10 Greatest One Piece Quotes Of All Time

One Piece has been widely regarded as one of the greatest manga in history, and overall, it’s easy to see why. With its perfect combination of stunning art and action, a fun cast of heroes and villains, and immense worldbuilding that only gets bigger with every arc, One Piece has continually found new ways to evolve as a story, and even with it entering its final saga, it hasn’t slowed down in the slightest.

No other manga has dominated the world to the same extent as One Piece, and its great writing has also produced some incredibly quotable dialogue. With almost 30 years of story to its name, One Piece has put out countless iconic scenes filled with dialogue that stand out in both One Piece and anime and manga in general; the best One Piece quotes are among the best quotes in the entire medium, and a few of them are especially worth highlighting.

Kuma’s Final Words For Bonney (One Piece Chapter 1102/Episode 1136)

At the end of Kuma’s flashback arc, it finally became time for Vegapunk to erase Kuma’s free will and turn him into a mindless soldier for the World Government. Kuma, however, was content with it all, as he at least managed to save Bonney’s life with his sacrifice, and before the deed could be done, Kuma asked Vegapunk to wish Bonney a happy tenth birthday on his behalf.

If you should see Bonney… would you pass on a message from me…? Tell her I wish her… a very happy… tenth birthday.

Kuma’s backstory is one of the most emotional backstories in all of One Piece, not just for the tragedy of his life, but for how he was willing to put up with so much in the name of being a hero, especially if he could be Bonney’s hero. Kuma’s final quote perfectly summarizes his selflessness and heroism, and it perfectly capped off one of One Piece’s greatest stories to date.

“Once We’re Dead, The Only Thing That’s Left Is Bones” (One Piece Chapter 1045/Episode 1072)

After briefly losing control of Gear 5 in his battle with Kaido, Kaido, still assured of his victory, said that people would tell Luffy’s tale after their battle. Luffy, though, rejected the idea, saying that “once we’re dead, the only thing that’s left is bones”, and with that, he regained his strength and kept fighting Kaido with the full power of Gear 5.

Luffy’s quote essentially means that death is the end of everything, so you need to make sure you accomplish what you can while you’re alive; not only is it surprisingly poetic for someone as ineloquent as Luffy, but it perfectly encapsulates his personality as someone who refuses to give up, no matter how high the odds are stacked against him, and it was perfectly befitting for the situation and how far Luffy’s journey had taken him.

Mr. 2’s Line About Humanity (One Piece Chapter 215/Episode 129)

As the Straw Hat Pirates made their escape from Alabasta and tried to bring Vivi along, Mr. 2 Bon Clay, touched by their friendship, made himself a decoy for the Marines so they could go in peace. Mr. 2 then proudly declared that whether you’re a man or a woman, you can’t stray from humanity and the bonds of friendship, all before seemingly going down in flames.

You can stray from a man’s path… you can stray from a woman’s path… but you can’t stray from the path of mankind. Scatter, my friends… to the true sky! Let us make it bloom. Oh come my way.

Not only does Mr. 2’s iconic quote perfectly capture his heartwarming friendship with Luffy and the Straw Hats, but it also brings to light the surprisingly LGBTQ-positive messaging of the One Piece franchise, and it’s served as the go-to representation for it for years now. Mr. 2 is one of the most iconic characters in all of One Piece, and with quotes like that, it’s easy to see why.

“I Have My Crew!” (One Piece Chapter 590/Episode 505)

In the aftermath of the Paramount War and Ace’s death, Luffy had given up all hope, but Jimbei refused to let Luffy fall. Jimbei told Luffy that rather than dwell on what he had lost, he needed to focus on what he still had, to which Luffy tearfully replied that he still had his crew and that he needed to see them.

With how strong-willed Luffy usually is, seeing him completely lose himself to despair over Ace’s death was hard to see, but in turn, it made it all the more cathartic for him to pick himself up by remembering that he wasn’t alone in the world. That single scene is a perfect representation of the bond the Straw Hats share, and 16 years later, it has yet to be topped.

“The One Piece Is Real!” (One Piece Chapter 576/Episode 485)

With Blackbeard and his crew unleashing one last cowardly onslaught of attacks on Whitebeard, he had taken far too much damage over the course of the Paramount War and was moments away from death. With his last breath, though, Whitebeard completely upended the Marines’ plans and proudly declared to the world that the One Piece was real, essentially revitalizing the Great Age of Piracy.

