One Piece Characters Who Gave Up Being Pirates

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One Piece: 8 Characters Who Gave Up Being Pirates

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Summary

Jango the hypnotist became a marine commander after befriending Fullbody and escaping his pirate past.
Zeff, known as Red-Leg Zeff, sacrificed his leg to save young Sanji, leading to a new life as a restaurant owner.
Hatchan transitioned from an Arlong Pirate to a takoyaki stand owner after befriending the Straw Hat Pirates.

Pirates are a huge part of the One Piece world, especially after Gol D. Roger kickstarted the golden age of piracy and inspired thousands to set sail to find his treasure. However, not everybody can remain a pirate for their entire life and, thus, many characters had to give up their careers at one point or another.

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While some were able to fulfill their objectives before happily retiring, most aspiring pirates were forced to give up piracy before they were even able to achieve their dreams, so they decided to become marines or regular civilians instead. There are a lot of memorable One Piece characters who abandoned their piracy careers, but the following are the most fascinating ones so far.

1 Jango

A Groovy Hypnotist Turned Marine Lieutenant Commander

First Appearance: Episode 9 (Anime) Chapter 25 (Manga)

A few prominent figures in One Piece were first introduced as pirates but later changed sides to join the Marines, and Jango the Turncoat is one of the most memorable examples of this phenomenon. This whacky hypnotist used to be a member of the Black Cat Pirates and played a key part in Captain Kuro’s attempted return.

However, after he was defeated by Usopp and the Straw Hat Pirates, Jango escaped Syrup Village, joined a dance contest, and befriended Fullbody. After fighting a bunch of evil pirates together, the hypnotist joined the Marines to serve under Marine Rear Admiral Hina. At the end of the day, it seems that a solid, dance-based, friendship and an attractive officer are all it took for Jango to leave his days as a pirate behind him.

2 Zeff

Gave Up His Career (And His Leg) For Both Sanji And His Restaurant

Zeff and Sanji cooking at the same time.

First Appearance: Episode 20 (Anime) Chapter 43 (Manga)

Nowadays, Zeff is known for being the owner and head chef of Baratie, the best restaurant in all of East Blue, where he mentored and raised Vinsmoke Sanji like his own son. However, there’s a reason this chef is so strong and knows how to deal with any dangerous pirates that want to cause trouble at his restaurant: because he used to be a pirate himself.

He used to be known as Red-Leg Zeff, due to his powerful kicks that coated his shoes with the blood of his enemies. After losing his entire crew to a storm, and eating his own leg to keep a young Sanji well-fed while they were both stranded on a small island, he had to give up being a pirate and open his restaurant. None of this matters to Zeff, however, because he bet on the new generation when he decided to raise Sanji, who is now the cook of the legendary Straw Hat Pirates.

3 Hatchan

This Former Officer Of The Arlong Pirates Now Runs A Lovely Takoyaki Stand

First Appearance: Episode 31 (Anime) Chapter 69 (Manga)

There’s an argument to be made that Hatchan of the Arlong Pirates was never as malicious as his crewmates. If anything, he was a lot more clueless and easy to manipulate, but he didn’t seem to enjoy causing harm to civilians as much as Kuroobi or Arlong. That may explain why he completely changed his life after the Straw Hat Pirates defeated the Arlong Pirates.

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Hatchan escaped his imprisonment, met Camie and Pappag, and opened up a takoyaki stand with them to feed their delicious takoyaki to everyone they met. And if that wasn’t enough to prove Hatchan has a good heart, he befriended the Straw Hat Pirates, apologized for his wrongdoings (especially to Nami), and proved to be a crucial ally during the Sabaody Archipelago and Fish-Man Island arcs.

4 Nefertari Vivi

The Princess Of Arabasta Had To Leave The Straw Hat Pirates Behind

First Appearance: Episode 62 (Anime) Chapter 103 (Manga)

Something interesting about One Piece is that almost every character that joined the Straw Hat Pirates has decided to stay on the crew until the very end of their journey. But, one of them actually had to leave them - Nefertari Vivi. She originally just joined them so they could help them defeat Baroque Works and save her home country of Arabasta, but she still technically became a pirate in the process.

