Cavendish

Overview

Cavendish is a pirate in the series One Piece, serving as the captain of the Beautiful Pirates and the 1st ship commander of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. A former prince of the Bourgeois Kingdom, he is widely recognized by his epithets "Pirate Prince" and "Cavendish of the White Horse." Blessed with striking looks and extraordinary martial talent, he swept through the New World as a high-bounty rookie prior to the rise of the Worst Generation.

Appearance

Cavendish is a handsome man with long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. He wears a dark hat embellished with a large feather, along with a frilled white shirt and fitted trousers. He carries his signature weapon, Durandal, a straight, double-edged Western sword featuring a decorative knuckle guard.

Personality

Cavendish is an extreme narcissist who craves public attention above all else. He harbors a petty grudge against the Worst Generation for stealing his media fame, often taking out his irritation on their wanted posters. Despite his self-absorbed behavior, he possesses a strong knightly spirit. He despises treating life-or-death combat as mere entertainment and angrily defends the dignity of warriors. He also displays a gentlemanly side, showing genuine kindness to women in distress.

Abilities

Cavendish relies purely on natural talent rather than Devil Fruit powers, earning recognition as a genius swordsman. Capable of using Armament and Observation Haki, he executes various named techniques with his blade Durandal, including "Blue Bird" and "Swan Lake." When he falls asleep, his sleepwalking alter ego "Hakuba" awakens, doubling his fighting power and unleashing indiscriminate slashes at blinding speed. Through willpower, he can partially suppress Hakuba, combining the alter ego's swiftness with his own conscious control.

Background

Originally a prince of the Bourgeois Kingdom, Cavendish was exiled simply because his immense popularity prevented the kingdom's women from marrying. Sent away with money and followers, he became a pirate and achieved major fame in the New World three years prior. However, the Summit War and the emergence of the Worst Generation stole his spotlight, fueling his resentment. After participating in the Corrida Colosseum tournament in Dressrosa and being freed from a toy transformation, he fought against the Donquixote Family, ultimately pledging loyalty to the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

Relationships

Initially, Cavendish sought the life of Monkey D. Luffy for taking away his fame, but after fighting together, he joined his alliance as the 1st ship captain, enduring Luffy's nickname "Cabbage." He shows chivalry toward Nico Robin by giving her his coat to cover her injuries, and he protects Trafalgar D. Water Law while respecting his wish to remain on the battlefield. He also defended Rebecca from crowd insults, recruited Suleiman into his crew, and fought alongside Bartolomeo.

Trivia

Cavendish's concept is derived from the knight Roland from French epic literature, while his violent alter ego Hakuba is inspired by Jack the Ripper. Additionally, "Cavendish" is a well-known variety of banana. He is also one of the rare male pirates in the series who uses the softer personal pronoun "boku" in Japanese.