coby

Koby the Hero[13] is a Marine Captain,[3] currently serving in the SWORD special forces unit.[14] Alongside fellow SWORD member Helmeppo, he was trained and mentored into prominence under the legendary Vice Admiral Garp. Originally a cabin boy enslaved by the Alvida Pirates, Koby was freed and befriended by Monkey D. Luffy, becoming Luffy's first traveling companion. Though he soon left to pursue his dream of Marine service, he continues to regard Luffy highly; after entering full-fledged service, he briefly reunited with Luffy on two occasions, as both friend and adversary. Overall, Koby has experienced a meteoric rise in the Marines, with many accomplishments and the Rocky Port Incident in particular cementing him as a public hero.[15] During an arrest attempt on Boa Hancock, he was captured by the Blackbeard Pirates[16] but eventually escaped with the help of Perona, his SWORD colleagues, and his mentor Garp.[17] For his atypical status, the Cross Guild has assigned Koby a 5-star bounty, worth Beli 500,000,000.[11] He is Luffy's ally during the Romance Dawn Arc, and co-features with Helmeppo as a central character in the Diary of Koby-Meppo cover arc. Since then, he has appeared as a supporting character (with brief antagonistic roles) in the Post-Enies Lobby Arc and the Marineford Arc, with more tertiary appearances in the Levely Arc, the Wano Country Arc, and the Egghead Arc. In his first appearance, Koby was a small, timid, chubby boy with kobi pink hair and round-frame glasses.[1] Due to the passage of time and Garp's training, Koby has grown thinner and taller, standing close to Luffy in height. He has also gained a cross-shaped scar above his right eye, presumably earned under Garp's heavy-handed tutelage. His hair has grown longer and shaggier since his growth spurt, but it has retained its kobi pink color. Koby wears a standard-issue Marine jacket, pants, and neckerchief as well as a brightly patterned bandanna worn tied across his forehead. Koby's glasses are still present, but he has adopted the habit of wearing them pushed up on his forehead, occasionally using them for reading. After the timeskip, Koby has grown even taller, reaching Garp's shoulders. He now wears a scarf, a senior officer's Marine coat with the word "justice" on it, a merit on his jacket, and a new bandanna. The scar on his forehead also has grown wider. First introduced as the Alvida Pirates' hapless ship caretaker, Koby was a coward who lived in fear of both the ship's crew and captain. Two years of enslavement had robbed him of all hope of escaping as well as his dream of becoming a Marine, leaving him with few goals other than avoiding being bludgeoned to death by Alvida's iron mace. Luffy was less than impressed with Koby's cowardice, describing him as "pretty stupid and useless...and kinda wimpy too." However, Luffy's boundless optimism and single-minded pursuit of his dream rekindled a similar conviction in the downtrodden ship caretaker, allowing him to defy his captors, even under the threat of a brutal death by Alvida's mace.[1] As the pair continued in their travels, Koby remained timid and cautious, often relying on Luffy to perform dangerous tasks and alarmed by his companion's reckless and nonsensical behavior. Smart and quite perceptive, Koby has an eye for spotting small details and the emotions of others, noting that it was "strange" for the citizens of Shells Town to be afraid of a Marine captain and telling Luffy that he had "a bad feeling about this." He is also naïve, as he held a firm belief in the blanket integrity of the Marines, only to have it dashed when he witnessed the actions of Axe-Hand Morgan and his son, yet it would strengthen his own resolve to become, in his words, "a real Marine."[18] Under Garp's instruction, Koby's cowardice and self-pity have been replaced with confidence and resolve, although he remains polite, self-effacing, and somewhat apologetic or timid if he feels he oversteps in his ambitions or station (such as publicly stating his goal to become a Marine admiral). He continues to be an emotional, compassionate person who can easily be driven to tears for a variety of reasons, which led to Zoro jocularly calling him a "crybaby" during their reunion at Water 7.[19] Much like Luffy, Koby contains and acts with selfless motives and compassion, being devoted to helping people, both civilians and his fellow Marines, unconditionally, which earned him immense popularity. He has run into people at Levely and bonded over shared admiration for the Straw Hat Captain, though Koby has attempted to deflect his own due to his station in the Marines. In sharp contrast to many characters, Koby does not act with seemingly reckless bravery and bravado but rather on moral compunction and resolve. He has put his life on the line at least twice for the sake of what he feels is right, most notably at the Summit War of Marineford, where he brought fighting to a standstill by facing down Admiral Akainu and bought the precious seconds needed for Luffy to escape.