Karma is an octopus fish-man and captain of the Takotopus Pirates, a notorious New World crew that fell under the Whitebeard Pirates. A six-armed swordsman, he answered the call to fight at Marineford for the sake of Ace.
Karma's most striking feature is the large dark pink octopus perched atop his head, paired with the six arms branching from his body. Unlike fellow octopus fish-men such as Hatchan and Octopako, those arms carry no suckers and his mouth is not elongated. A red dot marks the center of his forehead, a black goatee frames his jaw, and he dresses in a striped shirt with torn sleeves, a pirate's sash, and baggy trousers. Three decades earlier he went without the goatee and wore a shirt bearing the stylized kanji for karma.
In his earlier years Karma was a ruthless figure who trafficked in people, going so far as to try and sell Kouzuki Toki for profit, though whether he kept up that trade after joining Whitebeard is uncertain. His bond with his new crew runs deep, evident in the way he calls Whitebeard Pops and in his willingness to ride to Marineford to rescue Ace.
A feared and infamous pirate, Karma built his reputation across the New World and earned his place beside the Whitebeard Pirates, surviving the great war without serious wounds. A veteran of more than thirty years at sea, he is a fish-man who breathes underwater and carries at least ten times the strength of an ordinary person, almost certainly above even the average fish-man. His many arms let him fight with six sabers at once, in the manner of Hatchan's sword style, and the anime depicted him crossing blades with Kouzuki Oden, hinting at real skill. His past as a kidnapper ended when Oden, mistaken for an umibozu, scared off his crew, and Whitebeard later knocked him out cold before bringing the Takotopus Pirates into his fold. At Marineford he struck at the Marines, briefly doubted Whitebeard after Squard's betrayal, then renewed his loyalty and joined the others in shielding Luffy after Akainu killed Ace.

When I first decided to commit to watching One Piece seriously, I knew I was embarking on one of anime's longest and most beloved series. With over 100...

The transformation everyone knows, the follow-up question nobody would touch. Why we made a smooth R&B track about the golden glow Dragon Ball never talks about....
Karma is an octopus fish man and captain of the Takotopus Pirates, a notorious New World crew that later fell under the command of the Whitebeard Pirates. A six armed swordsman, he joined the fight at Marineford to try to save Ace.
The octopus headed pirate in One Piece is Karma, who commands the Takotopus Pirates. His six arms let him fight with six sabers at once, in the manner of Hatchan's sword style.
After Whitebeard defeated Karma and put an end to his crew's kidnapping activities, he brought the Takotopus Pirates into the Whitebeard Pirates' fold. Karma grew to call Whitebeard Pops and fought at Marineford to help rescue Ace.
Karma's most striking feature is the large dark pink octopus perched atop his head, along with six arms that branch from his body. Unlike other octopus fish men, his arms carry no suckers and his mouth is not elongated.
In his earlier years, Karma was a ruthless pirate who trafficked in people, even attempting to sell Kouzuki Toki for profit. His crew's activities ended after Kouzuki Oden, mistaken for an umibozu, scared them off, and Whitebeard later defeated Karma and absorbed his crew.
Looking for more on Karma? The One Piece Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the One Piece anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:
Official resources:
Daddy Jim Headquarters maintains this encyclopedia. If you spot an error, a translation issue, or something that doesn't look right, let us know.