Avast, me hearties! When it comes to matters o’ piratical power scalin’, there be heated debates from here to the furthest islands off the Grand Line! Many a pirate claims to be the “World’s Strongest”, but who has truly earned to the lofty title? While the seas of One Piece are host to all manner of mighty men capable of manhandlin’, only a handful of swashbucklers can boast to be the most braulic of all. Unlike the fabled One Piece itself, we’ve found the sea’s most formidable fighters, and arranged them neatly in a list. Here they are, the 10 most powerful pirates in One Piece, ranked.
10. Dracule Mihawk
Dracula Mihawk is a grand master swordsman capable of eclipsing all others, due in no small part to the fact the he possesses one of the few Supreme Grade swords in all of existence – Yoru. It’s the size of crucifix hanging in a cathedral, honed to atom-splitting sharpness. I struggle to think of an object that Mihawk hasn’t been able to cut – fleets of pirate ships, island sized icebergs, his opponents hopes – all been reduced to ribbons by the World’s Strongest Swordsman’s might. Remember when he beat Zoro with a knife the size of a pinky finger? Embarrassing. Like his blade, Mihawk’s skills have only sharpened as the series has progressed.
9. Silvers Rayleigh
Silvers Rayleigh served as the first mate of the mighty Gol D. Roger, the greatest pirate who ever lived (until a certain rubber boy with undiagnosed ADHD steals the title away). Called the “Dark King” by his friends and foes alike, Silvers was a master of all three types of Haki – able to go toe to toe with the fiercest of Marine Admirals even in his old age. Rayleigh was even able to intimidate Blackbeard into retreating from a fight, causing ol’ Eddy Teach to depart from the island of Amazon Lily after he had set his sights on invading it. And speaking of impressive, have you seen Silvers with his shirt off? He might be in his twilight years, but he’s got the body of a 22 year old linebacker – abs you could grate cheese off of.
8. Charlotte LinLin (Big Mom)
A formidable pirate in her youth, Big Mom was able to establish a powerful family dynasty that allowed her to become one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. As the matriarch of the Charlotte family and the captain of the Big Mom Pirates, Charlotte LinLin is able to flex a staggering amount of muscle without ever having to lift a finger. I mean have you SEEN the Sweet Commanders? I’d rather fight 100 gorillas than Charlotte Katakuri. When Big Mom does decide to enter the fray, woe to anyone who stands against her. Aside from her immense mastery of Supreme King Haki and surprisingly powerful swordsmanship, Big Mom is able to the wielder of a Devil Fruit that allows her to steal people’s souls. And then she puts those souls in HATS that fight on her side? Who does that!?
7. Marshal D. Teach (Blackbeard)
Few pirates are capable of inspiring such dread as Blackbeard himself. Marshal D. Teach is one of the Four Emperors that rule over the New World, and commander of the elite fighting force The Blackbeard Pirates. If that wasn’t bad enough, Blackbeard is the only person in history known to wield not one – but TWO Devil Fruits. And the fruits in question? Easily some of the most horrifyingly powerful in the entire series. With the Yami-Yami no Mi, Blackbeard cab turn his body into a literal black hole that is able to suck anything in, and is able to use this ability to leech Devil Fruit powers away from those who possess them. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s now in possession of a the Gura Gura no Mi, a seismic Devil Fruit that gives him the ability to crack continents in half. No fair.
6. Shanks
Of the Four Emperors, Red Haired Shank has the highest bounty of all – a staggering 4,048,900,000 berries. The World Government aren’t the only ones who see Shanks’ potential for destruction – Shanks’ former crew mate Buggy once said that the ginger haired hellbringer could be a contender for the next Pirate King. After all, Shanks learned from the best: Gol D. Roger himself. Shanks possesses some of the most potent Haki power in all of One Piece – the sheer pressure of his Supreme King Haki has forced formidable foes to give up without a fight. It’s important to note that even after losing an arm, Shanks was still powerful enough to become one of the Four Emperors, and did so WITHOUT the use of Devil Fruit powers. He’s the only Emperor who hasn’t eaten a piece of perdition’s produce – his abilities are all his own.
