In 2026, the One Piece manga is nearing the climax of the exciting Elbaf Arc, while the One Piece anime is set to begin its adaptation of the storyline later in the year. While the years may change, one thing that never does is the love fans have for discussing which characters are the strongest, with particular interest towards pirates and Marines still active and alive in the modern day.
These One Piece characters aren’t necessarily the strongest in the entire series, but they are the most powerful fighters still standing as of Chapter 1171. Importantly, this also does not include characters who have been implied to be incredibly strong, but who have never fought, such as Monkey D. Dragon and Figarland Shamrock.
Monkey D. Luffy is Still the Weakest of the True Emperors of the Sea
One Piece shirtless Gear 5 Monkey D. Luffy laughs with his eyes closedImage via Toei Animation
Monkey D. Luffy has come a long way since he was just a rubber boy in a barrel, having become one of the four Yonko and the spiritual reincarnation of Sun God Nika. Having developed Advanced Conqueror’s Haki and the logic-breaking power of Gear 5, Luffy possesses a level of attack potency beyond any Marine Admiral’s.
Where Luffy falls short is with his stamina, as he still can’t maintain Gear 5 long enough to actually finish a one-on-one fight with another top-tier fighter. He never would have defeated Kaido had the now-fallen Yonko not already been worn out by the Nine Red Scabbards, Zoro, Law, Kid, Killer, Momonosuke, and Yamato, especially as his physical strength still isn’t even up to par with any other Emperor, besides Buggy’s, of course, past or present.
Monkey D. Garp Can Still Fight On Par With Admirals, Even Past His Prime
Monkey D. Garp smiles widely as he looks at the viewer – One PieceImage via Toei Animation
In his prime, Monkey D. Garp was one of the strongest characters in One Piece history, fighting on the same level as Gol D. Roger and Rocks D. Xebec. While he’s grown weaker in his old age, the father of Monkey D. Dragon and grandfather of Monkey D. Luffy is still a force to be reckoned with.
Garp, only holding the rank of Vice Admiral and his lack of a Devil Fruit, shouldn’t lead fans to underestimate him, as it’s been made more than apparent that he can fight on the level of Admirals via his Advanced Conqueror’s Haki. Sengoku had to stop him from killing Sakazuki during the Summit War, and he could have potentially won his recent fight against Kuzan, had there not been outside interference.
Admiral Kizaru Could Have Easily Killed Luffy on Egghead
Admiral Kizaru uses the Glint-Glint Fruit in One Piece as it sparkles around himImage via Toei Animation
Admiral Kizaru, AKA Borsalino, lacks the sheer offensive strength of the Monkey family, but the eater of the Pika Pika no Mi is still the superior fighter overall. Due to his lack of stamina, Luffy was unable to defeat Kizaru during their fight on Egghead, and he would have certainly met his end in the aftermath, had the Admiral not needed Luffy alive for his own purposes.
Moving at the speed of light, no one can match Kizaru in speed, and the Pika Pika no Mi grants him immense versatility as well. Even before the timeskip, Kizaru was shown clashing evenly with Silvers Rayleigh, establishing in retrospect that his lack of Conqueror’s Haki doesn’t hold him back.
Kuzan is Stronger Than Ever as One of the Blackbeard Pirates
Aokiji talks while his hand is white with ice in One PieceImage via Toei Animation
The first Marine Admiral fans were ever introduced to, Kuzan now serves as the strongest of Blackbeard’s Ten Titanic Captains. Having eaten the Hie Hie no Mi, and been trained by Monkey D. Garp, Kuzan possesses one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in One Piece, and fights with some of the most potent Haki.
While Kuzan may not possess Conqueror’s Haki himself, his Armament Haki is still strong enough for him to trade blows with Garp on even terms. Combined with his mastery over ice, which he refrained from utilizing during the duel with his former mentor that ended in his triumph, it’s clear that he’s surpassed the man who made him such a terror.
Dracule Mihawk Remains the Ultimate Benchmark For Roronoa Zoro
The world’s strongest swordsman, Dracule “Hawkeye” Mihawk, is one of several major One Piece characters who have been a part of the anime since the beginning, but who fans have still never seen in a full fight. Unlike the likes of Dragon, however, audiences still know more than enough about the primary muscle of the Cross Guild to understand that virtually no one can stand against him in a duel.
Mihawk has not eaten any Devil Fruits, and the exact nature of his Haki is unknown, but it is known that he’s an old rival of Shanks and that he’s currently the strongest member of a Yonko-level crew, with a bounty of 3.59 Billion Belly. There are still reasons to doubt Mihawk, as he failed to squash Vista during the Summit War, and more recently balked at the idea of fighting the Straw Hats or Blackbeard Pirates, but given that Roronoa Zoro is still yet to accomplish his goal of surpassing him, despite how much he’s already grown, it should be a sight to behold when he finally goes all-out.
