Seven Warlords of the Sea

The Seven Warlords of the Sea (王下七武海, Ōka Shichibukai), also referred as the Seven Warlords (七武海, Shichibukai), is a group that appears in the Shōnen Jump's One Piece series created by Hiroyuki Nakano and Eiichiro Oda. They act as both friends and enimies.

They were a group of seven powerful and notorious pirates allied to the World Government, in exchange for certain benefits. As a group, they were one of the Three Great Powers that kept the world in balance. They were permitted to retain every/any thing that they have.

However, after two members had each attempted to perform a coup on a public country (with the latter member succeeding) as well as commit genocide, they were stripped of their titles and Marine Admiral Fujitora led a campaign to remove the Seven Warlords system.

He achieved this goal during the most recent Levely, as the council of rulers voted to abolish the system; the five remaining Warlords at the time immediately had their bounties unfrozen and became enemies of the World Government once again.

"The Seven Warlords of the Sea inhabit wild regions, and unlicensed pirates are easy targets for their marauding. The government allows the Seven Warlords to raid the seas in return for a cut of their haul. Other pirates call them "government dogs". But they're tough!!!"
 * —Yosaku, explaining about the Seven Warlords.

Affiliated Allies

 * World Government (former)

During the Timeskip
A pirate who killed Z's group of Marine trainees and took Z's arm was invited to become a Warlord. It is unknown if he actually accepted it or not.

Within the next two years, the World Government filled its three open Warlord positions.

The Supernova Trafalgar Law was accepted as a Warlord of the Sea after he sent the hearts of 100 pirates. The other vacant position was occupied by Edward Weevil, a man who claimed to be the biological son of Whitebeard.

3D2Y
World Government requested Seven Warlords's intervention on Byrnndi World and his crew. Boa Hancock, Buggy and Dracule Mihawk positively answered, facing the members and the captain of the World Pirates.

Return to Sabaody Arc
After two years, Kuma was relieved of his task to guard the Sunny by Franky. The heavily injured Warlord departed, now a mindless servant like the rest of the Pacifistas with no more free will left.

Hancock and her crew later picked Luffy up from his training and brought him back to Sabaody Archipelago. As the Straw Hats departed for Fish-Man Island, Hancock and her crew held back the Marines.

Punk Hazard Arc
Law took refuge in the island of Punk Hazard illegally, forming an alliance with Doflamingo's subordinates Caesar Clown and Monet. When the Straw Hat Pirates arrived on the island, Law asked to form an alliance with them in order to take down Kaido of the Four Emperors. Doing so would require them to take out Doflamingo's SMILE production that served Kaido by destroying the SAD Factory on Punk Hazard.

Despite being discovered by Caesar and his subordinates, and having to deal with one of Doflamingo's top officers Vergo, Law, the Straw Hats, and a the G-5 platoon led by Smoker and Tashigi successfully destroyed the SAD production and captured Caesar.

With Caesar as a hostage, Law gave Doflamingo the ultimatum to step down from the Seven Warlords if he wanted Caesar back. Doflamingo used his connections in the highest echelon of the World Government to manipulate the news to claim that he had left the Seven Warlords, despite not actually having done so.

Dressrosa Arc
With Doflamingo seemingly going along with their deal, Law and the Straw Hats went to Dressrosa not only to return Caesar, but to permanently cripple SMILE production by destroying the SMILE Factory on the island. However, Doflamingo revealed his deception, and Admiral Fujitora, who had been sent to assist him, revoked Law's Warlord title for working on equal terms with the Straw Hats.

However, Law revealed that he had only allied with the Straw Hats to take down Doflamingo to avenge his deceased mentor Corazon. After Law was defeated by Doflamingo, the Straw Hats joined with a dwarf militia to depose Doflamingo and destroy his SMILE Factory. They succeeded in liberating Dressrosa from Doflamingo's control by freeing all the people he had transformed into toys, forcing Doflamingo to trap everyone on the island and start a "game" to eliminate all of his enemies.

Due to his Warlord position, Fujitora was left unable to go against him despite his illegal activities, but the Straw Hats and Law gained enough support from the people on Dressrosa to battle and take down Doflamingo and his crew. When Doflamingo was finally defeated, he was arrested and put on a ship going to Impel Down. Law's bounty was raised, confirming his removal from the Seven Warlords.

Levely Arc
After Kuma finished his mission to protect the Thousand Sunny, he became a slave to the World Nobles.

Wano Country Arc
Mihawk was sitting in his castle as Perona learned from a newspaper that Moria was alive. As Perona was leaving, Mihawk mentioned an interesting topic that was brought up at the Levely.

During the Levely, due to the actions of Crocodile and Doflamingo having brought tragedy to two government-allied kingdoms, the representatives of the World Government's member nations voted to officially dissolve the Seven Warlords system. The remaining five Warlords had their statuses revoked. With the exception of Kuma who is under the custody of the World Nobles, the Marines deployed fleets to attack the fugitive Warlords of the Sea.

Etymology

 * The Japanese name for the Seven Warlords of the Sea literally means "Royal Seven Warriors (of the) Sea", while the Japanese abbreviation for the Seven Warlords literally means "Seven Military Seas".

Notes & Trivia

 * While Yosaku was accurate in describing their immense powers and alliance with the World Government, the shadowy silhouettes he imagined in his head bore no resemblance to the actual members, aside from Mihawk.
 * Their appearance on the cover of Chapter 532 was parodied in episode 240 of Gintama, where six of them made a silhouetted cameo, with Gintoki replacing Teach eating a cherry pie but holding his wooden sword instead of a gun.
 * The status of Warlord was offered to Portgas D. Ace, but he refused the offer. This is the only known time an invitation into the organization had been rejected.
 * In the non-canon anime special, 3D2Y: Overcome Ace's Death! Luffy's Vow to his Friends, it was said that the Seven Warlords were only established within the last 30 years prior to the current timeline.
 * In the game One Piece - Big Secret Treasure of the Seven Phantom Islands, Simon is said to be on the waitlist for the Warlords.
 * Although several Warlords have names based on real life pirates, none of them were privateers, the real life equivalent of the Seven Warlords.
 * Both Jimbei and Buggy had their offers to become Warlords delivered by black bats.
 * Teach was the only Warlord that did not have any formal or official bounty when joining the Seven Warlords.
 * Doflamingo and Hancock are the only known members who can use Conqueror's Haki.
 * In One Piece Color Walk 7 Tyrannosaurus, Oda revealed that he originally wanted to have Basil Hawkins join the Seven Warlords.
 * Marshall D. Teach and Trafalgar D. Water Law are the only members of the Seven Warlords of the Sea that have the initial D. in their names.
 * L aw and Teach were given official animal resemblances in the SBS, with Law resembling a spotted seal and snow leopard and Teach resembling a hippopotamus. The other Warlords of the Sea have not received official animal themes, but all but Buggy seem to have animal connections in their names and appearances: Mihawk with hawks, Crocodile with crocodiles, Doflamingo with flamingoes, Kuma with bears, Moria with geckos and bats, Hancock with snakes, Jinbe with whale sharks, and Weevil with weevils.
 * With the exception of Weevil, all others who have been members of the Seven Warlords were present during the Battle of Marineford.
 * In The 23rd Log, Oda affirmed that the Seven Warlords were the biggest responsible for One Piece's extended serialization. The series was originally supposed to have the Four Emperors as the main antagonistic force, but Oda felt the Seven Warlords were too cool to not add.

SBS-Based Trivia

 * In the SBS of Volume 63, Oda drew all the known Warlords at the time (including former members) as children (being Hancock the only one shown previously as such in Chapter 0). Trafalgar Law was not a Warlord then, but he was drawn as a child along with the rest of the Eleven Supernovas in the next SBS and his past was revealed. Buggy was not shown as a kid until Chapter 964. Weevil is the only Warlord who has not currently been shown as a child
 * In the SBS of Volume 76, Oda drew all the known Warlords at the time (including former members) as their opposite gender. Trafalgar Law was already drawn as a female along with the rest of the Eleven Supernovas in the SBS of Volume 72. Buggy and Weevil are the only Warlords that are yet to be drawn in the opposite gender.