[20] Among the most determined and unbreakable people, Koby's drive to prove himself and become strong is unmatched by almost all of his compatriots. In the early days of his training as a Marine when he was still weak, he would train relentlessly non-stop by punching battleships, which could only be done by powerful Marines such as Garp and Kuzan, due to acknowledging his lack of fighting talent. Despite his already exhaustive training session with Garp, he continued to train on a daily basis, despite his hands continuing to bleed from the injuries. He has also been able to withstand and cultivate powerful Haki of his own that has made his power a serious threat beyond his normal station, as evidenced by his Cross-Guild bounty. For all he has done and is capable of doing, Koby is rather humble, as he denied Kyros' claim of him being a hero during the Rocky Port Incident and did not claim credit for stopping a torpedo that was aiming at the Dressrosa and Prodence Kingdom ships. [21] He felt ashamed for thinking Marines had come to rescue him and considered it thinking that the world revolved around him when trying to escape from Hachinosu and was shocked when he discovered they had come for him.[17] Relationships Marines Koby is deeply well liked by numerous Marines, including Garp, Tashigi, and Hibari. When he was captured by the Blackbeard Pirates, many Marines, including fellow SWORD members, joined Garp in a suicidal mission to save Koby alone. Monkey D. Garp Garp is the mentor/instructor of Koby and Helmeppo; he keeps them out of trouble and ensures that they are not slacking off. If they do get out of hand, he knocks them around to ensure they know their place. Koby admires Garp, even though he maintains a highly brutal clutch on him, because he would not be where he is without him. Garp was horrified when Koby shouted out to stop the massacre at Marineford during the Whitebeard War. After Koby was captured by Blackbeard, Garp went to Hachinosu to rescue his apprentice, much to his shock and surprise that Garp and the rest came just to rescue him. Garp acknowledged Koby's potential and determination as he entrusted Koby to stop Pizzaro's devastating attack on the Marine Ship. hellmeppo After his father's termination from the Marines, Helmeppo lost access to the luxurious life that he once held under his father's rank. He was forced to become a chore boy alongside Koby, and despite Koby's good-natured attempts to befriend him, he refused any of it. After being kidnapped by his own father and held hostage, Helmeppo disowned his father and started changing, becoming braver and less of a spoiled brat. Eventually, Koby and Helmeppo become close friends. In addition, Helmeppo also deeply cares for Koby, and he rushed to help him after being defeated by Luffy. After Koby had been captured by the Blackbeard Pirates, Helmeppo wanted to go save his friend as soon as possible, pleading with his superiors to do so. Sakazuki Koby seems to have a great fear of Fleet Admiral Sakazuki. He and Helmeppo were terrified when they witnessed him executing a fellow Marine simply for abandoning his post. Also, after Koby’s speech about the lives of their comrades, Sakazuki was unmoved in the slightest and tried to kill him, only to be stopped by Shanks. This incident did not affect Koby's standing in the Marines, since he was promoted to the rank of Captain after Akainu's promotion to Fleet Admiral. X Drake Koby and X Drake seem to know each other due to their familiarity during their conversation by Den Den Mushi. They appear to have a trusted professional relationship due to Koby being one of the few people who is aware that Drake's return to piracy was a ruse, and he is still affiliated with the Marines as a commanding officer of the SWORD unit. Straw Hat Pirates Monkey D. Luffy Koby was one of the first people Luffy met on his journey. He traveled briefly with Luffy, acting as a temporary navigator after Luffy had helped him escape from his servitude to Alvida. He later joined the Marines following the incident with Captain Morgan. The two also encountered each other at Water 7. Although they are now on opposite sides and will inevitably have to fight, Koby and Luffy still consider each other friends, since Luffy helped Koby muster up the courage to become a Marine. They were both happy to see each other again at Water 7, though he was surprised to learn of Luffy's father. However, during the Battle at Marineford, Koby chose to fight Luffy only to be swiftly defeated by a punch to the face. Despite that, this has not damaged their friendship, as Koby still admires Luffy's strength. Koby would frequently speak praises of Luffy in front of the other Marines, such as X Drake, despite his status as an infamous pirate. After learning of the potentially world-ending ramifications of someone finding the One Piece, Koby decided that he couldn't allow Luffy to accomplish his dream.