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Many One Piece fans have identified common points between the ongoing Egghead Arc and the Punk Hazard Arc, which took place shortly before the battle on Dressrosa. Both arcs are indeed focused around a major scientific laboratory,
After arriving on Punk Hazard, the supposedly empty island that hosted the fight between Akainu and Aokiji, the Straw Hat Pirates met Trafalgar Law and Vice Admiral Smoker. Following the events, they got involved with the crazy scientist Caesar Clown.
Follow this thread to find the 10 strongest characters who have had an active role in the Punk Hazard Arc, ranked from weakest to strongest.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to Chapter 1081 and solely reflects the opinions of the writer.
From Monet to Aokiji, the 10 most powerful characters in One Piece's Punk Hazard Arc
10) Monet
An officer of the Donquixote Pirates, Monet was sent to Punk Hazard by Doflamingo to keep an eye on Caesar Clown. A cunning and smart fighter, Monet was able to hold her own against Luffy despite being much weaker than him.
Owing to the Logia-class Snow-Snow Fruit, Monet could create and control snow, as well as transform her body in it. She could create snow walls, ice-like snow blades and fangs, merge herself with the snow, and even freeze her foes.
Using her Devil Fruit powers, Monet easily overwhelmed Nami and Nico Robin. She was also about to kill Tashigi, but Zoro stepped in. His strength intimidated Monet to the point where she was paralyzed in fear. This allowed Tashigi to strike her decisively.
9) Caesar Clown
A former member of the research team MADS, Caesar Clown is a psychopathic scientist. He is an expert in chemical weapons of mass destruction.
Despite his cowardly and, at times, comical behavior, Caesar can be a dangerous foe. The Logia-class Gas-Gas Fruit grants him complete control over poisonous or combustible gasses.
Caesar can also remove the surrounding oxygen to asphyxiate his opponents. Absorbing other gasses, he can grow in size and enhance his powers.
Caesar is unexpectedly tough. He was able to withstand several blows from Luffy before inevitably losing to him. Exploiting Luffy's naivete, Caesar used his Devil Fruit abilities to trouble the Straw Hat, despite the massive gap in strength.
8) Sanji
Sanji is the third-strongest Straw Hat after Luffy and Zoro. A skilled martial artist who only uses his kicks to fight, Sanji improved his capabilities under the tutelage of Emporio Ivankov and the other masters of the Newkama Kenpo during the time skip.
During the Punk Hazard Arc, Sanji attacked Vergo to stop him from killing Tashigi. Sanji struck Vergo with several Diable Jambe-enhanced kicks but was unable to deal him any meaningful damage.
Worse still, Vergo broke a bone in Sanji's leg with a single kick, beating the latter in his own game. Their battle was left unfinished, but Sanji later admitted that he was going to lose if they continued to fight.
7) Smoker
A seasoned Marine officer with his own personal code of justice, Smoker inflicted several brutal beatings on Luffy before the time skip. Two years later, he achieved the rank of Vice Admiral and headed to the New World to capture Luffy.
Owing to the powers of the Logia-class Smoke-Smoke Fruit, Smoker can create and freely control smoke. He skillfully wields a Seastone-tipped weapon, which allows him to immediately weaken Devil Fruit users upon contact.
Smoker was able to put some pressure on Law, although he lost against him. In the subsequent fight against Vergo, Smoker proved himself to be faster than his foe. He landed several hits on Vergo and even inflicted a certain amount of damage on him.
A testament to Smoker's Armament Haki prowess, he was able to clash on par with Vergo's Haki-enhanced kick. This is a notable feat, given that Vergo's kicks are powerful enough to break Sanji's leg even without the usage of Haki.
Vergo eventually overpowered Smoker. However, Smoker acted as a diversion for Law to retrieve his heart and finish off Vergo. Weakened by the wounds he sustained, Smoker was attacked by an enraged Donquixote Doflamingo, who brutally beat him.
6) Vergo
Vergo was Doflamingo's strongest subordinate. He infiltrated the Marines, achieving the rank of Vice Admiral and becoming the leader of the G-5 base. He was a notable user of Rokushiki and Color of Armament.
Vergo was able to withstand Sanji's Diable Jambe-enhanced kicks and break the cook's tough leg with a single kick without even using Haki. Later, Vergo endured several Haki-enhanced blows from Smoker.
Coating his bamboo stick with Armament Haki, Vergo was able to beat Smoker, breaking the latter's Haki-enhanced jitte and denting several layers of steel in front of him in the process.
Vergo was even able to cover his entire body with the Color of Armament. However, he ended up defeated at the hands of Trafalgar Law. Creating a mountain-sized ROOM, Law used his Amputate technique to defeat Vergo with a slash that cut him in half.
5) Trafalgar D. Water Law
Trafalgar Law is the captain of the Heart Pirates and a former member of the Seven Warlords. Like Luffy and Zoro, he is a major member of the Eleven Supernovas of the Worst Generation. Following the events of the arc, he became an ally of the Straw Hats.
Combining his swordsmanship and the powers of the Ope-Ope Fruit, Law is a dangerous fighter worthy of the moniker of "Surgeon of Death." Although Smoker pressured him a bit, Law defeated him without being pushed to extreme difficulty.
