In the world of One Piece, if the Straw Hat Pirates represent hope and freedom, then the Blackbeard Pirates embody chaos and brutality.
More than just villains, Marshall D. Teach’s crew is a collection of true monsters, willing to trample every rule to achieve their ambitions. Here are the 8 most shocking crimes of the Blackbeard Pirates, events that completely changed the course of One Piece history!
1. Murdering Thatch and stealing the Yami Yami no Mi Devil Fruit
The tragedy began when Teach was still a member of the Whitebeard Pirates. Driven by greed for the Yami Yami no Mi Devil Fruit, he murdered Thatch, the captain of the 4th division. This was not just a simple theft and murder but a vile betrayal against the “family” that had cared for him for decades. This act marked the first step in turning Teach into Whitebeard’s greatest enemy.
2. Defeating Ace and sparking the greatest war in history
After escaping, Teach confronted Fire Fist Ace on Banaro Island. Using the power of darkness, he defeated Ace and handed him over to the Marines in exchange for a seat among the Shichibukai. This sinister plot directly led to the Marineford War, the deaths of Ace and Whitebeard, and plunged the world into unprecedented chaos.
3. Rampaging Impel Down and recruiting Level 6 monsters
Taking advantage of the chaos caused by Luffy, Teach broke into the impregnable prison Impel Down. There, he led a bloody purge on Level 6 to recruit the most brutal criminals into his crew. This crime transformed the Blackbeard Pirates from a small group into a terrifying military force, gathering the most notorious criminals in history.
4. Killing Whitebeard and stealing his second Devil Fruit
At Marineford, when Whitebeard was weakened and gravely injured, the Blackbeard Pirates cowardly attacked their former “father.” Even worse, Teach discovered how to steal the Gura Gura no Mi power from Whitebeard’s corpse. This event broke all the rules of the One Piece world. For the first time, someone possessed two of the strongest Devil Fruits.
5. Taking over Whitebeard’s territory and making Hachinosu their base
After Whitebeard’s death, Teach quickly swallowed most of the former Yonko’s territories. He overthrew Ochoku and seized Hachinosu Island, turning it into a fearsome stronghold. He even aimed to establish it as an official kingdom recognized by the World Government.
6. Attacking Amazon Lily to seize the Mero Mero no Mi
Right after the Shichibukai system was abolished, the Blackbeard Pirates did not hesitate to attack the island of the Kuja warrior women. Their goal was none other than Boa Hancock’s Devil Fruit. This assault revealed Teach’s ruthless greed, as he was willing to confront both the Marines and the Pirate Empress to strengthen his collection of powers.
7. Kidnapping Koby and Vice Admiral Garp
During the battle at Amazon Lily, the Blackbeard Pirates kidnapped Marine Captain Koby as a hostage to negotiate with the World Government. The situation escalated when the “Marine Hero” Garp personally came to Hachinosu to rescue his protégé but was captured. Holding a legend like Garp gave Blackbeard a powerful trump card for future negotiations.
8. Kidnapping Charlotte Pudding to decode the Poneglyphs
Beyond seeking power, Blackbeard also targets knowledge about the Void Century. Taking advantage of Big Mom losing protection over the Cake Island, Kuzan and his crew broke in and kidnapped Charlotte Pudding. With her third eye capable of reading Poneglyphs, Pudding is the key for the Blackbeard Pirates to get closer to the One Piece treasure and the Pirate King title.