[22] Roronoa Zoro Koby also met Zoro while he was imprisoned in Captain Morgan's Marine base. At first, Koby was afraid of Zoro's bad reputation. However, after finding out Zoro had a kind personality, Koby started to admire him. Both of them were glad to see each other again at Water 7. However, Zoro acknowledged that Koby was better friends with Luffy than with himself. Enemies Alvida Pirates Koby was forced to serve as a chore boy under Alvida and her crew for two years after he had accidentally boarded their ship. Because of his cowardice, he would do whatever he was ordered to do without question. He was often mocked by the pirates in Alvida's crew. Alvida would often ask Koby who was the most beautiful woman in the world and, if he did not reply that she was, he would be punished. When Luffy showed up, he explained to Koby that he was willing to die for his dream. After Koby had realized that he should also be willing to die for his dream, he found the courage to openly defy Alvida and express his true feelings towards her. This angered Alvida, and she was about to kill Koby, but Luffy stepped in and quickly defeated her. Boa Hancock After the dissolution of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Koby was sent to capture Boa Hancock, who herself was preparing to fight back. He offered Hancock a peaceful solution, which is to surrender herself and come with the Marines just so the World Government will spare her people, only for her to angrily refuse and turn most of the Marines into stone, save for Koby. He seems currently unaware, however, of her affiliation with Luffy. Marshall D. Teach At some point during the timeskip, Koby temporarily joined forces with Blackbeard and Trafalgar Law against pirates from Hachinosu. This event became well-known as the Rocky Port Incident, where Koby prioritized the safety of civilians amidst all the fighting. According to Blackbeard, Koby helped him oust Ochoku and take over the island during the incident,[15] but the specific details of the battle are still unknown. As this was an alliance of convenience, Koby returned to being an enemy of both pirate captains after the battle was over. Koby was captured by Blackbeard and his crew after the invasion of Amazon Lily.[16] When Blackbeard held 800 Marine soldiers hostage against him, Koby surrendered and turned himself in to Teach in exchange for releasing the Marine hostages. Seeing value in the Marine captain, Blackbeard intended to use Koby to negotiate with the government to legalize Hachinosu as a country for criminals, which Koby contemptuously rebuffed.[23] Abilities and Powers Initially, Koby was an ordinary boy without any real physical prowess or fighting skills (according to Alvida, his only asset was a measure of navigational knowledge).[1] He gained some fighting skills after he trained under Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, alongside Helmeppo, learning the Six Powers, surprising Luffy and Zoro with the amount of growth he'd undergone. After the two-year timeskip, Koby reached the rank of Captain, granting him command over lower-ranked Marines and charge of his own ship. In addition to this, at some point he became a member of the covert Marine squadron SWORD, who are granted enough free reign to take on missions normal Marines could not, including challenging any of the Four Emperors. Koby became regarded as a "Hero" because he protected civilians during the Rocky Port Incident.[15] During the Marines' invasion of Amazon Lily to arrest the former Warlord, Boa Hancock, Koby was one of the few people to not get petrified by her powers: a notable feat, as Vice Admiral Yamakaji and the Titanic Captains Catarina Devon and Vasco Shot were among the Marines and pirates to be petrified. After the Cross Guild placed bounties on Marines, Koby's was Beli 500,000,000, most notable as most Marine Captains are worth Beli 100,000,000. He also has some knowledge of swordsmanship, as he was seen practicing with Helmeppo and Bogard. physical abilities Due to his harsh training regimen under Garp as well as further gruesome training in his spare time, Koby has developed superhuman physical prowess and attributes, such as strength and speed, capable of pulling off one of the Six Powers techniques, Soru, momentarily surprising and kicking Luffy before he could react, as well as avoiding his punch. To make up for his complete lack of talent when he was still weak, as with his mentor and Kuzan, he would often use retired battleships as punching bags, often doing so every night after finishing training with Garp despite suffering the intense pain and continuously bleeding in his hands, all while not using Haki to build up punching power; at some point, like those powerful Marines, he became capable of caving in the armored hulls. After the two-year timeskip and mastering Six Powers, Koby displays more impressive physical prowess for a Marine Captain, showing himself to be an excellent swimmer, catching up, then redirecting a torpedo barehanded within seconds.