block Shanks’s sword and withstand a Giant warrior’s axe strike. 18 123
• Rankyaku King Kick: A Six Powers secret art that overwhelms a Giant champion’s Ikoku Sovereignty. 129

Physical Combat

Teach possesses exceptional strength, speed, durability, and close-quarters skill even without relying on his Devil Fruits.

• Defeats a 140-million-Beli pirate with one strike. 4
• Overpowers Vice Admiral Kesha almost instantly. 26
• Blocks Moria’s enlarged punch with one hand. 46
• Survives Akainu’s magma attack and emerges ready to continue fighting. 49 50
• Can fight multiple high-level opponents while protecting his crew and managing the battlefield.
• Defeats Gusel, Warrior Village’s strongest Giant, without using Devil Fruit powers, then defeats four more Giant challengers. 123
• Initially matches Steel Bone Kong through physical combat and Haki before resorting to a combination of weapons and abilities. 158
• Overwhelms Luffy in direct physical and Armament Haki exchanges, even when Luffy uses advanced Armament Haki. 282 283

Tactical Leadership

Teach is an opportunistic strategist who conceals his abilities and exploits political positions for practical gain.

• Uses Shichibukai status to obtain legal privileges while remaining independent of Marine authority. 17 20
• Keeps his third Devil Fruit hidden as a trump card. 38
• Uses subordinates as distractions when facing stronger enemies, as during his encounter with Aokiji. 13
• Trains his Devil Fruit users to resist seawater and Seastone weakness. 32
• Assigns specialized roles to his crew, including supply theft, reconnaissance, sniping, and infiltration. 43
• Plans the defense of Crescent Moon Island by evacuating residents, fortifying the island, preparing hidden weapons, and exploiting its crescent shape for a pincer attack. 83
• Arranges for eleven allied ships to encircle Marine forces during the battle for Crescent Moon Island. 87
• Provides Sabo with knowledge of Mary Geoise’s layout for use by the Revolutionary Army. 166

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Thunder Gaba — A heavily armed black pirate ship with a dragon-shaped bow, an enormous cannon in its mouth, rows of side cannons, a Seastone-inlaid hull, and an Adam Wood keel. 24 25
• System storage space — Stores rewards, treasure, Devil Fruits, and other items obtained through the God-Level Sign-In System. 1
• Special white Den Den Mushi — Interferes with electromagnetic waves and helps prevent Marine surveillance. 43
• Pistol — Used by Teach in combat and to execute Moria. 11 46
• Senzu Bean — Obtained through a system check-in; Teach believes it could restore Whitebeard’s health and extend his life. 40
• Blackbeard Pirates flag — A three-skull design with a Whitebeard emblem replacing the central skull. 15
• Enhanced pistols — A pair of ornate firearms used against Giant tournament opponents; their shots pierce a Giant warrior’s shield. 129
• Resurrection Heart — A system-provided item Teach uses with drops of his blood to restore his younger sisters to separate bodies. 188
• Den Den Mushi from Imu — Teach discovers that Imu has given him an offspring of one of her Den Den Mushi after their meeting. 164

