Quick answer
- The Marines have 19 ranks, from Fleet Admiral down to Chore Boy (SBS Vol. 98); the top 11, down to Ensign, are commissioned officers.
- As of Chapter 1196, Sakazuki is Fleet Admiral and Kizaru, Fujitora and Ryokugyu are the Admirals; Kong is above them as World Government Commander-in-Chief.
- Garp is still a Vice Admiral: he refused promotion, and after Hachinosu he is imprisoned there (Ch. 1126). Koby rose from Chore Boy to Captain.
- Headquarters and branch ranks are about three ranks apart, so a branch Captain equals a Headquarters Lieutenant (SBS Vol. 29).
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The Marines have 19 ranks, from Fleet Admiral at the top to Chore Boy at the bottom. Oda laid out the full ladder himself in SBS Volume 98. Today Sakazuki (Akainu) is Fleet Admiral, and Kizaru, Fujitora and Ryokugyu are the three Admirals.
Below is every rank in order, who holds it in canon, and how the main Marines have moved up (or down) the ladder. The article covers the manga as of Chapter 1196. It includes spoilers through the Egghead arc and the God Valley flashback. Note that the VIZ manga calls the organization the “Navy”. This guide uses “Marines” and the rank names most English fans use.
One Piece Marine ranks in order (highest to lowest)
The first 11 ranks, Fleet Admiral down to Ensign, are commissioned officers (SBS Vol. 8). The rest are enlisted ranks. Chore Boy is not technically a rank at all.
| # | Rank | Japanese | Holders as of Ch. 1196 (canon) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fleet Admiral | 元帥 Gensui | Sakazuki (Akainu) |
| 2 | Admiral | 大将 Taishō | Borsalino (Kizaru), Issho (Fujitora), Aramaki (Ryokugyu) |
| 3 | Vice Admiral | 中将 Chūjō | Garp, Tsuru, Smoker, Momonga, Onigumo, Doberman, Strawberry, Yamakaji, John Giant, Gion, Tokikake and more |
| 4 | Rear Admiral | 少将 Shōshō | Hina, Prince Grus, Kujaku |
| 5 | Commodore | 准将 Junshō | Brannew, Yarisugi (G-5) |
| 6 | Captain | 大佐 Taisa | Koby, Tashigi, Nezumi, Very Good |
| 7 | Commander | 中佐 Chūsa | Ripper (153rd Branch) |
| 8 | Lieutenant Commander | 少佐 Shōsa | Helmeppo, Fullbody, Jango |
| 9 | Lieutenant | 大尉 Taii | No major character today (Fullbody held it at the start) |
| 10 | Lieutenant Junior Grade | 中尉 Chūi | Stalker (Impel Down arc, Ch. 524) |
| 11 | Ensign | 少尉 Shōi | Minor characters only (Tashigi held it before the timeskip) |
| 12 | Warrant Officer | 准尉 Jun’i | No canon holder |
| 13 | Master Chief Petty Officer | 曹長 Sōchō | No major character today (Koby and Tashigi held it) |
| 14 | Chief Petty Officer | 軍曹 Gunsō | Minor characters (Helmeppo held it) |
| 15 | Petty Officer | 伍長 Gochō | No canon holder |
| 16 | Seaman First Class | 一等兵 Ittōhei | Minor characters only |
| 17 | Seaman Apprentice | 二等兵 Nitōhei | No canon holder |
| 18 | Seaman Recruit | 三等兵 Santōhei | Minor characters (Fullbody and Jango held it) |
| 19 | Chore Boy | 雑用 Zatsuyō | Not an official rank (Koby and Helmeppo started here) |
Only three ranks have no named canon holder at all: Warrant Officer, Petty Officer and Seaman Apprentice. The SBS chart in Volume 98 leaves Commander, Lieutenant and below blank, but the story itself fills some of them, such as Commander Ripper, who takes over the Shells Town base from Morgan (Ch. 7).
Who is above the Fleet Admiral?
The Fleet Admiral runs the Marines, but he is not the top of the chain of command.
- Kong is the World Government’s Commander-in-Chief (Ch. 594). He was Fleet Admiral before Sengoku and an Admiral at the time of God Valley (Ch. 1157).