[21] Most notably, he has proved himself to be strong and durable enough to be the last Marine standing up against the former Warlord, Boa Hancock, and the Emperor, Marshall D. Teach, having also been involved in somehow aiding the Emperor defeat former Rocks Pirate Ochoku. While on Hachinosu, despite still being chained to an iron ball and still recovering from the previous battle on Amazon Lily, Koby could free the captured people and escape from numerous pirates attacking him. A testament to his developing punching power, a Haki-enhanced punch was powerful enough to break apart Avalo Pizarro's island hand, a feat almost comparable to that of his mentor. In Episode of Luffy, he shattered a gigantic metal disk with a single punch and performed Six Powers techniques with great ease. Techniques Honesty Impact (実直拳骨オネスティインパクト, Onesuti Inpakuto?, literally meaning "Honest Fist"): Koby imbues his fist with Advanced-Grade Armament Haki Hardening and Emission before delivering a massively powerful punch with shockwaves that project forward. This was first seen being used to destroy Avalo Pizarro's island hand.[24] Non-Canon Techniques Hien Keri (飛燕蹴り, Hien Keri?, lit. "Flying Swallow Kick"): Koby jumps into the air and flies towards the enemy at an incredibly high speed, creating a massive shockwave. This technique is used in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4. It is called Swallow Kick in the English release. Shin Ashi (震脚, Shin Ashi?, lit. "Quake Leg"): Koby jumps into the air and does a heavy stomp onto the ground to create a shockwave, allowing his Marine allies to start shooting at the enemy. This technique is used in Pirate Warriors 4. It is called Quake Stomp in the English release. Six Powers Main article: Six Powers After the timeskip, Koby is able to use all six of the Six Powers.[25] Initially unable to use any of them, his training with Garp taught him to use at least one, the Soru technique. He used Soru against Luffy twice: once during their encounter on Water 7 and once at the Summit War of Marineford, although the technique did not help him win either fight.[26][27] Whether or not he was able to use other techniques is unknown, though in One Piece: Gigant Battle! 2 New World and One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 he was also able to use the Geppo and Rankyaku techniques (though in the latter game this was the Koby from One Piece Film: Red, which at that point had already learned all of the six powers). In Episode of Luffy, he is shown to be able to use a technique similar to Rankyaku, but performed with his arms.[28] Haki Main article: Haki Armament Haki Koby is an extremely skilled Armament Haki user[12] and is capable of the advanced technique of Haki emission. He is strong enough to shatter Avalo Pizarro's gigantic island hand, which was roughly the size of a mountain. This feat sparked immediate astonishment from the Marines, SWORD members, and Blackbeard Pirates, some of whom were Devil Fruit users and combatants who fought powerful opponents.[24] Observation Haki During the Summit War of Marineford, Koby awakened Observation Haki and could hear in his head the voices of the combatants disappear as they were slain, which overwhelmed and sickened him.[20] Without meaning to, he could sense the presence of everyone around him.[29] After the timeskip, Koby had developed his Observation Haki to a very advanced level.[30] He was able to notice a torpedo headed towards the Dressrosa-Prodence Kingdom ship underwater from his own ship a ways off, shocking Helmeppo, who did not notice it despite his own Observation Haki. On top of that, Koby also managed to sense Kyros' great strength despite just meeting him.[21] History Past Koby was born eighteen years ago in the East Blue within the Satsuruzo Kingdom.[7] At age 14, while on a fishing trip, he accidentally boarded a ship with the Alvida Pirates. Defenseless and terrified, Koby effectively became a slave to the pirates (who kept him alive mainly for his navigational knowledge) on their island hideout. Here, he endured constant menial labor and beatings, particularly from Alvida herself, who often used her mace to force him into flattering her beauty and power. Over time he grew resentful of all pirates, developing dreams of escaping and becoming a Marine, and so began building an escape boat in secret.[31] After the newspaper announced that Bartholomew Kuma had been chosen as a new Warlord of the Sea, Alvida asked Koby whether she or Kuma were stronger, to which Koby replied that she was.[32] East Blue Saga Romance Dawn Arc Two years into his plight, after a seemingly routine day cleaning Alvida's ship and enduring the pirates' abuse, Koby retrieved a barrel that had washed ashore, unaware it actually contained Monkey D. Luffy (who had hidden inside to survive a whirlpool). Thinking the barrel held alcohol, senior pirates Heppoko, Peppoko, and Poppoko seized it, only for Luffy to burst out. In the ensuing confusion, Luffy was knocked into the nearby woods, where Koby followed; after introductions, Luffy asked for a boat, and Koby presented his self-made escape boat, admitting he no longer had the courage to use it himself.