CBR Exclusive · One Piece Quiz WHICH ONE PIECE LEGEND ARE YOU? Set sail — Quiz sequence initiated ⚓ The Grand Line stretches endlessly before you. Across its treacherous waters, legends are born — forged in Devil Fruit power, unbreakable will, and the fierce loyalty of a crew that would sail into any storm. Twenty questions. One legendary result. Your adventure begins now. 🌊
🍖Luffy
⚔️Zoro
🗺️Nami
📖Robin
🍳Sanji
01
The Going Merry is ready to leave port. What’s your first move? 🚢 How you set sail says everything about who you are at sea.
02
A Marine warship is blocking your route. You: 🏴☠️ Crisis response reveals your true pirate nature.
03
You find a Devil Fruit on the table. What do you hope it is? 🍈 The fruit you crave is the power you were always meant to have.
04
What is your one, unshakeable dream? 🌟 Every great pirate sails for something deeper than treasure.
05
The Thousand Sunny docks at a new island. First stop? 🏝️ What you do first in port reveals your deepest priorities.
06
Your greatest weapon aboard the ship? ✨ Every Straw Hat has one thing that makes them irreplaceable.
07
What’s your natural role when things get tense? 🪝 The pressure moment is where your true function reveals itself.
08
Honest confession — what is actually your biggest flaw? 😬 Even the greatest pirates have one thing they’re still working on.
09
A crewmate is in serious danger. You: 💪 How you protect the people you sail with is who you truly are.
10
Halfway across the Grand Line. What keeps you going? 🌟 Not the crew’s reason. Yours. The private one.
11
You lost the fight. The crew is watching. Now what? 😳 How you rise after falling is what separates legends from passengers.
12
Your bounty poster just went up. What’s on it? 💰 The World Government describes you the way your enemies see you.
13
Free day on a peaceful island. What actually happens? 🌴 How you rest is a window into what drives you when no one’s watching.
14
What does your crew actually say about you behind your back? 📋 The people who sail with you see the version you can’t.
15
Which Haki do you feel most aligned with? 🔮 The Haki you master reflects the deepest truth of who you are.
16
What does it truly mean to you to be a pirate? 🌊 Not Garp’s definition. Not the Marines’. Yours.
17
In a hundred years, what will they say about you? 🎬 The Void Century has room for one more name. What does yours mean?
18
A Warlord of the Sea is blocking the path forward. You: 👀 Warlords don’t intimidate legends. They reveal them.
19
The crew celebrates a big victory. Your contribution? 🎉 How you celebrate says as much as how you fight.
20
You reach Laugh Tale. The One Piece is real. What do you do? 🔥 Twenty questions. One truth. No turning back now.
⚓ The Grand Line has made its judgement ⚓ YOUR ONE PIECE LEGEND
Your scores are revealed below! The character with the highest number is your One Piece counterpart. Read their profile to discover your true pirate destiny. 🌊
🍖 Luffy
⚔️ Zoro
🗺️ Nami
📖 Robin
🍳 Sanji
You don’t understand the word impossible — not because you’re naive, but because you genuinely never accepted that it applied to you. You charge into every situation with the full force of your personality, your body, and your heart, and somehow the universe rearranges itself to accommodate you. You don’t lead through command; you lead through being so completely, recklessly yourself that everyone around you becomes a better version of who they were. You eat too much, feel too loudly, and care too deeply. The world calls it recklessness. Your crew calls it home. 🍖
You have made exactly one promise and you have organised your entire existence around keeping it. Stoic to a fault, terrifying in combat, and somehow always facing the wrong direction — you are the immovable foundation that the whole crew leans against when everything else shakes. You don’t ask for recognition. You don’t need it. The work is its own reward. The sword is the path and the path is the sword. You will lose a thousand times before you reach the top, and you will get back up every single time. That is not stubbornness. That is who you are. ⚔️
You are sharper than anyone in the room and you know it — but you also know exactly when not to show it. Pragmatic, resourceful, and carrying more than you ever show on your face, you are the reason the ship reaches anywhere at all. Every route was planned by you. Every impossible weather reading, every near-catastrophe avoided — that was you. The world tried to take everything from you once, and you built something extraordinary out of the wreckage. You love the people you’ve chosen fiercely, quietly, and without much ceremony. The map isn’t finished. You’ll get there. 🗺️
You spent so long being hunted for what you know that you forgot — briefly, painfully — that you were also worth loving for who you are. You carry the weight of erased history in your memory and the quiet certainty of someone who has survived what should have been unsurvivable. Calm where others panic, perceptive where others miss everything, and in possession of a dark humour that still catches people off guard. You don’t trust easily, and when you do, it is the most complete and devastating loyalty imaginable. You want to know the truth. You deserve to live to read it. 📖
You have principles carved so deep they function like a skeleton — invisible, structural, and the thing holding everything else upright. You cook for people because food is love expressed at its most honest. You fight for the crew because protecting them is the most natural thing in the world. You are elegant, occasionally absurd, capable of extraordinary tenderness and absolutely terrifying combat in the same five-minute span. You came from darkness and chose light so deliberately and so completely that it became your defining act. The sea called and you answered. All Blue is out there. You’ll find it. 🍳
Fleet Admiral Akainu Killed the Strongest Pirate of the Modern Era
Akainu Speaks To The Five Elders with a cigar between his teeth in One Piece anime
Image via Toei Animation
The leader of the Marines, Fleet Admiral Akainu, AKA Sakazuki, is the most fearsome weapon at Imu’s disposal, bar potentially Figarland Garling and Figarland Shamrock of God’s Knights. Having eaten the Magu Magu no Mi, the most offensively powerful Devil Fruit of all, Akainu led the Marines during the Summit War, killing Portgas D. Ace, fighting Whitebeard head-on, and defeating Kuzan in a 10-day battle in the aftermath.