Relationships

• Edward Newgate / Whitebeard — Captain, father figure, and mentor. Teach remains emotionally loyal to Whitebeard, trains under him, and later plans to protect the Whitebeard Pirates during the war. Whitebeard takes him in after he is orphaned and remains fiercely protective of him. 1 5 6 7 43 90 298
• Portgas D. Ace — Second Division commander, close friend, and younger-brother-like companion. They tease, fight, train, and share a strong bond. Teach later helps develop Ace’s strength and proudly recognizes his potential to become an Emperor. 1 5 6 7 10 235
• Thatch — Friend, crewmate, and cook. Teach refuses to betray him for the Dark-Dark Fruit, and their relationship remains affectionate despite repeated arguments over cherry pie. Teach helps rescue him during the Paramount War and later accompanies him to find Mary. 1 2 7 43 54 201 202
• Marco — Whitebeard’s right-hand man and First Division commander. Marco recognizes Teach’s hidden strength and later acknowledges his growth. 5 7
• Shitt — Early subordinate and crew member. Teach pushes him through punishing training while recognizing his potential and anger toward oppressive nobles. 8 14 21
• Fakyu — Early subordinate and loyal crew member. Teach frequently mocks and trains him, eventually giving him the Swamp Fruit and a supply-raiding mission. 8 9 14 43
• Jesus Burgess — First major recruit and future Champion. Teach defeats him in combat, then recruits him after recognizing his physical potential. 15 16
• Laffitte — Navigator and strategist of the Blackbeard Pirates. Teach rewards him with the Angel Form of the Bird-Bird Fruit. 21 22 23
• Van Augur — Sniper recruited after escaping Marine imprisonment. Teach immediately recognizes his precision and potential. 27 28
• Shiryu — Powerful swordsman recruited into the crew. Teach obtains the Clear-Clear Fruit for him to complement his swordsmanship. Shiryu later defends him against Saint Charlos. 28 40 89
• Domi — Former Marine rear admiral and pirate hunter who joins Teach’s crew. She is introduced to the Blackbeard Pirates on Crescent Moon Island and later joins them in welcoming Teach home. 68 73 166 167
• Monkey D. Luffy — Treated by Teach as a younger brother because of Luffy’s relationship with Ace. Their interactions combine rivalry, teasing, and unexpected affection. They later fight a serious battle in which Teach tests Luffy’s full strength. 10 12 33 36 281 282 283 286
• Red-Haired Shanks — Longtime rival and target of Teach’s grudge. Teach defeats him after provoking him with insults and references to Buggy. They later cooperate within a wider pirate alliance. 5 18 19 20 166 167
• Silvers Rayleigh — Legendary opponent. Their battle ends with Rayleigh conceding while Teach calls the result a draw. 36 37 38
• Akainu — Major battlefield opponent. Teach survives Akainu’s magma attack before overwhelming him with his three-Fruit combination. Their hostility continues after Akainu becomes Fleet Admiral. 48 49 50 185
• Aokiji — Admiral who attempts to arrest Teach. Teach cannot defeat him directly but uses strategy, Devil Fruit nullification, and retreat to escape. 13
• Moria — Rival Shichibukai killed by Teach after Teach admits to taking Absalom’s Devil Fruit for Shiryu. 40 46
• Marshall D. Jeska — Teach’s father, a scientist who fused Teach and his two sisters to save them during a medical crisis. His killing by the Celestial Dragons left Teach orphaned. 90 298
• Nochill and Teach’s other younger sister — His fellow triplets, whose consciousnesses initially inhabit his awakened Cerberus Form. They sacrifice their remaining hearts and souls to preserve his life; Teach later resurrects them in separate bodies. 64 65 90 188
• Kaido — Emperor-level rival whose battle with Teach triggers the awakening of Teach’s Cerberus Fruit. Kaido attempts to recruit Teach as his vice-captain; they later stand on the same side of a pirate alliance. 63 64 65 158
• Imu — The world’s hidden ruler, who foresees Teach’s part in the possible overthrow of Celestial Dragon rule and proposes marriage to change that future. Teach refuses after recognizing the political motive behind her offer. 162 163
• Sabo — Revolutionary Army member to whom Teach offers a map of Mary Geoise based on his own visit. Sabo later accompanies him to Crescent Moon Island and reunites there with Ace. 166 167

Story Role / Major Arcs

Whitebeard Pirates

Teach begins as a trusted Whitebeard crewmate who chooses loyalty over the betrayal associated with the original Blackbeard. His sparring match with Whitebeard establishes his hidden strength and earns permission to leave for independent training. 1 5 6 7

Formation of the Blackbeard Pirates

After reaching Sabaody, Teach recruits Shitt and Fakyu, later adds Burgess, Laffitte, Van Augur, Shiryu, and others, and establishes the Blackbeard Pirates as a rapidly rising crew. 8 9 15 16 17 23 27 28

Rise of a Shichibukai

Teach accepts the Shichibukai title for its legal and political advantages, despite already possessing enough strength to challenge Emperor-level figures. He uses the position to move through Marine territory, extort kingdoms, and manipulate the World Government. 17 20 21 22 23

Water 7 and the Thunder Gaba

Teach commissions the Thunder Gaba at Water 7, creating a heavily armed vessel suited to his expanding crew. The ship’s cost leaves the crew nearly broke, forcing them to raid a Marine facility for supplies. 24 25 26 27 28

