From following the misadventures of a silly stretchy pirate to fighting against a tyrannical government run by literal demons, One Piece‘s story has come a long way since its debut in Shonen Jump back in 1997. Along the way, not only has the series’ protagonist gradually grown stronger, but so also have those around him, crewmates and enemies included. From the Warlords to the Emperors of the Sea, One Piece is full of legendary, powerful faces everywhere you look, and these are the strongest pirates alive among them.
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Of course, even just counting those alive comes with a lot of ambiguity, as the fate of many powerhouses like Kaido, Big Mom, Law, and Kid is still a mystery. It would be close to impossible to list and rank every powerful pirate, dead and alive, as for one, there are far too many. Secondly, such a ranking would be completely dominated by the same old names and faces at the top, such as Roger, Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom, and honestly, there’s no fun in that. There’s also the fact that the abilities of many, like Joyboy and Rocks D. Xebec, are still unknown, with their strength being left up to legend. All things considered, these are One Piece’s most powerful pirates alive.
10) Aokiji/Kuzan
From representing the might of the Navy and almost becoming the Fleet Admiral to becoming a ship captain of an Emperor of the Sea, Kuzan may just have one of the wildest journeys in One Piece. However, if there’s one thing that hasn’t changed, it’s that Kuzan still remains just as much of an enemy of the Straw Hats.
As for his strength, the entire island of Punk Hazard speaks as to the widespread destruction Kuzan’s Chilly Chilly Fruit can wreak. Meanwhile, his recent battle against Garp and the fact that he was able to defeat the legendary Hero of the Marines prove his combat abilities aren’t to be taken lightly either, especially with the former Marine Admiral being a master of both Observation Haki and Armament Haki.
9) “Black Leg” Sanji
Even setting aside his recently awakened Germa lineage, the Straw Hats’ beloved chef is one of the strongest combatants of the Straw Hat crew, making up the monster trio of the crew alongside Zoro and Luffy. What makes Sanji’s fighting style truly impressive is how he refuses to use his hands for fear of being unable to use them to cook, though this restriction does not hold him back in the slightest, be it in terms of power or speed. In fact, as seen quite recently in One Piece’s anime, Sanji was even able to block a light-speed attack by Kizaru with nothing but his foot.
In terms of skills, Sanji possesses both Observation Haki and Armament Haki. It is debated whether or not he could also possess Conqueror’s Haki, though it’s likely he could awaken it in the Final Saga under the right conditions.
8) Dracule Mihawk
As the first-ever Warlord that the Straw Hats encounter in the series, Mihawk certainly left a strong impression that persists to this day. Rumored as Shanks’ biggest rival at one time, Mihawk still holds on firmly to his title as the World’s Strongest Swordsman, which he would go on to defend during the Paramount War.
After the disbandment of the Warlords, it’s undeniable that Mihawk’s return to pirate status is exciting, even if he has been sidelined for an incredibly long time. That said, other than defeating a young, naive Zoro and slicing some frozen tsunamis at Marineford, fans have seen little else of Mihawk in action, putting him at the lower end of the most powerful pirates on the seas in One Piece.
7) Alber/King
Of all the foes Zoro has faced on the seas so far, King is easily the toughest one yet, proven by the fact that Zoro’s battle against King on Onigashima nearly drove him to his death. Besides his powerful Ancient Zoan devil fruit, King’s Lunarian heritage makes him nearly invincible, save for the small window of time during which the flame on his back goes out. The fact that King’s Lunarian genes were used to create the devastatingly powerful Seraphim also proves just how strong he is, which may very well be one of the main reasons his race was driven to extinction.
6) Scopper Gaban
For much of the series, Scopper Gaban has been a mystery. Other than the fact that he was Roger’s left-hand man, fans knew little else about Gaban, that is, until the Elbaf Arc. Also known as the “Mountain Eater” for having levelled the mountains of Elbaf, Gaban may look like an old man in the present day, but much like Rayleigh, he is not to be underestimated.
