One Piece's Strongest Pirate Crew Was Way Too Overpowered

Before the Straw Hat Pirates rose to power, before even Gol D. Roger became the King of the Pirates all those years ago, another crew of roving cutthroats dominated the four Blues. These pirates are rarely spoken of because the World Government keeps their exploits quiet, but they caused more destruction and chaos than almost any other band of marauders. They are, or were, the Rocks Pirates. During their prime, the Rock Pirates sailed under Rocks D. Xebec, a pirate with no confirmed Devil Fruit powers but indomitable strength and an insatiable desire to conquer the literal planet.

His crew, who terrorized the four Blues beneath the emblem of a burning red skull, mirrored his ambition, bloodlust, and ravenous greed. Because of this, the Rocks Pirates drew unwanted attention from both the World Government and other pirates. Ultimately, their defeat demanded the combined might of Gol D. Roger and Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp. That, more than anything else, should help you understand how powerful the Rocks Pirates were.

Laid low, the Rocks Pirates disbanded, and its members spread far and wide. Many became pirate captains of their own crews. Edward Newgate, aka Whitebeard of the Whitebeard Pirates, Charlotte Linlin, aka Big Mom of the Big Mom Pirates, and Kaidou of the Beasts, aka the Governer-General of the Beast Pirates, all began their journeys aboard the Rocks Pirates' ship. But having so many intense personalities, egos, and strengths in one space doesn't always end well. The crew bickered endlessly (they killed each other a lot). It's not unreasonable to assume if Gol D. Roger and Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp had not stopped Rocks D. Xebec, the Rocks Pirates would have consumed themselves. 

Let's get nitty gritty. We already mentioned that Rocks D. Xebec is unconfirmed as a Devil Fruit user; his powerset is currently understood to be brutally natural. That said, some theorize he ate the Goro Goro no Mi fruit, a Devil Fruit that bestows its consumer with the ability to create and control lightning. Whitebeard, aside from carrying the moniker "Strongest Man in the World," is empowered by the Magu Magu no Mi fruit, enabling him to create shockwaves so powerful they shatter the air itself.

Big Mom is incredibly strong and stubbornly durable. She also possesses Ultrasonic Scream, a deafening blast that can push enemies away. Technically, she never ate a Devil Fruit; however, it is heavily implied she ate someone who did. That act of cannibalism gave her transitive ownership of the Soru Soru no Mi fruit, which allows its user to physically control soul energy. Kaidou of the Beasts, aside from carrying the nickname "Strongest Creature" on account of his inhuman strength and quasi-immortal durability, ate the Uo Uo no Mi fruit, allowing him to transform into a literal dragon.

There's also Shiki the Golden Lion, who earned his additional name, the "Flying Pirate," courtesy of his Fuwa Fuwa no Mi Devil Fruit that grants him the gift of flight, and the zombie Captain John, who was only just John when part of the Rocks Pirates. Lastly, there's Ochoku and Silver Axe, although little is known of them.

Hilariously enough, we only covered the major bullet points here because many of the Rocks Pirates were also masters of Haki, the manipulation of spirit energy.

With so many high-profile names in one place, it's understandable for fans to wonder when the Rocks Pirates will show up in Netflix's live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece." The short answer is yeah, probably, eventually. The slightly longer answer is that it won't be anytime soon, not if the series follows the chronology of the manga or the anime. The Rocks Pirates aren't mentioned in the manga until Vol. 95, Chapter 957, and they don't appear in the anime until Episode 958, "A Legendary Battle! Garp and Roger." For reference, Season 1 of Netflix's "One Piece" covers approximately the first 90 chapters of the manga and the first 45 episodes of the anime.

What's more, it took Netflix nearly seven years to complete the first season. Sure, some of that time was spent building a relationship with Oda and his cohorts, and Netflix already announced that the Straw Hat crew will sail again. But even if each sequential season takes half that time, the Rocks Pirates are unlikely to appear for a few decades — unless Netflix rearranges the chronology. That's how we got Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp's backstory so early. It's certainly possible, especially since so many of the characters who were previous Rocks Pirates appear throughout the story. That said, the most likely reference to the Rocks Pirates would amount to little more than a few lines of dialogue. Even in canon, the infamous pirate crew is only ever discussed in the past tense and hushed tones. That's all probably for the best, then, because no one really wants to see Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) lose.