- Above Kong sit the Five Elders and the World Government itself.
Two titles sit outside the normal ladder:
| Title | Holder | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Inspector General (大目付) | Sengoku | Former Fleet Admiral; watches for corruption and defection inside the Marines (Ch. 594) |
| Instructor (教官) | Monkey D. Garp | Trains recruits but keeps his Vice Admiral rank (Ch. 594) |
Admirals and the Fleet Admiral: what changed after the timeskip
Before the Summit War, the line-up was Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Admirals Aokiji, Kizaru and Akainu. Here is how the top changed, with the chapters that show it.
| Who | Before Marineford | As of Ch. 1196 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sengoku | Fleet Admiral | Inspector General | Ch. 594 |
| Sakazuki (Akainu) | Admiral | Fleet Admiral | Ch. 650 |
| Kuzan (Aokiji) | Admiral | Left the Marines; now with the Blackbeard Pirates | Ch. 650; Ch. 1081 |
| Borsalino (Kizaru) | Admiral | Still Admiral; led the Egghead assault | Ch. 1089 |
| Issho (Fujitora) | — | Admiral, recruited by the World Military Draft | Ch. 705, Ch. 713 |
| Aramaki (Ryokugyu) | — | Admiral, recruited by the same draft | Ch. 1053, Ch. 713 |
So the Admiral rank is not “always three people”. After Sakazuki moved up and Kuzan quit, two seats were empty until Fujitora and Ryokugyu were drafted in (Ch. 713). Kizaru is the only Admiral left from the old trio. No Admiral has been promoted, demoted or removed since, as of Chapter 1196.
What happened to Garp’s rank?
Garp is still a Vice Admiral. He famously turned down promotion to Admiral several times, and after Marineford he became an instructor while keeping his rank (Ch. 594). The public thinks he retired, which is why a Blackbeard Pirate is shocked to see him at Hachinosu (Ch. 1080).
At Hachinosu he went in to rescue Koby. He fought Kuzan and several Titanic Captains at once. Kuzan pierced him with an icicle and Shiryu stabbed him, but he held them off so the Marines could escape (Ch. 1088). The Marines officially listed him as missing in action. Chapter 1126 shows that he is alive and imprisoned on Hachinosu.
Garp is the clearest proof that rank is not a power ranking. One of the strongest Marines ever chose to stay at rank 3.
How Koby, Smoker and others climbed the ranks
Most English rank charts list who holds a rank now. The more useful view is how the main Marines moved.
| Character | Start | Before the timeskip | As of Ch. 1196 | Key sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koby | Chore Boy (Cover Ch. 83) | Master Chief Petty Officer (Ch. 432) | Captain; in SWORD | Volume 68 |
| Helmeppo | Chore Boy | Chief Petty Officer (Ch. 432) | Lieutenant Commander; in SWORD | Volume 68 |
| Smoker | Captain, Loguetown (Ch. 98) | Commodore (Ch. 439) | Vice Admiral, G-5 | Ch. 655 |
| Tashigi | Master Chief Petty Officer (Ch. 98) | Ensign (Ch. 439) | Captain, G-5 | Ch. 652 |
| Hina | Captain (Ch. 212) | Captain | Rear Admiral | Ch. 823 |
| Fullbody | Lieutenant (Ch. 43) | Seaman Recruit | Lieutenant Commander | SBS Vol. 98 |
| Jango | Pirate | Seaman Recruit (Cover Ch. 172) | Lieutenant Commander | SBS Vol. 98 |
| Brannew | Lieutenant Commander (Ch. 96) | Lieutenant Commander | Commodore | Ch. 700 |
A few things stand out:
- Koby jumped from Master Chief Petty Officer to Captain over the two-year timeskip. That is seven ranks, the biggest climb in the series.
- Smoker did not go straight from Captain to Vice Admiral. He and Tashigi were promoted after Arabasta, and Smoker was a Commodore before the timeskip.
