One Piece is an epic tale about many things but at its core, you could say it’s simply the story of a young boy getting stronger and stronger so that he can become King of the Pirates. As he gets closer than ever to the end of his journey, over the past 25 or so years, the series has shown us some ridiculous strength.
To rank on a One Piece strength list, you have to be able to destroy a town or compromise an entire army in one movement. The mention of your name should strike utter terror into the opposing side because they know they are now truly f**ked.
There are quite a few people in the world of One Piece who are ridiculously strong, but a few notable candidates I left out because the exact nature of their power is still too enigmatic—namely, Imu and Monkey D. Dragon, who we have never seen fight onscreen (or on-page).
10. Gol D. Roger
We’ve seen exactly how devastatingly powerful Whitebeard was in battle during the events of Marineford. But Gol D. Roger went up 1-on-1 against Whitebeard and ended in a draw before he went on to become King of the Pirates. While our glimpses of Roger have been brief, that information—and the fact that he was rivals with a young Garp—should tell you everything you need to know to back up the Pirate King’s formidable reputation.
9. Saint Jaygarcia Saturn (and the other Five Elders)
If you’re an anime watcher, there’s not much that I can say here without spoilers. And if you’re a manga reader, our understanding of these evil authoritarian freaks is changing by the week. So suffice it to say, we have seen the Five Elders for some time, simply debating world events from their literal ivory tower. We thought they were just pompous assholes. But they’re not the simple, bigoted old white guys they appear to be. They are something far scarier.
8. Boa Hancock
Aside from Luffy, Boa Hancock is the strongest example in all of One Piece of a perfect synergy between a Devil Fruit eater and their given power. Boa Hancock’s power petrifies people who become enthralled or lustful of the user, and because Hancock is the so-called “most beautiful woman in the world,” this means she can wipe out entire armies in mere moments. Never forget that Hancock managed to compromise several of Blackbeard’s chief officers, while also having an entire Navy platoon in her grasp … easily. And girl’s nimble as hell, too.
7. Monkey D. Garp
As Luffy’s eccentric Navy hot-shot grandpa, Garp has been in One Piece since its earliest chapters/episodes. But it’s only quite recently—during Egghead—that we got the chance to see Garp get serious in action. And my god, if a single punch from old man Garp is capable of eviscerating an entire portion of a town, a younger Garp in his prime would truly be terrifying. Garp does not have a Devil Fruit power, either. This is simply a man who trained by using entire battleships as punching bags.
6. Dracule Mihawk
Until Zoro inevitably defeats him at some point in the future, Dracule Mihawk is known as the World’s Greatest Swordsman. We know how scary Zoro is—Zoro is at the point where he can slice through a hurricane. But Mihawk is somehow even better. He’s the one Zoro has to beat, a man who can slice through a ship without breaking a single sweat, and whose Haki abilities are on par with one of the Four Emperors.
5. Big Mom
It took two of the brightest stars in the Worst Generation to bring down Big Mom, and that should tell you a lot about how tough she is (was? is?). An ex-emperor with a Devil Fruit power that gives her control over people’s souls, Big Mom is (was??) strong as hell, incredibly difficult to topple, and essentially a walking natural disaster when she gets her hunger pangs.
4. Kaido
Until his defeat by Luffy at Onigashima, Kaido was widely renowned as the Strongest Creative Alive. He actively tried to kill himself or find someone who could—but could never succeed due to the ridiculous nature of his own brute strength. And if his built-as-hell human form is (was??) intimidating, his Dragon Devil Fruit form can level towns in an instant. It took the entire Azakaya samurai team, nearly half of the Worst Generation, and Gear 5 Luffy to defeat this guy.
3. Marshall D. Teach
Marshall D. Teach, AKA Blackbeard, is shaping up to be Luffy’s final boss in One Piece. He would be a formidable boss indeed. The man has not just one, but two Devil Fruit powers: Darkness, which seems to swallow environments whole, and the Quake-Quake Fruit that Whitebeard wrecked absolute hell with at Marineford. Add to this Blackbeard’s crew’s mysterious abilities to steal Devil Fruit powers, and Blackbeard is without a doubt one of the most formidable forces in the New World.
2. Monkey D. Luffy
We’ve watched Luffy get steadily stronger and stronger for 25 years. But when his Devil Fruit awakened to give him Gear 5, Luffy’s strength catapulted nearly off the charts. Our beautiful boy beat the Strongest Creative Alive and is now able to keep the upper hand in the fight against facing enemies who gave him trouble two years ago. The fact that Gear 5 operates on ridiculous cartoon logic essentially means that Luffy can do just about anything—as long as you feed him.
1. Shanks
Depending on who you talk to, the final boss of One Piece won’t be Blackbeard—it will be Shanks. Hopefully, he’s an ally, because if any single person could out-perform Luffy (or Blackbeard), it’s Shanks. Shanks was the focal point of One Piece‘s very first chapter but we’ve only seen him fight twice, both recently: in Red (non-canonically), in which he somehow matched Kizaru’s speed of light, and in the Egghead arc, when he—in one absurdly fast, decisive movement—. His Haki is off the charts, his strength is ridiculous. He’s the guy to surpass.
(featured image: Toei Animation)
