Navy (One Piece)
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This article is about the Navy (海軍 Kaigun) in One Piece, a manga and anime series by Eiichiro Oda. It is a fictional military force under the command of the World Government (世界政府 Sekai Seifu) that exists within the series.
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[edit] The Navy and "Justice"
[edit] The Doctrine of "Absolute Justice"
The Navy of One Piece follows a strict motto of "Absolute Justice" (絶対正義 Zettai Seigi), when it comes to prosecuting those who violate the government's laws. It is a central tenet of Naval doctrine, to the point where the word "Justice" (正義 Seigi) is emblazoned on the uniform coats of all commissioned officers. Pirates have been especially singled out by the Navy as a major threat to order. They are considered criminals regardless of whether they have committed any crimes other than raising the Jolly Roger. Civilians, too, are targeted by the prohibition against piracy: persons known to have associated with pirates are barred from entering the Navy (there are notable exceptions), and providing aid or comfort to pirates is a serious crime, especially if they are well-known bounty heads.
[edit] "Absolute Justice" vs. "Moral Justice"
One of the ongoing themes of One Piece is the misapplication of the principle of "justice" by the Navy. While the Navy wishes to maintain law and order by apprehending criminals, the techniques that it (or at least some of its members) uses can often be no better than the pirates they seek to wipe out, trampling the rights or needs of civilians in order to pursue its own ends. They are also shown to willingly sacrifice the lives of other Marines in attempts to pursue their justice, often sacrificing large numbers for the sake of one or two criminals.
Still, despite firm stature on justice, the Navy is not immune to corruption. More than once, officers of the Navy and operatives of the World Government have been shown to be no better, and at times even worse, than the pirates they are supposed to fight against. Usually, these officials are more interested in their own position and power rather than the Navy's doctrine, although some will go as far as to have their own definitions of "justice". An example of this is CP9's Rob Lucci.
Further complicating the issue is the Buster Call, which can be likened to a scorched earth policy. With a Buster Call in effect, not only are its intended targets and all innocent caught in between wiped out, but all traces of the land that the targets are on is also destroyed. Although the Buster Call is very delicate and only the four highest ranking officers of the Navy are authorized to launch one, this shows how far the Navy is willing to go for what they consider to be "justice"; they have no hesitance at wiping an entire civilization off the map, or even their own installations (ie, Enies Lobby). There have been exceptions, such as the CP9 could use one Buster Call under Aokiji.
Because of the World Government's view of "Absolute Justice", this disgusted several Marines and forced them to take up their own "moral" codes of Justice. Some were killed because of it and is pictured as "insubordination." Due to these Marines opposing "Absolute Justice", they either befriend pirates, tend to aid them or let them go due to the fact they see their own as more of a threat than the pirates themselves. Examples of these individuals include Smoker, Aokiji, Saulo, Koby, and to an extent Garp.
[edit] Rank System
The system of military rank in place for the One Piece Navy is fairly straightforward, where each rank is clearly delineated.[1] This too is a source of confusion among English-speaking fans, because Japanese terms for military rank equate to different English words, depending on what kind of military force they refer to. This has led to fan-translations that mix naval terms with those from other armed forces, as well as fierce debate as to which terms are the "right" ones to use.
Generally speaking, the ranks of commissioned officers seem to best fit the Navy model, as these officers are typically in command positions in bases and on ships. On the other hand, non-commissioned officers appear to be a hybrid of traditional sailors and infantry soldiers, being essentially part-marines. But since they are members of the Navy, ranks given here will also conform to the Naval model, as per the Viz adaptation of the manga.
Officers and recruits present at Naval Headquarters are considered "Super-elites". The Headquarters and standard Base ranks are about three ranks apart. All ranks present from "Lieutenant" above are usually trained here, exceptions being those in command of other Naval bases which includes Axe-Hand Morgan and Nezumi. [2] Small Text
[edit] Naval Command Structure
The Navy is overseen by the World Government, whose decrees carry more weight than any rank within the military itself. The Five Elder Stars of the Government appear to carry the position of Commanders-in-Chief relative to the Navy.
[edit] Commissioned Naval Officers
- Fleet Admiral (元帥 Gensui?)
