7 Unwritten Rules Pirates Must Follow

This list contains spoilers.

On the surface, the world of One Piece can seem vibrant, upbeat, and full of joy. While that can be true at times, anyone who has experience with the series will know that it’s also dangerous. This especially relates to those who become pirates, since they will be putting a massive target on their back the moment they begin their adventure. A character needs to be brave to take on this swashbuckling occupation, especially if they’re going to be a captain.

Considering how long pirates have existed in One Piece, as the years have gone on, several unwritten rules have become commonplace among those who take to the seas in search of treasure and adventure. Pirates may not discuss these rules in the open very often, but it’s clear that obeying them is the best way to avoid being exposed by the Marines or even enemy pirates.

7

Don’t Take A Yonko Lightly

Avoid These Powerful Captains Unless Absolutely Necessary

The Yonko are some of the strongest characters in the entire series, which makes sense considering that earning this prestigious title is far from easy. Most pirates will learn of the Yonko very early on in their adventure, and while they might be fascinating to read about in Morgan’s newspapers, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that avoiding them at all costs is heavily advised. They are all capable of destroying entire crews with a single devastating attack.

If a crew does muster up the courage to take on a Yonko, they need to make sure that they are much more prepared than they would usually be when facing off against the average marine or pirate ship. Characters such as Law and Kid, who are already overpowered in their own right, have been unlucky enough to find out first-hand why facing off against a Yonko is so dangerous. To put it simply, a pirate crew should never take them lightly.

6

Personalize Your Ship

Ships Feed Into The Crew’s Aesthetic And Style

The Water 7 story arc explains that most pirates consider their ship a member of the crew. This certainly feels like the case, considering how many of them are personalized in such a way that represents the people who ride them. It’s extremely rare to see a pirate crew sailing on an old brown carrier. Instead, many of them are full of details that highlight what the captain and their crewmates are all about.

For example, the Thousand Sunny is bright and jolly, while Thriller Bark is a spooky ghost ship that feeds into Gecko Moria’s spine-chilling horror aesthetic. There’s also the Moby Dick, which is big and bombastic to resemble Whitebeard, while Big Mom’s ship is covered in a variety of delicious foods. It’s evident that any pirate crew who wants to stand out needs to ensure that their ship is a symbol of who they are. This philosophy has resulted in some jaw-dropping designs throughout the series.

5

The Higher The Bounty, The Better

Bounties Can Indicate How Dangerous A Pirate Is

Most people would get spooked knowing that they have a lot of money on their heads that bounty hunters or Marines could cash in. However, most of the pirates in One Piece don’t see it this way. In contrast, a bounty essentially represents how dangerous and infamous a pirate has become in the eyes of the government. The higher the number, the better it is for not only their status, but also their personal ego.

A prime example can be seen with the Straw Hats, who always manage to get into an argument about who should be classed as the most valuable any time they receive their new bounty posters. What should have been a method of intimidating the pirates has actually become more of a scoring contest. Reaching those high figures is a goal that many crews secretly strive for.

4

Alliances Are Temporary

Riding Alongside Another Crew For Too Long Can Be Risky

A captain may not always want to team up with another crew, but sometimes, it’s necessary in order to take down a tough opponent. This happened quite a few times in the Yonko Saga, where the Straw Hats teamed up with not only Capone to help manage Big Mom, but also Law and even Kid once they reached once they reached Wano Kuni. The captains can discuss the exact terms and details of the alliance, but the golden rule that none of them will admit is that the alliance will only ever be temporary.

After all, these are still pirates at the end of the day. Since there’s only a single One Piece treasure up for grabs, there’s no way that anybody would be willing to ride all the way to Laugh Tale with a second crew beside them. This is especially important considering how easy it is for a captain to betray those who they have allied with, as Apoo proved after he sold out both Kid and Hawkins in order to please Kaido.

3

Every Pirate Needs To Be Unique In What They Offer

Having A Single Type Of Crewmate Won’t Be Enough To Survive

It can be easy for an up-and-coming captain to focus on getting some damage dealers in their crew as quickly as possible. However, anyone who wants to survive the long and arduous journey to the One Piece treasure needs to make sure they have a diverse mixture of characters to keep them going. Having a swordsman or two can help with taking down dangerous opponents, but every crew also needs a doctor to patch them up anytime things go sour.

A cook is also essential to keep the crew energized when traveling between islands, and, of course, there needs to be a lethal enough marksman to pick enemies off from afar. This kind of variety can be seen in many of the most successful pirate crews who have ever sailed the open seas, including the Red Haired pirates, the Whitebeard pirates, and especially the Straw Hats, who are probably the most diverse crew out there.

2

Pledge Full Loyalty To The Captain

Nobody Should Act Without A Captain’s Input

While many crews can feel more like big families considering how close everyone is to one another, there is still a hierarchy in place that everyone needs to keep in mind. Of course, the person who will be calling the shots for the adventure is the captain. While some crewmates may start getting drunk on their own ego if they end up becoming powerful, they will end up paying a serious price if they go against the person who gave them the opportunity to sail the seas in the first place.

Even a captain like Buggy, who is clearly bad at his job, will still demand loyalty from his crew members, even though many of them may dream of one day being able to take this position for themselves. It’s a rule that goes without saying, but one that people still need to be reminded of every now and again to ensure nobody gets any bright ideas about organizing a coup.

1

Never Betray The Crew

One Of The Biggest Sins A Pirate Can Commit

When a group of people come together and decide to form a pirate crew, they are well aware that they are going to be spending the next few years looking out for one another. Becoming a member of a crew essentially means signing an oath to never betray your allies. This sentiment is repeated time and again throughout the story, with one of the first characters to mention it being Luffy’s brother Ace back in Alabasta.

In his case, Ace was trying to hunt down Blackbeard, who had backstabbed Whitebeard’s crew in order to gain the Dark Dark Fruit, which was seen as an unforgivable crime. However, even pirate crews who seem a little more untrustworthy, such as Eustass Kid’s, still follow this unwritten rule, as was made clear when Killer decided to eat an artificial SMILE Fruit to protect his own captain. Betraying a fellow crewmate is one of the worst sins a pirate can commit, but unfortunately, it’s also one that many power-hungry characters have acted out on more than a few occasions.