5. Monkey D. Luffy
I can sense your outrage. Your indignation. Monkey D. Luffy, shonen protagonist extraordinaire and reincarnation of the One Piece equivalent of the messiah, reduced to the number four slot on this list? While Luffy’s recent Gear 5 transformation allowed him to turn the tides against Kaido, it’s not quite accurate to say that Luffy is stronger than the World’s Strongest Creature. Though Luffy is able to access power that allows him to imbue reality around him Looney Tunes physics, he didn’t defeat Kaido singlehandedly. Kaido was worn down by the combined might of the Worst Generation, allowing Luffy to deal a finishing blow with the full strength of his Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika Devil Fruit. But don’t fret, Luffy has yet to reach the pinnacle of his power. How do I know? Because One Piece isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, meaning that there will be greater power ups in Luffy’s future.
4. Kaido
Kaido’s title of World’s Strongest Creature isn’t a self-congratulatory epithet for the captain of the Beast Pirates – it’s a statement of fact. One of the Four Emperors of world, Kaido laid claim to his title through the help of the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu – a Mythical Zoan fruit that allows him to turn into a gargantuan flying dragon. Kaido’s dragon-fire blasts are capable of disintegrating mountains and sinking islands into the sea. If that wasn’t bad enough, Kaido is also capable of using the advanced form of all three types of Haki, and his Supreme King Haki is so strong that his aura alone is able to split clouds miles above his head. It took the combined force of Luffy and his most powerful companions to bring this beast to his knees.
3. Rocks D. Xebec
Rocks D. Xebec one of the most feared piratical figures in history, a man with the ambition to become King of the World and the ability to make it happen. A notoriously cruel man, Rocks and his pirate crew cut a swath of destruction through the old world before they were finally bested by the combined might of Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp – the strongest pirate and the strongest Marine to ever live. Though Rocks was finally defeated, his totalitarian ambitions were passed on through some of his subordinates, which at one time included future Emperors Kaido and Big Mom. Rocks D. Xebec was a murderous mentor to some of the mightiest members of this list, and few have surpassed him since.
2. Edward Newgate (Whitebeard)
Edward Newgate was once known as the World’s Strongest Man – one look at the guy and you’ll see that the moniker is no exaggeration. Whitebeard was a giant of a human being, who stood over 20 feet tall and was able to wield a naginata the size of a ship’s mast. Aside from possessing Murakumogiri – one of the twelve Supreme Grade Blades – White Beard was also the steward of the Gura Gura no Mi, a Devil Fruit that allows the user to split continents with seismic waves. In his physical prime, he was able to spar with Gol D. Roger for three days and three nights, and showed little sign of slowing down even as he aged. Whitebeard famously met his end after a combined force of pirates and Marines attacked him all at once. After being shot, stabbed, and pierced with dozens cannonballs, Whitebeard breathed his last breath standing on his own two feet, and his body refused to crumble even after his soul had left it.
1. Gol D. Roger
The one and only Pirate King, the legendary Gol D Roger was the mightiest pirate to ever fly the skull and crossbones. Despite having never possessed a Devil Fruit’s power, Roger earned the highest bounty in history – a whopping 5,564,800,000 berries. He strong enough to grapple with the World’s Strongest Man Edward Newgate, and defeat the legendary samurai Kouzuki Oden with one stroke of his sword. His greatest achievement? Finding the object for which One Piece is named – a legendary treasure fabled to sit at the end of the Grand Line. His cultural influence was equally monolithic, and singlehandedly began the Golden Age of Pirates after he confirmed the existence of the One Piece moments before his execution. A greater man there ne’er was.
(Featured Image: Toei)
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