Vivi grew close to all the Straw Hats after all their adventures, and the crew gave her the option to join permanently, even after Sir Crocodile was defeated and Arabasta was finally free. However, in one of the most emotional and beloved scenes in One Piece, Vivi rejects their offer because she has to stay to fulfill her role as the Princess of Arabasta. Nevertheless, Vivi is still an honorary member of the Straw Hat Pirates, even though she had to give up her brief piracy career for the sake of her country.

5 Wapol

He Returned To Being An Evil Monarch After Luffy Beat Him

Wapol becomes the new ruler of the Evil Black Drum Kingdom.

First Appearance: Episode 79 (Anime) Chapter 131 (Manga)

Unlike many other characters in One Piece, Wapol never really cared about being a pirate. The corrupt monarch of Drum Island only left his country out of fear after they were attacked by the Blackbeard Pirates, which means that he technically formed a pirate crew as an excuse to wait patiently on the sea until Blackbeard left his kingdom.

He faced the Straw Hat Pirates the moment he returned, but he was promptly defeated by Monkey D. Luffy. Furthermore, Wapol later created Wapometal by accident with his Devil Fruit, became a successful millionaire toy maker, and was even given his own kingdom, the Evil Black Drum Kingdom, where he reigns as the sole king. It’s evident that Wapol prefers to live as a corrupt monarch, and he’s never going back to the seas as a pirate.

6 Shakuyaku

The Former Captain Of The Kuja Pirates Left Her Crew And Opened A Bar

First Appearance: Episode 392 (Anime) Chapter 498 (Manga)

Some One Piece fans may have missed this detail, but Silvers Rayleigh’s wife, Shakuyaku, is actually the former empress of Amazon Lily and the former captain of the Kuja Pirates, but she decided to leave her crew and her tribe to open a bar on the Sabaody Archipelago with her husband.

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Similarly to Gloriosa (Elder Nyon) before her, Shakuyaku suffered “Love Sickness” after meeting Rayleigh, which means that she fell in love with him, which prompted her to leave her piracy career. Despite all this, she is still willing to help any pirate (or former pirate) who visits her bar, like Monkey D. Luffy and Hatchan.

7 Carrot

A Temporary Straw Hat Pirate Who Became The New Ruler Of Zou

Carrot joins the Straw Hats in their journey to Whole Cake Island.

First Appearance: Episode 804 (Anime) Chapter 753 (Manga)

The story of Carrot is one of the strangest writing decisions made by the series’ author, Eiichiro Oda. She joined the Straw Hat Pirates on their journey through Whole Cake Island, where she played a key role in their mission to rescue Sanji. On top of that, she proved to be an efficient physical fighter thanks to her Sulong form, fulfilled the role of lookout, and even carried on the dream of her friend and mentor, Pedro.

Similarly to Vivi before her, Carrot was a temporary pirate but, unlike the Princess of Arabasta, it always seemed that she was going to permanently join the crew. Nevertheless, she had to give up being a member of the Straw Hat Pirates because Inuarashi and Nekomamushi chose her to become the next ruler of the Momoko Dukedom in her home country of Zou. While this is a great honor for Carrot, most fans believe it would have been way more fun to see her as a permanent member of the Straw Hats instead.

8 Kouzuki Oden

Helped Find The One Piece And Later Sacrificed Himself For His Own Country

Kouzuki Oden and the Roger Pirates find the One Piece.

First Appearance: Episode 910 (Anime) Chapter 920 (Manga)

Kouzuki Oden may have been born into the royal family of Wano, the Kouzuki Family, but his bold personality and constant desire for adventure made him the perfect candidate for piracy. That’s exactly why he later joined the Whitebeard Pirates and decided to set sail with them. But Oden was part of not one but two legendary pirate crews that made history because he later became a member of the Roger Pirates to help them decipher the Poneglyphs.

In just five years, Oden had one of the most exciting, fruitful, and fascinating careers a pirate could ask for, and it satisfyingly concluded when he and his entire crew found the legendary treasure that would later be known as the One Piece. Unlike many other similar characters, Oden retired from piracy because the Roger Pirates disbanded, so he decided to go back to Wano. Unfortunately, in his absence, the country was taken over by Kurozumi Orochi and Kaido of the Beasts Pirates, so he had to fight – and eventually sacrifice himself – for his homeland, meaning that he didn’t get to rest after his retirement.