As seen in the various flashbacks in One Piece so far, Gaban is known for his expertise with double axes, which he wields just as fiercely as any sword. The Elbaf Arc has also confirmed that Gaban possesses Future Sight, extremely advanced Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror’s Haki, making him quite the beast.
5) “Dark King” Silvers Rayleigh
While their legendary captain could not make it onto the list himself, this list would be incomplete without mentioning Roger’s right-hand man, “Dark King” Silvers Rayleigh. Even though Rayleigh hasn’t been seen in action since the Wano Arc when he clashed against Blackbeard and the Marines, even the little fans have seen so far are enough to convince one of Rayleigh’s strengths, even when he is long past his prime.
As Luffy’s mentor during the timeskip, it’s no surprise that Rayleigh is a master of all three forms of Haki and even their most complicated applications, and his ability to go up against the likes of Kizaru, as seen on Sabaody, proves the Straw Hats should be glad to have him as an ally rather than a foe.
4) Roronoa Zoro
As Luffy’s right-hand man as well as a member of the Worst Generation alongside him, Zoro has always been the strongest Straw Hat after Luffy himself, despite what Sanji may say. The Wano Arc in particular unlocked Zoro’s true potential through his fight against King, which finally saw him master using Enma.
Furthermore, while the anime has been coy about it so far, One Piece’s Elbaf Arc has finally outright confirmed that Zoro possesses Conqueror’s Haki, and once he masters using it, there may truly be nothing standing between him and his dream of becoming the World’s Strongest Swordsman.
3) Marshall D. Teech/Blackbeard
From landing the final blow on Whitebeard, a former Emperor, to wiping out the Heart Pirates, taking over Pirate Island, and becoming an Emperor of the Sea himself, Blackbeard has many great feats under his belt. If this weren’t already enough to solidify his position as one of One Piece’s strongest, Blackbeard also remains the only character to wield two devil fruits at once, and two very powerful ones at that.
The Marineford Arc has already shown fans the destructive power of the Quake-Quake Fruit, on top of which the Dark Dark Fruit has seemingly endless applications, which, together with Blackbeard’s special lineage and haki, make him quite the dangerous wild card.
2) Shanks
Despite not having a powerful devil fruit, Shanks continues to be regarded as one of the most powerful pirates in One Piece. Shanks more than easily makes up for his lack of a devil fruit with his powerful haki, which includes Armament Haki, Future Sight, and, of course, Conqueror’s Haki.
One Piece Volume 4 Billion, which was released at the time of Film: Red, also interestingly referred to Shanks as the “Observation Haki Killer,” adding another deadly counter skill to his long list of combat abilities. Overall, although fans have seen little of Shanks in action since his recent fight against Captain Kid, there’s no doubt he’s much more dangerous and powerful than he seems, with many more cards up his one sleeve.
1) Monkey D. Luffy
While Luffy’s strength might have still been debatable before the Wano Arc, since awakening Gear Five at Onigashima, there’s no longer any doubt that Luffy is currently the most powerful pirate in One Piece. If not for the fact that the series has yet to reveal the full capabilities of Joyboy, Imu, and the Five Elders, Luffy could also very well be considered the strongest character in the entire series.
Granted, Gear Five still has one glaring weakness, which is the toll it takes on Luffy’s body. However, this is but a small drawback when compared to the Nika Fruit’s seemingly limitless powers that even defy the rules of physics and logic. Add to this the fact that Luffy not only possesses Future Sight that surpasses Katakuri but has also mastered Armament Haki and Ryuo, which he is able to freely use alongside Conqueror’s Haki as seen on Onigashima. All that’s left is for Luffy to learn the key to defeating the immortal Five Elders and Holy Knights and he’s sure to be completely unstoppable.
Which One Piece pirates do you like the most? Do you feel this list is missing anybody, or have we perhaps underestimated the glory of our lord and savior Buggy? Let us know in the comments below!
One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
