The Whitebeard Pirates were formerly one of the strongest pirate crews in the world, as their late captain, Whitebeard, was the only pirate to have ever been a match for the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, in a fight.
Whitebeard’s crew was segmented into Divisions, instead of all under their Captain’s direct command.
- Division Commander #01: Marco the Phoenix
- Division Commander #02: Kozuki Oden (former) / Fire Fist Portgas D. Ace (deceased)
- Division Commander #03: Diamond Jozu
- Division Commander #04: Thatch (deceased)
- Division Commander #05: Flower Sword Vista
- Division Commander #06: Blamenco
- Division Commander #07: Rakuyo
- Division Commander #08: Namur
- Division Commander #09: Blenheim
- Division Commander #10: Curiel
- Division Commander #11: Kingdew
- Division Commander #12: Haruta
- Division Commander #13: Water Buffalo Atmos
- Division Commander #14: Speed Jiru
- Division Commander #15: Fossa
- Division Commander #16: Izo
So Kozuki Oden was the 2nd Division Commander, before leaving the crew and joining the Roger Pirates.
It has been stated by Oda that all the Whitebeard Commanders, no matter which Division they are leading, are all equal in rank and the division number does not indicate their strength. But outside Ace, who was Luffy’s brother and thus naturally received a lot of exposure, three of the Commanders, Marco, Jozu, and Vista, have been given far more reverence and focus than the others.
Marshall D. Teach was offered the position of Second Division Commander, but he refused, due to not wanting to make himself known to the world yet. After Thatch’s murder, his position was left unreplaced at the time of the Marineford war.
Following the deaths of Whitebeard and Ace, the remaining members of the crew engaged the Blackbeard Pirates in the Payback War, which ended with the Blackbeard Pirates brutally defeating them, followed by conquering their former territories, with their admiral usurping Whitebeard’s position in the Yonko. As a result, the crew has lost most of its power and influence.