A subtle theme across the pre-timeskip era of One Piece was piracy being on the decline to the point that many people didn’t even believe in the One Piece, so someone like Whitebeard erasing all ambiguity is an incredible moment for the story, especially with it being his final one. The line became something of a meme in recent years, but even that doesn’t take away from how iconic it is.

Doflamingo Perfectly Sums Up One Of One Piece’s Biggest Themes (One Piece Chapter 556/Episode 465)

As the Paramount War went underway, Doflamingo made it clear that he didn’t see things the same way everyone else did; while the war was framed as the virtuous Marines fighting the evil pirates, Doflamingo pointed out that it was the people up top who chose those labels, and at the end of it all, justice would be on the side of whoever won.

Are the pirates the bad guys?! Is the Navy the good guys?! Things like that change with the seasons!! Kids who’ve never known peace and kids who’ve never known war have completely different ideas of right and wrong! It’s the job of those at the top to decide what’s good and what’s evil! Right now, it could go either way! Justice will prevail?! Of course it will!! Because the side of justice… will be whichever side wins!

One Piece is a series rooted in gray morality that doesn’t make the pirates strictly heroic or the Marines strictly villainous, and Doflamingo’s quote perfectly sums up that idea in as bombastic a way as possible that other characters are often afraid to do. Almost 20 years later, the quote still gets to one of the core aspects of One Piece’s story, and Doflamingo saying it is a big part of why he’s such an iconic villain.

“Roger Just Laughed” (One Piece Chapter 967/Episode 968)

As Oden’s flashback arc neared its end, it finally reached the point where Oden and the Roger Pirates reached the final island in the Grand Line. There, they learned the truth of everything in the world, and according to Oden, Roger and everyone else could only laugh at what they learned, leading them to name the island Laugh Tale.

Oden’s flashback might not have actually shown Laugh Tale, but summing up the experience in such a simple way was nothing short of magical and a perfect way of further hyping up the anticipation for the proper reveal. In many ways, the entire scene perfectly capped off over 20 years of story, and it works as a perfect ending to Roger’s story.

Dr. Hiriluk’s Speech (One Piece Chapter 145/Episode 86)

At the end of Chopper’s flashback arc, Dr. Hiriluk fell into Wapol’s trap, but he didn’t go down quietly. In Hiriluk’s mind, a man only died when he was forgotten, but that would never happen to him with Chopper to carry on his legacy, and on that note, he blew himself up so that neither Wapol’s men nor Chopper’s poison mushroom could kill him, all while saying he lived a good life.

When does a man die? Is it when he’s shot in the heart with a pistol? No. When he’s stricken with a deadly disease? No. When he eats a soup… made from a deadly mushroom? NO!!! It’s when… he is forgotten!!!

Dr. Hiriluk was an amazing character for his charismatic personality and his impact on Chopper in both life and death, and to this day, his final speech is often seen as one of the greatest moments in all of One Piece. One Piece’s flashbacks are famous for their raw, emotional storytelling, and right up to the end, Hiriluk’s perfectly embodied everything great about them.

One Piece’s Opening Narration (One Piece Chapter 1/Episode 1)

The very beginning of One Piece opened with Roger’s execution, Roger declaring that he hid his treasure, the One Piece, in a special place that the world had to find, and the world heading out to the Grand Line to find it and become the new Pirate King in the Great Age of Piracy. For years, every episode of the anime opened with that dialogue, and even now, it’s constantly referenced whenever possible.

Wealth, fame, power… Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates, attained this and everything else the world had to offer, and his dying words drove countless souls to the seas.

“You want my treasure? You can have it! I left everything I gathered together in one place! Now you just have to find it!”

These words lured men to the Grand Line in pursuit of dreams greater than they’d ever dared to imagine! This is the time known as the Great Pirate Era!

As simple as the opening narration may be, it never fails to set the stage for the story when it pops up, and even the 4Kids version does a good job of playing into the hype. There was no better way to kick off One Piece’s story, and almost 30 years later, the narration is as iconic as ever.

“I Want To Live!” (One Piece Chapter 398/Episode 278)

Following the end of Robin’s flashback arc, Robin reaffirmed that she didn’t want everyone to throw their lives away for her, to which Luffy responded by burning the World Government flag as an act of war. With everyone’s determination laid bare, Robin could finally believe that the Straw Hats were the true friends she had been waiting for, and at long last, she could tearfully shout that she wanted to live.

After making Robin one of the definitively tragic characters in all of One Piece, seeing her finally gain the will to live was nothing short of cathartic, and everything in the arc that followed it only further emphasized that point. It’s one of the greatest scenes in One Piece history, and it’s easily the greatest quote to ever come out of the anime.