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The One Piece manga has completely shaken up the list of the strongest captains and crews out there, especially with recent issues. Matchups previously thought unwinnable by the underdogs have shaken things out in unexpected ways.
While the Wano arc has been transformative for the One Piece world in many ways, the strength hierarchy of known pirate captains has been impacted the most. Recent defeats of high-profile pirates which have genuinely shocked the fanbase, are to blame for this impact.
Here are the ten strongest pirate captains in One Piece, in no particular order.
Monkey D. Luffy and 9 others comprise One Piece’s strongest pirate captains
1) Kaido
Barring his death at the end of the Wano arc, Kaido will almost certainly remain one of One Piece’s ten strongest pirate captains. His endurance, combat skills, and overall power are some of the most frightening in One Piece.
Even with his (presumed) upcoming loss to Luffy, Kaido will still undoubtedly be one of the series’ ten strongest pirate captains ever.
2) Big Mom
While she did recently lose to Kid and Law, the two put on an amazing fight and used quite literally everything they had to defeat her. Despite being the tankiest character seen thus far in One Piece, the two were able to push her to her limits.
Despite losing after being pushed to said limits, Big Mom is, without a doubt, still among the ten strongest One Piece pirate captains.
3) Shanks
The only Yonko Luffy has yet to (consciously) meet since the beginning of One Piece, Shanks is undoubtedly one of the strongest pirate captains in the series. His Conqueror’s Haki is incredibly formidable, as are his swordsmanship skills due to the implication of him being able to fight Mihawk.
Being the only Yonko without a Devil Fruit is also an incredible accolade for Shanks, emphasizing his strength in other areas which make up for it. While not being incredibly involved in the story up to this point, he’s nevertheless one of the top ten strongest pirate captains.
4) Blackbeard
As the newest Yonko, Blackbeard's legacy isn’t as cemented as the other three’s are, resulting in an unclear picture of just how strong Marshall D. Teech is. His pre and during-time-skip accolades and fights showed that he's no slouch.
Even with just the Dark-Dark Fruit, Teech would likely still be given this honour. When considering his possession of both the Dark-Dark and Tremor-Tremor Fruits, it's essentially inarguable that he’s one of One Piece’s ten strongest pirate captains.
5) Monkey D. Luffy
Going one versus one with Kaido and receiving compliments from the Yonko for such a feat, solidifies Luffy's inclusion here. Even if he loses the fight, the power and prowess he’s shown thus far prove that he's a force to be reckoned with, even for the Yonko.
While Luffy’s victory is much more likely, the outcome is irrelevant to Luffy’s status as one of the series’ ten strongest pirate captains.
6) Trafalgar D. Water Law
Having proven himself instrumental in Big Mom’s defeat, Law is undoubtedly one of the series’ strongest captains. His path through the New World alongside the Straw Hats has led to him contributing to some of the most integral events in the series, such as Doflamingo’s defeat.
The Awakening of his Devil Fruit further solidifies his status, offering new ways for Law to contribute much more effectively in combat. Combined with the combat skills he displayed during the fight with Big Mom, there’s little doubt Law is one of One Piece’s ten strongest pirate captains.
7) Eustass Kid
Contributing to the Big Mom fight just as much as Law did, Kid has cemented himself as one of the series’ ten strongest pirate captains. In addition to his general combat skills, the recently debuted Awakening of his Devil Fruit shows his strength.
Combined with the combat prowess and carnage Kid was already known for, he’s certainly one of One Piece’s ten strongest pirate captains.
8) Donquixote Doflamingo
Despite his defeat to Luffy and Law, Doflamingo still ranks as one of One Piece’s ten strongest pirate captains. He’s one of the very few characters known to have a Devil Fruit Awakening and resultantly has incredible offensive and defensive combat potential.
The cruelty he’s known for also helps ensure enemies are beaten to the point of not being able to fight back. Considering all aspects of his personality, powers, and combat experience, Doflamingo is without a doubt one of the series’ ten strongest pirate captains.
9) Marco the Phoenix
Technically the former captain of the Whitebeard Pirates since the group is now disbanded, Marco nevertheless was the captain at one point. Were he still captain today, there’d be no question as to his being one of One Piece’s ten strongest.
His Devil Fruit is incredibly versatile, with arguably more offensive potential than anything else. His combat skills have been incredibly developed throughout his career as well, thanks to fighting against the likes of Roger Pirates when younger.
10) Gol D. Roger
Despite not currently being alive in the story, Roger undoubtedly remains one of One Piece’s ten strongest pirate captains. His possession of Advanced Conqueror’s Haki gets a foot in the door, and his title of Pirate King and hailed combat prowess gets the rest of him through that door.
It’s essentially inarguable, given his accomplishments and legends, that Roger is one of the series’ ten strongest pirate captains.
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This article was modified on Monday, August 01, at 2:19 pm
