One Piece is slowly but gradually moving toward its conclusion. The manga is currently focused on the Egghead Island arc, and already multiple mysteries have been unraveled. If things continue to move at the same pace, it won't be long before the series finally reaches its much-awaited conclusion.
But, before One Piece wraps up things, one big event is yet to take place. As stated by Whitebeard in his final moments, sometime in the future, a massive war will engulf the world. This conflagration has been dubbed the "Final War." It is obvious that this war will involve a lot of powerful characters, and only the strongest will manage to come out on top.
8 Monkey D. Luffy
Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, and one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. He started his journey to become the Pirate King when he was only 17. At one point, considered to be nothing more than a rookie pirate, Luffy has climbed through the ranks and garnered the reputation of being one of the most fearsome pirates on the seas.
When it comes to power, only a handful of characters can stand up to Luffy's might. He has successfully mastered all three variants of Haki, a feat that has only ever been attained by a few other characters. Luffy's Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika is a Mythical Zoan type Devil Fruit that gives him the properties of rubber, and it can even affect things like lightning bolts.
7 Blackbeard
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Marshall D. Teach, better known as Blackbeard, is considered as one of final villains in One Piece. His story about rising from obscurity to fame is quite remarkable. Prior to the timeskip, Blackbeard was nothing more than a pirate with a strong devil fruit. However, with his clever planning, he became one of the Shichibukai, and later, he replaced Whitebeard among the Four Emperors.
​​​​​​Currently, Blackbeard has access to not one but two different devil fruits— the Yami Yami no Mi and the Gura Gura no Mi. Both the devil fruits are extremely overpowered and capable of wreaking havoc. Judging by the fact that Oda has been saving him for the end, Blackbeard will absolutely be involved in the final war.
6 Shanks
Shanks was introduced very early in the story, but since then his appearances have been somewhat limited. Clearly, Shanks has an important role to play in the series, which is why he has yet to feature frequently.
Shanks has no known devil fruit power, making him the only Emperor without one.
His preferred method of fighting his opponents is Haki. With his Haki, Shanks has managed to knock out many people without even trying. Toward the end of the Wano Country arc, Shanks managed to scare Admiral Greenbull with a burst of Conqueror's Haki, which was extremely impressive considering the Emperor was nowhere near the location.
5 Akainu
Akainu is the Fleet Admiral of the Marines, which gives him full control over every single Marine in the series. To attain this rank, Akainu had to defeat his fellow Admiral, Aokiji, in combat. The fight between the two lasted for several days, and Akainu came out on top.
Akainu has an extraordinary amount of resilience, which has already been proven during the Marineford arc when he took a heavy beating from Whitebeard, yet he still managed to survive and continued to chase after the pirates. Akainu possesses the Magu Magu no Mi, a Logia type Devil Fruit that allows him to control and produce magma. The devil fruit has insane offensive power, making Akainu a force to be reckoned with.
4 Imu
Imu is undoubtedly at the top of the World Government. After making an appearance in the Levely arc, Imu took the fanbase by storm. Imu very likely has a great deal of knowledge about the world, and it is possible that he belongs to a mysterious race.
Due to his role as the sovereign of the World Government, Imu will definitely be involved in the final war. As of now, Imu's powers remain a complete mystery. However, fans can expect him to have access to some special weapon or devil fruit ability.
3 Dracule Mihawk
Dracule Mihawk is the co-founder of the Cross Guild. Before joining the Shichibukai, Mihawk used to be known as "Navy Hunter," which implies that he used to hunt Marines. With the Shichibukai system being dissolved, Mihawk is once again an enemy of the World Government and they have increased his bounty to a whopping 3,956,000,000 berries.
Mihawk is the best swordsman in the series, and he wields Yoru, which is an all-black blade belonging to the Saijo O-Wazamono category. A major indicator of Mihawk's strength is the fact that he has dueled with Shanks in the past. While the outcome of their fights is unknown, it is not something that can be overlooked.
2 Monkey D. Dragon
Monkey D. Dragon is the leader of the Revolutionary Army. He formed the Revolutionary Army after the Ohara tragedy, and since then, it has grown in both strength and size. Dragon aims to get rid of the World Government, which is a herculean task.
At one point or another, Dragon has to rally his troops to war, and it will be a crucial moment in the series. Dragon has complete authority over all his soldiers, which include the likes of Sabo, Morley, and Kuma, implying he should be more powerful than all of them.
1 Sabo
Sabo is the chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army. Born in the Goa Kingdom, Sabo was raised to become a noble, but that life didn't suit him at all. Instead, he enjoyed spending time with Ace and Luffy. Due to unforeseen events, Sabo ended up in the care of Dragon and the Revolutionary Army.
He was trained by the officers, and he grew up to become the second-strongest revolutionary. Sabo specializes in Ryousoken, a Haki-based fighting technique. In addition to his elite Haki, Sabo also has the Mera Mera no Mi at his disposal, which allows him to create and control fire.