A family man through and through, Capone ‘Gang’ Bege is one of the older Worst Generation pirates. While he doesn’t get a whole lot of action before the time skip, Bege becomes a masterful manipulator of the events in Whole Cake Island. So, what makes this gangster such a threat on the Grand Line, and where did Gang Bege make his start?
Warning that this article contains spoilers for One Piece through chapter 1099. Catch up on Viz or MangaPlus before continuing on to avoid spoilers!
Who is Capone ‘Gang’ Bege?
One of the Worst Generation captains that enters the Grand Line along the Straw Hats, Bege is one of the most vicious. He’s not outright violent like some others, but his work is often more in the shadows. Things still get very bloody though, and Capone ‘Gang’ Bege himself is known for carrying out his own hits. Not only does he constantly try to outdo himself with his various assassination plans, but he thinks that if he’s more likely to die, things will be more exciting.
Surprisingly, he’s a lot more than a Don Vito Corleone stereotype from The Godfather. Not that he doesn’t take a lot of inspiration from the old mob film. Bege is more of a well-rounded character, with a softer side when it comes to his family and a deep devotion to his crew. He’ll do whatever it takes to carry out his plan, and may die in the process, but Bege won’t let anyone he loves see harm.
Firetank Pirates
Bege’s crew, the Firetank Pirates, are some of the most resilient sailors on the Grand Line. Fiercely loyal to the Godfather himself, Bege’s men will readily take up arms whether it be on the ground or from within their captain’s fortress. Every one of them is an expert in siege-style warfare, and combined with Bege’s Castle-Castle Fruit, is a small army on and off themselves.
While the Firetank Pirates aren’t the strongest of crews, they do end up taking a place in the Big Mom Pirates after some time in the Grand Line. This gives them a major boost to their name, already infamous. because of their own doings, and makes them more dangerous. It’s more of a testament to the pirates themselves that they follow their captain through any insane plot, no matter how suicidal it may be.
Castle-Castle Fruit
By far the most powerful part of Bege’s arsenal, the Castle-Castle Fruit makes him a living fortress. Even as he looks like his normal self, this Paramecia Type Devil Fruit allows him to function as a castle inside. Others can enter, wandering through the stone walls and multiple rooms. Bege himself can appear inside the castle too, going into a sort of autopilot on the outside as he takes care of business inside. He’s like the self-driving car of One Piece.
Except his car comes with a ton of weapons, and tank treads that can flatten anything in his path. The crew that rides inside the castle can fire off cannons and other artillery, while Bege can actually grow guns that he can shoot on his own. If he needs an extra edge in battle though, he can turn into the Big Father, a massive castle form that gives him a huge bump in both attack and defense. Bigger guns, bigger treads, and much, much bigger explosions follow when Big Father comes out.
Entering the Grand Line
The Firetank Pirates start out in the West Blue, where Bege is one of the Five Fathers, major crime bosses that control this sea. While the Marines and World Government of course have a presence there, if the East Blue was as corrupt as it was, it’s not hard to see West Blue becoming that too. Bege got a little too big for the West Blue though, and decided to set out in search of more on the Grand Line. Just like everyone else, they’re simultaneously chasing the One Piece, but Bege takes things at a more leisurely pace.
The Firetank Pirates come into the Grand Line right around the same time as the Straw Hats. Bege has a bounty before he comes into the Grand Line of course, but by the time he starts hitting the islands in Paradise. The bounty he earns through the Grand Line’s first half turns him into one of the Worst Geneeration, and sets him up for further infamy throughout the story.
Sabaody Incident
During the Sabaody Incident, Bege is present to see everything explode into chaos. He knows when he’s outmatched though, and while he does plow through a few Marines on his way out, Bege gathers his crew and zooms out. It’s honestly a hilarious scene too, because at the time he wasn’t nearly as known, so seeing him pop out tank treads and just scram from the Archipelago is stupidly funny.
Bege goes on the run from Sabaody, but enters the New World to make his mark. While he makes his way through the New World relatively fine for a while, he later comes across a golden opportunity. The Firetank Pirates are going to pledge an allegiance to one of the Emperors of the Sea, and it’s going to bring much more trouble than they think.
Charlotte Chiffon and Capone Pez
Probably the last thing Bege expects to find when infiltrating the Big Mom Pirates is true love and a family. He entrenches himself with the Big Mom Pirates by taking her daughter Charlotte Chiffon. The twin sister of Charlotte Lola, a friend of the Straw Hats from Thriller Bark, Chiffon is every bit like her sister. Chiffon and Bege get married, and soon enough really fall in love with each other. Not long after, the two end up bringing another into their big happy family.
Capone Pez is born about a year into the time skip, and Bege never knew what love was before these two. His son is the spitting image of Bege, right down to the pacifier cigar, and the Father plans to bring up his son in the Family. Although he’s still incredibly dangerous in how he carries out his plans, Bege loves his family more than anything, and will absolutely kill to protect them.
Straw Hat Alliance
Eventually, that drive to protect his family leads to the alliance with the Straw Hat Pirates. He knows that Luffy is one of the strongest forces in the New World, especially after seeing what he did in Dressrosa. Their initial meeting around Zou may have been a total coincidence, but it places the thought in Bege’s head that the Straw Hats could be very useful to have. It works out in his favor when they end up coming after Sanji when he goes with the Big Mom Pirates. He approaches them, along with his newest crewmember Caesar Clown, and proposes that Luffy help them to bring down the Emperor.
Of course, as everyone else learns when making a plan with Luffy, the plan is irrelevant. There’s no way the Straw Hat Captain can stick to a plan, and it’s been a running theme throughout the New World. Everything goes off the rails, leading Bege to lure Big Mom away from the Straw Hats as they escape before taking his own family away from the Emperor’s danger. Everything works thanks to a combination of Luffy’s strength, Bege’s determination, and the baking skills of Sanji, Pudding, and Chiffon.
Where is Bege Now?
While he parts ways with the Straw Hats after the escape from Totto Land, Bege’s adventures aren’t over yet. In the manga, he gets a cover story called “Bege’s Oh My Family!”. This covers his flight from the area in Totto Land, getting his family out of there, and eventually meeting up with Charlotte Lola, the twin sister of his wife Chiffon. They get there just in time too, because Lola finally found herself a husband, and they’re getting hitched!
Following Lola’s wedding there are still more surprises in store for the Firetank Pirates. Pound, the father of Lola and Chiffon who bravely risked himself to save the Firetank Pirates, is really alive. The daughters are notably a little wary because he’s kind of a weird guy, but there’s a rather happy family reunion. Finally, after all these years, Bege’s actions have brought together his entire family in one happy home.
Bege is lying low now after the massive chaos in Totto Land, and everything is happy for the time being. There’s no way it’s going to be a happy peaceful life of course, and the Grand Line, as well as the whole world, teetering on the edge of chaos. Bege and his Firetank Pirates will be needed eventually alongside the Straw Hat Fleet, following up on their alliance for the final battle.
