One Piece: SWORD organization and its members explained

❘ Published: 2023-07-18T09:24:56

An image featuring SWORD members in One Piece

One Piece manga is currently featuring the SWORD members following Garp to rescue the young Marine Captain Koby. However, what is special about this organization?

Despite Marines being a major antagonistic organization in One Piece, not everyone is evil. Just like there are both good and bad pirates, the same can be said about the Marines. This is precisely why Luffy never judges someone by their profession but instead believes in their personality.

Pirates, royals, Warlords, and even Marines, Luffy has all kinds of allies. One such ally is Koby, who is an important character in the series despite having little screen time. Koby is one of the very few characters introduced in the series’ first episode.

Recently, the manga revealed Blackbeard kidnapping Koby due to the Rocky Port Incident. Here’s what we know about the mysterious SWORD organization and its members in One Piece.

What is the SWORD organization in One Piece?

A panel from One Piece manga before Koby's rescue

In One Piece, SWORD is a Marine Headquarters Secret Special Force comprised of Marines who have officially resigned from the organization’s command structure but continue to work on its behalf. Former Admiral Aokiji explains that members of SWORD “are Marines, but also not.” Because they are not officially Marines, they can disregard any orders and act as they please without repercussion.

It means they can take on usually forbidden missions, such as confronting one of the Four Emperors. However, the Marines and the World Government assume no responsibility for their actions and can cut off any remaining ties if the situation demands. The Marine does not have any obligation to help or rescue SWORD members in One Piece.

Who are the members of SWORD?

A panel from One Piece manga featuring Prince Grus

Firstly, X Drake is the captain of SWORD in One Piece. He assumes the identity of a pirate and gains a spot among the Worst Generation. He ultimately joins the elite force Tobiroppo in the Beast Pirates, directly under Kaido. After his betrayal comes to light, he joins Luffy and his allies to defeat the Yonko. After the incident, his current whereabouts remain unknown to SWORD members.

The Final Saga also introduces two Rear Admirals – Prince Grus and Kujaku. They both first appear as brief antagonists in “Gang” Bege’s Oh My Family Cover Page Serial. During the Egghead Arc, they make their official debut in the main story. Grus appears envious of Koby’s reputation and confesses his plan to surpass the young Captain to Kujaku.

Koby is the primary reason that all the SWORD members in One Piece had to follow Garp into Hachinosu. Because they couldn’t get any support from the Marines, they could only rely on the veteran Marine Hero to save their comrade. Koby starts out as a young Marine soldier, ultimately becoming a SWORD member claiming the title of the “Marine Hero” from Garp.

There’s also Commander Hibari, who joins the rescue mission since she feels indebted to Koby, who has helped her a lot in the past. Hibari holds incredible long-range support abilities, being capable of disarming a whole crowd of gunmen while undetected. Finally, Lieutenant Commander Helmeppo, one of Koby’s closest friends, was introduced as a minor antagonist. He changed his ways and ended up joining the Marines alongside Koby.

One Piece can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll. In the meantime, you can check out more anime coverage below: