The Whitebeard Pirates were formerly one of the strongest pirate crews in the world, as their late captain, Whitebeard, was one of the only pirates to have ever been a match for the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, in a fight. Whitebeard’s crew was segmented into divisions, instead of all under their captain’s direct command. The crew had multiple subordinate crews operating in the New World, allowing the pirate crew to function as a massive pirate fleet.

Following the deaths of Whitebeard and Ace, the remaining members of the crew engaged the Blackbeard Pirates in the Payback War, which ended with the Blackbeard Pirates brutally defeating them, followed by conquering their former territories, with their admiral usurping Whitebeard’s position in the Four Emperors. As a result, the crew has lost most of its power and influence, and they disbanded.

After the timeskip, the remaining crew members and subordinate crews are being hunted down by Edward Weevil and his mother Bakkin, who proclaim themselves as their captain’s biological son and lover, to gain his fortune.