- Fullbody fell and climbed back. He was demoted from Lieutenant to Seaman Recruit so Jango could be pardoned (Cover Ch. 168). By SBS Vol. 98 he is a Lieutenant Commander, one rank higher than where he started. Many older rank charts still list him as a Seaman Recruit.
- Koby and Helmeppo are in SWORD. SWORD members have officially left the Marines on paper, so the unit is separate from the rank ladder. It is said to be led by former Rear Admiral X Drake. It’s a topic of its own, so we only mention it here.
Marine Headquarters vs branch bases
The Marines are split into Headquarters (now in the New World after Sakazuki moved it, Ch. 598) and numbered branch bases such as the 153rd Branch in Shells Town, the 16th Branch near Cocoyasi, G-1 (old Marineford) and G-5.
The same rank title does not mean the same strength. Oda answered this in SBS Volume 29: Headquarters officers are a “super-elite”, and Headquarters and branch ranks are “about three ranks apart”. A branch Captain like Morgan or Nezumi would only be a Lieutenant at Headquarters, and a branch Commander would be a Lieutenant Junior Grade.
| Rank at a branch base | Roughly equal at Headquarters |
|---|---|
| Captain (e.g. Morgan, Nezumi) | Lieutenant |
| Commander (e.g. Ripper) | Lieutenant Junior Grade |
That explains why Captain Morgan of the East Blue is nothing like Captain Koby or Captain Tashigi. Morgan, for the record, had climbed from Chief Petty Officer to Lieutenant Commander to Captain before Luffy met him (SBS Vol. 6).
What do Marine uniforms say about rank?
There are no rank insignia as such, but Oda gave rough uniform rules in SBS Volume 24:
- Seaman First Class and below: the standard sailor uniform and “MARINE” cap. Chore Boys add the kanji 雑 to the sleeves and back.
- Petty Officer and above: free to choose their outfit, even their own clothes.
- Ensign and above: may wear the coat with “Justice” (正義) on the back.
- Lieutenant Commander and above: a suit under the Justice coat is preferred.
Which ranks can call a Buster Call?
A Buster Call is nominally ten battleships led by five Vice Admirals. Only the Fleet Admiral and the Admirals can legally start one, though they can hand that authority to others, which is how CP9’s Spandine and Spandam used a Golden Den Den Mushi.
| Buster Call | Vice Admirals on site | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ohara | Kuzan and Sakazuki (both Vice Admirals then; Ch. 393, Ch. 397) | Triggered by CP9’s Spandine |
| Enies Lobby | Momonga, Onigumo, Doberman, Strawberry, Yamakaji | Spandam pressed the button by mistake |
| Egghead | 9 Vice Admirals under Admiral Kizaru (Ch. 1089) | Ordered by Saturn of the Five Elders (Ch. 1103) |
Egghead is the odd one out: an Admiral led the fleet in person, and it was far bigger than the standard ten ships. Rear Admiral is also the lowest rank allowed to be in the presence of a Five Elder (Ch. 1094).
FAQ
What are the Marine ranks in One Piece in order?
Fleet Admiral, Admiral, Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral, Commodore, Captain, Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Ensign, Warrant Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer, Petty Officer, Seaman First Class, Seaman Apprentice, Seaman Recruit and Chore Boy (SBS Vol. 98).
What is the highest rank in the Marines?
Fleet Admiral, held by Sakazuki (Akainu) since the timeskip (Ch. 650). Above the Marines is Kong, the World Government’s Commander-in-Chief, and above him the Five Elders.
What rank is Koby now?
Captain, as of Chapter 1196. He went from Chore Boy to Master Chief Petty Officer before the timeskip and was promoted to Captain over it (Volume 68). He is also a member of SWORD.
Why is Garp only a Vice Admiral?
He turned down promotion to Admiral several times. After Marineford he became an instructor but kept the Vice Admiral rank (Ch. 594).
Is a branch Captain the same as a Headquarters Captain?
No. Oda said in SBS Volume 29 that Headquarters and branch ranks are about three ranks apart, so a branch Captain like Morgan would only be a Lieutenant at Headquarters.
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This guide is the English edition of a BuzzBeaver article originally written in Japanese: 日本語版を読む. Facts are checked against the official manga and anime; fan theories are labeled as such.