153rd Branch

The 153rd Branch operates out of Shells Town and governs its slice of the East Blue as the seat of the 153rd Marine division. It first appears very early in the series, during the Romance Dawn storyline, and is closely tied to the structure Oda laid out for how the Marines organize their regional outposts.

For three years the base functioned as a private fiefdom rather than a lawful garrison. After being promoted on the strength of supposedly capturing the notorious Kuro, Morgan climbed to the rank of Captain and let the fame rot him, terrorizing both the branch and the town it was meant to protect. His son Helmeppo gleefully joined in the abuse. That reign ended when Luffy and Zoro arrived and beat Morgan down, leading to his dismissal and the transfer of command to Commander Ripper. The base later returned to ordinary duty, and during the two-year timeskip Ripper rose to officer rank while a girl named Rika signed on as a waitress.

Morgan stood as the corrupt former Captain and base commander before his discharge and subsequent escape from custody, his whereabouts left unknown. Ripper inherited leadership as the active commander, supported by the lieutenant junior grade Rokkaku and the seaman recruit Ukkari. The most consequential figures were the two chore boys, Koby and Helmeppo, who both left to train under Vice Admiral Garp after the imprisoned Morgan was handed over and managed to flee during the transfer. The anime altered one detail, staging the execution of Kuro's impostor at this base in a scene mirroring Zoro's own near-execution there.