Summary
Yonko, or the Four Emperors, are themost threatening pirates to the World Governmentin theOne Pieceseries. Though most pirates in this position tend to be formidable on their own, what adds to the extent of their power is the typically massive, loyal crews they command.
The Yonko all operate at a size and scale where they can wage wars and control territories, which is likely a major part of why they are considered such threats to the government. To work efficiently at such a level, it makes sense that vessels are required. Appropriately, the Yonko tend to have ships truly fit for Emperors.
1Moby Dick
The White Whale
This massive vessel was one of many operated by theWhitebeard Pirates, one of the largest known crews in the series. Its figurehead and stern aptly resemble a white whale, fitting thematically with its name. Being a large pirate ship, it possessed many cannons and masts above, and had been used by the crew for several decades. Thirty years ago, it docked in Kuri, the region of Wano Country formerly ruled by Kozuki Oden, after suffering damage in the territory.
Oden eventually went aboard the ship himself after being subject to a hazing ritual by Whitebeard as a way of ensuring his loyalty. It was also the ship where Oden was wedded to Toki, and both of his children, Momonosuke and Hiyori, were born.
Unfortunately, Moby Dick perished at sea during the Summit War, after Sakazuki, a marine admiral, used his powers to destroy the vessel. This was a prelude to greater misfortune for the crew, losing both their captain and Division Commander Portgas D. Ace during the Summit War, and eventually disbanding altogether after losing to the Blackbeard Pirates in the subsequent Payback War.
2Queen Mama Chanter
Candy Coated Craft
Like much of Totto Land’s infrastructure, the Queen Mama Chanter appears to be part candy and part living being. Frosting, wafers, and other similar confectionery are prevalent design elements. The living aspects of the vessel are homies, soul-infused inanimate objects given sentience, as a result of Big Mom’sSoru Soru no Mi. The Chanter’s figurehead is a singing homie, which is likely where the name originates from.
The Chanter is notably shown to dwarf the respectably sized Thousand Sunny, showing just how big it actually is. Despite its vast size, the ship is not invincible, having been knocked downstream from a waterfall by the likes of King and Marco during the Wano Country arc. That said, it also managed to survive each knockback without sinking, showing that, despite its candy coating, the ship has a resilient constitution.
3Red Force
Red Hair’s Vessel
The Red Force is the second known vessel of theRed Hair Pirates. It bears a noted resemblance to its previous counterpart, but with red highlighting the primarily brown color scheme, in addition to being larger. Notably, the figurehead, which resembles a dragon, is primarily red, rather than the beige coloration of the previous version. The vessel also harbors palm trees, though the exact purpose they hold is presently unclear.
The Red Force was first shown to the audience upon Shanks' meeting with Whitebeard, meaning he has had it for at least two years in the present storyline. This displays it as being somewhat smaller than the Moby Dick, which is appropriate when one considers that Shanks seems to have a smaller crew than Whitebeard. Many details beyond the immediately obvious ones about the Red Force are unclear, tying into just how shrouded in mystery the crew is within the current narrative.
4Saber Of Xebec
Not Just Any Raft
The Saber of Xebec is the flagship of theBlackbeard Pirates. It is like many of their ships, built to resemble their previous ship, which was, in essence, little more than a raft. A large log at either end of the ship is designed to maintain the motif of said raft. Its figurehead is a skull, somewhat resembling the ones on the crew’s jolly roger. It also has the words “Black Beard” atop one of its sails, highlighting its status as Marshall D. Teach’s primary ship.
The flagship’s name was previously a source of speculation for fans. It was the linchpin of most theories tying Blackbeard to Rocks D. Xebec, a once-infamous, now forgotten pirate who was seen wielding a saber in the past. Teach is a fairly similar character to Xebec, having a selfish streak, similar grand ambitions, and an apparent aptitude for historical research. More recently, Xebec was revealed to be the father of Teach, cementing the long-speculated connection.
5Thousand Sunny
The Straw Hats' Ship
The Thousand Sunny is the second vessel of theStraw Hat Pirates, after the destruction of the Going Merry. It was created by Franky, Iceburg, and other master shipwrights affiliated with the Galley-La Company. It was crafted primarily with Adam Wood. The Sunny is 5600 cm long and 3900 cm wide, and is significantly larger than the Going Merry. It is a two-masted vessel which houses a lawn, sixteen cannons, and several rooms, many designed with individual Straw Hats in mind, such as Zoro’s training room or Usopp’s factory.
Its figurehead is a lion which houses a Gaon Cannon, with its mane being able to rotate like a propeller and steer the ship backward. Unique to the vessel is the “Soldier Dock System”, which stores several vehicles Franky identifies as the “soldiers” of the Thousand Sunny. Notably, Mini Merry II, a tribute to the original Going Merry, is one such vehicle with its goat figurehead derived from the Going Merry’s previous design. The ship is shown to be diverse in its functionalities, capable of going underwater, in the air, and even upstream, all while suffering fairly minimal damage.
The most recent inclusion of the Straw Hats, Jinbe, an experienced helmsman, has expressed admiration for the ship, with Franky believing his steering will help bring out its full potential. Due in part to its role as the Straw Hats' ship, the Sunny has been viewed much more intricately than the majority of pirate ships in the series. It is also shown to be a significant part of Franky’s dream, which involves crafting a ship that will be able to travel the entire world, much like his mentor Tom did with the Oro Jackson, the ship used by the Roger Pirates.
6Big Top Blaster
A Clown’s Hubris
The Big Top Blaster is the most recently introduced ship within the series. It was created specifically to act as a flagship forCross Guild, a marine-hunting organizationintegrating Buggy’s delivery with the likes of Crocodile and Dracule Mihawk. Cross Guild was conceived by Crocodile, who wished to call in a debt from Buggy to fund the organization. However, Buggy, without adequate resources, wished to use his image to promote the guild instead. This led to a misconception where his fanatical crewmates wrongly identified him as the leader, and adorned the various aspects of the guild to reflect this fact.
The Big Top Blaster is no different, with its figurehead being modeled after Buggy himself. This is part of a running gag in the series where Buggy’s storied history as a pirate is used to wrongly assume he is powerful in his own right. As such, his followers are devoted fans who believe the hype, which led to issues within the Cross Guild. Crocodile and Mihawk have reconciled their frustration at Buggy’s false leadership, deciding to scapegoat him should things go awry. Aside from its circus-inspired aesthetic, little is known of the ship besides it being a monument to possibly the most overrated pirate in the series. It is potentially the most recently created of the Yonko’s main ships, as it was not seen until after the timeskip, and very recently within the narrative at that.
7Beasts Pirates Flagship (?)
Status Unclear
It is not clear if the Beasts Pirates have a flagship or what it exactly looks like. Jack the Drought previously commanded a small fleet led by his ship, Mammoth, to attack Zunesha and Zou, which was promptly wiped out by the elephant once Momonosuke gave him the command. There are other identified ships in the crew used by the likes of Queen, Speed, and Scratchmen Apoo, along with the Numbers. This implies Kaido, as the leader of the crew, also has his own personal ship, but any further knowledge regarding it, or even a suggestion of it, has not been put forward.
The absence of such a ship in the story ties to the Beasts Pirates' involvement in it thus far. The crew has largely been seen occupying Wano itself, making the appearance of a ship representing its leader redundant in the context of the Wano Country arc. Whether this ship even exists or how it ties into the story remains to be seen, and will likely tie into how relevant the Beasts Pirates end up being to the rest of the narrative.
