The Marine Ranking System and Ranks of Characters in One Piece Anime
The Marines is an influential organization that plays a significant role in the universe of One Piece.
They function as the World Government’s military sea force, upholding world peace and enforcing the will and might of the World Government.
The Marines follow a fairly simple ranking system with clear distinctions between each rank.
To enlist in the marine force, candidates must sign up and be recruited, much like in any other military organization.
They must then complete various missions and achieve many remarkable feats while becoming stronger to climb up the ranks.
One Piece Marine Force Ranking System Explained
The marine force is composed of two groups of personnel: The Commissioned Marine Officers and the Infantry Division.
The Commissioned Marine Officers are the real deal, the ones with authority and power. While the Infantry and Sailor Division are subordinates with relatively low-level responsibilities.
Marine Force Ranks in Order
Commissioned Marine Officers:
Below is a list of the Marine officer ranks from lowest to highest.
10. Ensign
9. Lieutenant
8. Lieutenant Commander
7. Commander
6. Captain
5. Commodore
4. Rear Admiral
3. Vice Admiral
2. Admiral
1. Fleet Admiral
10. Ensign
Ensign is the lowest rank among commissioned marine officers. They are granted permission to wear the coat with the kanji “Justice” on the back.
Even though ensigns are the lowest-ranked commission officers, they still need to have combat experience. They also have authority over members of the infantry and sailor divisions.
9-7. Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander
Little is known about this set of ranks as they are rarely referenced in the series. Even the promotion does not follow a set pattern.
All we know is that the Commander, Lieutenant Commander, and Lieutenant hold ranks ten through seven when it comes to authority and power in the marine.
6. Captain
The captain is the sixth highest rank in the Marine force. They oversee and run several marine bases dispersed across islands all over the world.
Additionally, a captain is frequently seen sailing the waters to apprehend pirates and maintain order; in these situations, the captain serves as the ship’s leader, provided that there are no Marines of higher rank aboard.
A Marine captain is regarded as a powerful Marine officer with combat experience, advanced fighting abilities, extensive tactical knowledge, and devil-fruit capabilities (optional).
5. Commodore
The commodore rank is fifth in the marine force. They are assigned tasks that are too critical for a marine of captain rank to handle. And mostly work directly with the upper chain.
The Commodores have the flexibility and freedom to pursue their objectives while leaving their customary position. As Smoker demonstrated when he accepted his promotion to carry on his Straw Hat crew’s pursuit.
4. Rear Admiral
The rear Admiral is the first (and lowest) admiral rank and the fourth-highest rank in the Marine Corps.
Despite having the least degree of authority among the Admiral ranks, they nonetheless have complete control over all lower-ranking marines.
Rear admirals serve as a bridge between commodores and vice admirals, hence their duty meets midway.
In some rare cases, rear admirals of high enough caliber occasionally receive additional responsibilities and powers; Rear admiral Hina for example, got posted directly to the marine headquarters.
3. Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral is the third highest rank in the Marines. These officers answer directly to the admiral or fleet admiral and can have varying duties and amounts of authority.
The Vice Admirals own a warship to their command and sometimes are accompanied by other smaller ships.
They are well known for their incredible strength, second only to the admirals, with many of them capable of using various Rokushiki techniques and at least one Haki.
2. Admiral
Admiral is the second highest rank in the Marine corps. There are only three Marines who are currently holding this title, and each of them has lethal fighting skills, making them the “Greatest Military Powers” of the World Government.
Admirals are the only Marine officer, along with the fleet admiral, authorized to issue a Buster Call attack and also permit lower-ranking officers to initialize the attack.
They also have the authority to permit lower-ranking officers to initialize the attack.
1. Fleet Admiral
Fleet admiral is the highest rank available in the marine corps and the commander of the corps. They report directly to the World Government Commander-in-Chief and the Five Elders.
Like the admirals, the fleet admiral holds the authority to initiate a buster call attack, as well as permitting other lower-ranking officers’ permission to initialize the attack.
Fleet admirals can simply order the lower chain to handle all the fighting, hence why we don’t often get to witness them in action.
Infantry and Sailor Division
Below is a list of the Marine officer ranks from lowest to highest.
- Chore boy
- Seaman Recruit
- Seaman Apprentice
- Seaman First Class
- Petty Officer
- Chief Petty Officer
- Master Chief Petty Officer
- Warrant Officer
Little is known about this set of ranks as they are rarely referenced in the series. Even the promotion does not follow a set pattern.
All we know is that a recruit who has never engaged in combat begins his career doing odd duties for senior officers. As we see with the case of Coby and Helmeppo.
With time, they advance to the seaman recruit rank, where the marines’ actual training starts, and eventually, they reach the status of the commissioned marine officer.
What Rank Would Luffy Be If He Was A Marine?
Luffy would easily be Vice Admiral rank as he is most likely stronger than the majority of the Vice Admirals. We can’t say he is Admiral level strong, though, but he is getting there. So, we’ll just settle for Vice admiral ++ rank if that makes sense.
An alternate reality where Luffy was a marine officer would be mindblowing. Let’s say he was a marine up till the point of Ace’s execution, then he throws away his title to save his brother and become a pirate. That would have been great!
Who Are the World Government in One Piece?
The world government is a political entity that oversees the entirety of the world in One Piece (excluding areas controlled mainly by pirates).
They uphold an allegedly all-beneficial international order, but most citizens are unaware of the fact that the majority of their activities and policies are frequently secretly based on corruption and dubious motivations.
Anyone who defies their orders or tries to uncover their true motive will be subject to the wrath of the marines in the name of justice.
Numerous organizations are affiliated with the world government, including the Seven Warlords of the Sea (formerly), the Cipher Pol, who act as their intelligence agency, and the Marines, who are their military force.
Who Are the Five Elders Star?
The five elders, or “Gorosei,” are a group of the most powerful Celestial Dragons who serve as the head of the World Government.
Collectively, they represent and rule the World. Although it was later discovered that they answer a mysterious person called Im in secret.
They hold supreme and unrestricted control over the World Government’s military, including authority over the Marines, Cipher Pol, and even the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The five elders are quite the enigma of the series, little is known about their history – we don’t know their names, ages, how or for how long they have been in charge of the World Government.
We only know that they represent the world government and hold the secret of the void century and all subsequent events.
Fans often speculate that they might be skilled fighters with battle experience based on their scar and the fact that one of them always carries a sword. Some even say they are immortals.
Hopefully, we will eventually learn more about them as Oda starts to reveal more about their character.
Marine Corps Character Rank Table
| Characters | Rank |
|---|---|
| Sakazuki | Fleet Admiral (Current) |
| Kong | Commander-in-Chief (Former Fleet Admiral) |
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