While Akainu wasn’t able to defeat a sick and weakened Whitebeard, his victory over Kuzan, who himself has more recently defeated Garp, has established that Luffy is still far from ready to fight the man who killed his brother. Fans often downplay the Admirals in comparison to the Yonko, but there’s no doubt that Akainu could have stood on equal footing with Big Mom and Kaido.
Blackbeard is Fated to Be Luffy’s Ultimate Rival
Blackbeard clenches his fist while facing Law and the Heart Pirates in One Piece’s Egghead Arc.Image via Toei Animation
One of the most overpowered characters in One Piece, there’s a reason the fandom universally agreed Blackbeard, AKA Marshall D. Teach, would be the series’ final villain, up until the introduction of Imu. The only character in the series with the power of two Devil Fruits, Blackbeard has been consistently presented as nearly unstoppable – especially when he fights off-screen.
Even before he had eaten any Devil Fruits, Blackbeard was already capable of scarring Shanks. The power of darkness granted to the son of Rocks D. Xebec by the Yami Yami no Mi enabled him to defeat Ace, and his cunning allowed him to kill Whitebeard and steal the Gura Gura no Mi from him, giving him the ability to potentially destroy the world. Teach’s most recent victory was against Trafalgar D. Water Law, this battle coming just after the latter had triumphed over Big Mom.
Loki Appears Increasingly Powerful With Each New One Piece Chapter
Loki uses Ragnir to kill Harald – One PieceImage via Shueisha
Introduced in the currently ongoing Elbaf Arc, Loki was established to be a monster when he was first introduced, but recent chapters have made it apparent that almost no one in the world of One Piece is stronger than he is. The son of Elbaf’s former king, Harald, the disgraced giant prince was hyped to have a bounty of 2.6 Billion Belly, and an ideal candidate for God’s Knights, and the currently ongoing flashback surrounding his backstory has shown that his introduction actually undersold his power.
Armed with Ragnir, a warhammer that ate a Devil Fruit, and having eaten a Devil Fruit himself as well, Loki’s exact abilities aren’t entirely clear, but his physical strength was still enough to kill Harald, an old rival of Rocks D. Xebec. Not only is this impressive on its own, but it’s been confirmed that he possesses Advanced Conqueror’s Haki, seemingly on par with Big Mom and Kaido’s.
Shanks is Quite Obviously the Strongest Pirate in the World
The only one of the original four Emperors of the Sea still standing, Shanks is far and away the strongest mortal character in One Piece. The son of Figarland Garling, the apprentice of Gol D. Roger, and the inspiration to Monkey D. Luffy, Shanks has been hyped up since Chapter 1, and the Final Saga is, at long last, properly bringing him into the action.
During the early days of One Piece, Shanks was presented as an old rival of Mihawk and as capable of clashing on equal terms with Whitebeard, the pre-timeskip era closing out with him ending the Summit War with his presence alone. More recently, Shanks absolutely destroyed Eustass Kid and his crew without breaking a sweat, his Haki is the greatest in the entire world.
Imu is the Ultimate Evil That Haunts the World of One Piece
One Piece Imu possesses God Knight Gunko’s body in Elbaph Arc mangaImage via Shueisha
The dark counterpart of Sun God Nika, the likely slayer of Joyboy, and the oppressive, immortal ruler of the world, Imu is unquestionably the strongest character in One Piece. While their exact powers and true names, remain unknown, everything fans have seen of them makes it apparent that no pirate or Marine alive is even comparable.
Imu cannot be harmed by anyone without Advanced Conqueror’s Haki and, even when confronted by those with it, the combined attacks of Rocks, Roger, Garp, Kaido, Linlin, and Whitebeard couldn’t phase them at all. Imu struck terror into Sabo with their presence. They are responsible for granting power to the Five Elders and God’s Knights, and their Domi Reversi technique enables them to turn anyone, even someone like Rocks, into a raging demon.