Sabaody and the Supernovas

Teach encounters Luffy, Kid, Law, and other major pirates at Sabaody. He treats Luffy as a younger brother, defeats Kid effortlessly, and later fights Rayleigh while refusing to help the Marines capture the younger pirates. 33 34 35 36 37 38

Shichibukai and Marine War

Teach publicly serves as a Shichibukai while secretly remaining loyal to Whitebeard. He infiltrates Marine operations, gives Fakyu the Swamp Fruit, arranges a surprise attack, and prepares to turn the coming war against Marine Headquarters. 41 42 43

Battlefield Betrayal and Three-Fruit Revelation

During the war, Teach abandons his Marine alignment and fights alongside the Whitebeard Pirates. He kills Moria, battles Akainu, and reveals that his body can wield the Dark-Dark, Tremor-Tremor, and Cerberus Fruits simultaneously. He helps break through Marine defenses and ultimately frees Thatch from the execution platform. 46 48 49 50 54

Dressrosa, Punk Hazard, and New Allies

Teach visits Dressrosa, where his confrontation with Kaido devastates the kingdom and awakens his Cerberus Fruit. He subsequently retrieves Momonosuke from Caesar Clown’s Punk Hazard laboratory, presenting his cruelty toward the child as training. Domi later joins the Blackbeard Pirates, and Teach returns home with news that he has recruited Gild Tesoro and Giants. 61 63 64 66 73 136

Crescent Moon Island War

After Teach kills a Celestial Dragon, he devises fortifications and a pincer strategy for the expected World Government assault on Crescent Moon Island. He defeats CP0 commanders Moffitt and Xia Luo, then clashes with Sengoku and the Five Elders. Apparently killed when one of his hearts is destroyed, Teach survives through his sisters’ sacrifice, kills Saint Mjosgard, and severs one of Sengoku’s arms. 83 86 87 88 89 90

Emperor, Imu, and Homecoming

Teach rises to Emperor status and fights powerful Government veterans, including Steel Bone Kong and Garp. Imu later summons him to Mary Geoise and proposes marriage after foreseeing his role in the Celestial Dragons’ downfall. Teach declines, offers intelligence about Mary Geoise to the Revolutionary Army, and returns to a celebration hosted by Whitebeard and attended by other Emperors. 158 162 163 166 167 201

Giants’ Tournament and Later Conflicts

Teach defeats Giant warriors without relying on Devil Fruit powers, overcomes the seven-warrior Warrior’s Dance formation, and wins the Grand Gladiatorial Tournament. He subsequently continues training allies and fighting World Government forces. In a later confrontation with Luffy, Teach’s physical strength, Haki, and multiple fruits give him a commanding advantage. 123 129 133 234 235 281 282 283 286

Notable Quotes

“I think... I'll become a different kind of Blackbeard.” 1

“What’s truly powerful is you yourself!” 6

“A true powerhouse must go through countless battles!” 7

“We’ll always be family!” 7

“Remember this: when you’re out in the world, you must always keep a trump card hidden!” 38

“I will always be a member of the Whitebeard Pirates!” 43

Trivia

• Teach is intensely obsessed with cherry pie, which repeatedly causes arguments and comedic conflicts. 1 4 7
• His modified pirate emblem reflects his continued loyalty to Whitebeard and his refusal to kill Thatch. 15
• Teach’s grudge against Shanks and Buggy began after they knocked out four of his teeth decades earlier. 20
• He calls Luffy his “younger brother” because of Luffy’s relationship with Ace. 10 12
• Teach’s three-Devil-Fruit body is treated as unprecedented, since even two Devil Fruits are considered beyond the normal limit. 50
• He has a rule against deliberately targeting innocent people and instructs his crew to follow it, although his battle with Kaido causes civilian deaths. 25 63 234
• A Poneglyph associates the D Clan with opposition to the Celestial Dragons and says that “light and darkness” must join forces to change the world’s order. Robin and her companions identify Luffy and Teach as possible counterparts in that prophecy. 298
• A later account names Marshall D. Luoming as Teach’s son and identifies Teach as the King of the Pirates. 336