Vergo was later able to overwhelm Law, but that only was because had the latter's heart. After Smoker retrieved the heart, Law defeated Vergo with a powerful Devil Fruit-enhanced slash. The devastating strike cut through the entire laboratory of Punk Hazard.
4) Roronoa Zoro
Roronoa Zoro is the second-strongest member of the Straw Hat Pirates and the right-hand man of the captain, Luffy. "Pirate Hunter" Zoro is the only crew member who is, to a certain extent, close in power to Luffy, like Rayleigh was to Roger.
During the time skip, Zoro was taught how to use Haki by Dracule Mihawk. This training made his capabilities skyrocket, surrounding him with an aura of dominating power. He especially became a fearsome Armament Haki user.
Zoro effortlessly beat the empowered version of Hyozo, who, in his base form, was able to fend off Luffy. In Punk Hazard, Zoro limited himself to exerting a mere bit of his might, which was enough to leave Monet paralyzed in fear.
In the next arc, Zoro successfully defended himself from Admiral Fujitora. He also used his Armament Haki-enhanced Three Sword Style to crush Pica, cutting his mountain-sized stone golem in the process. Admittedly, Zoro's first challenge in the New World only arrived in the fight against Kaido and Big Mom.
3) Donquixote Doflamingo
The captain of the Donquixote Pirates and a former member of the Seven Warlords, as well as a former Celestial Dragon, Doflamingo was the tyrannical ruler of Dressrosa. After his loss against Monkey D. Luffy, he was stripped of his Warlord title and imprisoned at Impel Down.
In Punk Hazard, Doflamingo easily defeated Vice Admiral Smoker. In Dressrosa, he annihilated Sanji, brutally overwhelmed Trafalgar Law, and forced Luffy into using his Gear 4 form. These feats emphasized Doflamingo as a Commander-level pirate.
Doflamingo is very agile and notably resilient to pain. He ate the String-String Fruit, which allows him to create razor-sharp strings, which he can use to fly and perform different kinds of attacks at all ranges.
A testament to his combat effectiveness, Doflamingo could even use the Awakened abilities of his Devil Fruit. He is a natural-born Conqueror's Haki user, but he wasn't strong enough to unlock the advanced version of this power.
2) Monkey D. Luffy
Luffy is the founder and captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. Throughout the entire One Piece series, he has faced every sort of challenge, fighting against Marines and pirates of all kinds.
Owing to the Human-Human Model: Nika Fruit, Luffy's body obtained rubber-like properties. He can also use forms called "Gears" to enhance his speed, strength, and versatility. During the time skip, Luffy was taught how to use Haki by "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh.
At the beginning of the New World, Luffy was massively stronger than all his foes, but due to his ingenuity and their tricky Devil Fruit powers, he temporarily struggled with Monet and Caesar.
However, Luffy's notable superiority ensured his crushing victory over Caesar without needing to unleash his Gear 4, which he used to fight and overwhelm Donquixote Doflamingo in the following arc.
1) Kuzan "Aokiji"
As a former Marine Admiral, Kuzan is one of the strongest characters in the entire series. He ate the Logia-class Ice-Ice Fruit, which granted him complete control over ice, allowing him to freeze anything or anyone.
Before the time skip, Aokiji defeated Whitebeard Pirates Commander Jozu and fought very well against Whitebeard himself. He also showcased the scale of his abilities by freezing a giant tsunami created by Whitebeard's Devil Fruit powers.
Aokiji and his colleague Akainu fought a dreadful battle for the position of the next Fleet Admiral. The battle took place in Punk Hazard. As a result of the incredible clash between the two Admirals, the island ended up separated in two halves.
After 10 days of fierce fighting, Akainu stood up as the winner. Aokiji left the Marines and seemingly joined the Blackbeard Pirates. During the Punk Hazard Arc, Aokiji returned to the island. He stopped Doflamingo from killing Smoker, forcing the Warlord to give up his intent and leave.
Final Thoughts
Former Marine Admiral Aokiji was on a whole different level compared to any other character featured in One Piece's Punk Hazard Arc. Below him, with regards to individual strength, are Monkey D. Luffy, Donquixote Doflamingo, and Roronoa Zoro.
Factoring in his Gear 4 form, Luffy has the highest peak of power. Doflamingo's Devil Fruit abilities make him very versatile and dangerous. Meanwhile, Zoro was portrayed to be extremely powerful as Luffy's very close right-hand man and a fearsome swordsman and Armament Haki user.
Trafalgar Law was soundly beaten at the hands of Doflamingo, and he doesn't seem capable of fighting against Zoro, let alone Luffy, in a 1v1 fight. However, his Ope-Ope Fruit makes him notably stronger than anyone else below them.
Vergo was no match for a healthy Law but showcased notable superiority over Smoker and Sanji. Comparing their respective performances against Vergo, Smoker proved himself to be stronger than Sanji during the arc.
Below them are Caesar Clown and Monet, who were emphasized as dangerous Devil Fruit users. Beneath them, other fighters worthy of being mentioned in Punk Hazard were Kinemon, Franky, Nico Robin, Brook, Chopper, and Tashigi.