- Head of the Navy
- Admiral (大将 Taishō?)
- Governors-General of the Navy; only three such positions
- Vice-Admiral (中将 Chūjō?)
- Rear Admiral (少将 Shōshō?)
- Commodore (准将 Junshō?)
- Captain (大佐 Taisa?)
- Commander (中佐 Chūsa?)
- Lieutenant-Commander (少佐 Shōsa?)
- Lieutenant (大尉 Taii?)
- Lieutenant Junior Grade (中尉 Chūi?)
- Ensign (少尉 Shōi?)
[edit] Infantry and Sailor Division
- Warrant Officer (准尉 Jun'i?)
- Master Chief Petty Officer (曹長 Sōchō?)
- Chief Petty Officer (軍曹 Gunsō?)
- Petty Officer (伍長 Gochō?)
- Seaman (一等兵 Ittōhei?)
- Seaman Apprentice
- Seaman Recruit (三等兵 Santōhei?)
- Chore Boy (雑用 Zatsuyō?)
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[edit] Rank Insignia and Uniforms
The One Piece Navy does not have a system of rank insignia per se. There is significant variation in the kind of uniform worn by officers, with many opting to wear a variety of dress showcasing their own eccentric style. However, as a general rule set down by the author, uniform guidelines are as follows:[3]
- Upon first entering the Navy, new recruits are given the standard uniform, consisting of a white short-sleeved shirt emblazoned with the Naval emblem, a simplified seagull with "MARINE" underneath it, on the back; a blue neckerchief; dark blue trousers; and a baseball cap with "MARINE" across the front. All officers at the rank of Seaman (一等兵 Ittōhei) and below wear this. The quasi-rank of "Chore Boy" adds the kanji 雑 Zatsu ("various" or "odds and ends") to the sleeves, and to the Naval emblem on the back.
- Once an officer has reached the rank of Petty Officer (伍長 Gochō), he or she can choose from a number of different uniforms, including his or her personal clothes. Only those who really want to appear "sailor-like" will stay with a more traditional uniform.
- Sailors at the rank of Warrant Officer (准尉 Jun'i) and above are allowed to wear the coat with "Justice" (正義 Seigi) on the back. This coat tends to be worn like a cape, draped over the shoulders with the arms not in the sleeves, the exception being Tashigi.
- For the rank of Lieutenant-Commander and above, a suit worn underneath the "Justice" coat is the preferred attire.
There are, of course, exceptions: Jango and Fullbody wear their own clothes with the "MARINE" hat, despite holding the rank of "Seaman Recruit" (三等兵 Santōhei). This may have something to do with the exceptional circumstances by which both of these men were brought into their present situation, or it may simply be lenience on the part of Hina, their Captain.
[edit] Buster Call
The Buster Call (バスターコール Basutā Kōru?) is the strongest military action available to the Navy, and is performed only under special circumstances. The target of a Buster Call is usually a criminal or group of criminals considered threats ot the World Government. The Buster Call can only be initiated by those who have a Golden Den Den Mushi; the Fleet Admiral and the three admirals in the Navy, and the Gorosei and other government employees in the World Government, along with others entrusted with a Golden Den Den Mushi. When one of those legally entrusted with a Golden Den Den Mushi presses its button, a signal is sent to the Silver Den Den Mushi in the Naval Headquarters, where the island to be attacked is acknowledged, whether it be a typical island or a government headquarters. Once a Buster Call order is sent, it cannot be cancelled.
After the signal is received, five Vice Admirals and a fleet of ten extremely large and powerful ships, which seem to be able to carry a seemingly immeasurable number of Marines, nearest to the location of the caller are scrambled to that island. Additionally, all Marines sent to the acknowledged island are ordered to kill all those on the island, even government officials or escaping citizens.
The general public is kept in the dark about a Buster Call, as the World Government uses propaganda to demonize the destroyed target(s), and make its annihilation a praiseworthy feat of the World Government.
[edit] Characters in the Navy
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- My Justice, a Sergeant Major Tashigi Fanlisting
- Hina the Black Cage Fanlisting
- ArlongPark's Marine Ranks - this ranking system is more based on US Navy ranks
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