[31] Unimpressed, Luffy declared his dream to become Pirate King or die trying. Moved by Luffy's resolve, Koby began voicing his own dream, only faltering when Alvida emerged and destroyed the boat. Thinking Luffy was a bounty hunter hired to capture her, Alvida demanded Koby reaffirm his loyalty, only for Luffy to casually defy her and her vanity. Following Luffy's example, Koby swallowed his fears and joined in the insults. He stood firm as the enraged Alvida prepared to kill him, but Luffy blocked Alvida's mace with his rubber body and defeated her with a single punch. Luffy then exacted a new boat from Alvida's men, taking Koby on as his first traveling companion. As they set off to sea, Koby was concerned about what Luffy's fate in the Grand Line would be, and Luffy said he would recruit a strong crew starting with the bounty hunter Roronoa Zoro.[31] With Koby navigating, the pair reached Shells Town, where Zoro had been imprisoned by the Marines' 153rd Branch. Though Koby was initially terrified by Zoro's reputation, they soon realized the town was actually under threat from the tyrannical Captain Morgan and his son Helmeppo, who had unjustly imprisoned Zoro for defying them to save a girl named Rika. Helmeppo then came into the village, mentioning to Luffy how he planned to execute Zoro in three days despite giving Zoro a chance at freedom, and Koby watched as Luffy punched him for dishonestly imprisoning Zoro.[33] Koby held Luffy back from attacking Helmeppo further and grew worried as Helmeppo went away and promised revenge. Luffy went to go recruit Zoro, and a little while later, Koby went to free Zoro because he wanted to uphold real justice as a Marine. He was shot in the shoulder by a Marine,[34] but decided to stay and continue freeing Zoro. Koby revealed Helmeppo's deception to Zoro and said that Luffy had attacked Helmeppo because of this. Suddenly, the two of them were surrounded by Marines. The Marines shot at Koby and Zoro, but they were suddenly shielded by Luffy, whose rubber body shot the bullets back, and Koby fainted after seeing this.[35] He came to soon afterward, only to see the Marines charging at them with swords. However, Luffy freed Zoro, and the two pirates took out the Marines. As Luffy fought Morgan, Koby called for him to defeat the Marines, and was shocked as Morgan sliced an entire fence in two with his axe hand. Koby watched as Luffy overwhelmed Morgan, but he was held at gunpoint by Helmeppo in an attempt to stop Luffy. Koby said he was not afraid of death and watched as Luffy punched Helmeppo while Zoro struck Morgan down.[36] To Koby's surprise, the Marines then celebrated their captain's defeat. Koby, Luffy, and Zoro then went to Rika's mother's restaurant, and Koby reflected that Luffy and Zoro were the first friends he made. The Marines then came in and asked Luffy and Zoro to leave the island since they were pirates, and they asked if Koby was with them. Koby denied it, but Luffy started telling the Marines about his past with Alvida. This caused Koby to punch Luffy, and the two got into a fight, but as they were broken up, Koby knew that Luffy did that to distance the two of them and allow him to join the Marines. He then asked to join the Marines, and although they were aware of his past, they agreed to his request. As Luffy and Zoro prepared to sail away, Koby came and saluted them in thanks, and to his surprise he was joined by the rest of the Marines as they thanked Luffy and Zoro for their actions.[37] Diary of Koby-Meppo After joining the Marines, Koby and Helmeppo started out as Marine chore boys at the 153rd Branch in Shells Town.[38] The two were later tasked with chore duty on a ship transferring the prisoner Morgan. As Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp was taking Morgan into his custody, Morgan caught Garp off-guard and slashed him before taking Helmeppo hostage.[39] Morgan fled on a small boat with his hostage and the Marines prepared to fire on the small vessel. However, Koby, not willing to let them kill his friend, scared them away with a gun. Bogard sliced Koby's guns into pieces, but Garp stepped in before the two could continue fighting. Though Morgan escaped,[40] the bravery shown by the two earned them the attention of Garp, who took the two under his wing as pupils.[41] Koby and Helmeppo accompanied the vice admiral to Marineford to train under him.[42] Despite the harsh training under Garp, Koby continued to force himself to train even harder in his spare time by punching retired battleships non-stop due to acknowledging his complete lack of talent in fighting. He would persist in this brutal training method despite the intense pain and bleeding.[43]

Updated September 23, 2026