Highlights
- Pirates have always existed in the world of One Piece, with strong figures leaving their marks in different eras.
- Luffy is considered the strongest pirate of the new age, conquering challenges and defeating powerful opponents.
- Whitebeard was the strongest pirate in the Great Pirate Era, matching Roger in his prime and possessing immense power.
The world of One Piece has seen an influx of pirates in recent years, courtesy of the Great Pirate Era that was kick-started by the former Pirate King, Gold Roger. It was only natural that people started flooding the seas, becoming pirates in search of the legendary treasure that is One Piece. However, pirates have always existed in the One Piece world and have made their marks in different eras.
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In fact, some of the strongest pirates to have ever lived don't even belong to the current era of the One Piece world and that just goes to show that these powerful figures have made their mark on the oceans since the beginning of time.
5 Monkey D. Luffy
Era: The New Age
In the new age of piracy, the strongest pirate is most definitely Luffy. Luffy set out on his fighter journey not so long ago and just in 2 years, he has acquired great power and risen to an incredibly high level. Luffy has quite a loyal crew, called the Straw Hat Pirates, and with them, he has conquered the East Blue, and then the Paradise half of the Grand Line. In the New World, Luffy struggled to quite an extent, however, he certainly did not get deterred by the challenges that he faced.
Eventually, he conquered them all and rose to the very top as one of the strongest pirates to ever exist. Luffy defeated Kaido in Wano and became one of the new Four Emperors of the Sea. His powers as Nika are incredibly dangerous for anyone to combat and they are only limited by his imagination. Although Luffy has not yet peaked as a pirate, he still has enough power to be considered the strongest of the new generation.
4 Whitebeard
Era: In The Great Pirate Era
In the Great Pirate Era that was started by Roger, the strongest pirate to exist was, undoubtedly, Whitebeard. Whitebeard was once a rival of Roger and he was certainly the only pirate that could match this legendary figure when they were both in their primes. With the power of the Gura Gura no Mi, Whitebeard could cause quakes and sink islands as well as submerge them with tsunamis.
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Whitebeard had an incredibly overpowered Haku as well and he was certainly the strongest of this era, being put in a different league when compared to the other Yonko. Even though he got old towards the end, Whitebeard was still a menace and fans saw that in the Paramount War saga as well. Undoubtedly, he was the strongest pirate in the Great Pirate Era, that is, at least until the new age kicked in.
3 Gol D. Roger
Era: Before The Great Pirate
Before the Great Pirate Era, the strongest pirate was, undoubtedly, Roger himself. This era particularly refers to the time that was shortly before the great pirate era. During this time, Roger was in his prime, however, was slowly being ravaged by a sickness. It can be assumed that his true power was never really revealed to the fans and that even with a sickness, he was one of the strongest pirates around. The only pirate who was capable of matching him in combat was Whitebeard and even he could not defeat him despite Roger being sick.
Roger did not have any Devil Fruit but relied on the power of Haki. His Haki was so strong that not even Whitebeard could best it, even though he had a Devil Fruit on top. Roger ended up giving himself into the Navy and ushered in the Great Age of Pirates before he died.
2 Rocks D. Xebec
Era: 40 Years Ago
Decades before Roger's death, the strongest pirate on the seas was none other than Rocks himself. Fans know very little about the pirate that is Rocks, however, he's known to have been strong enough to rule over the entire seas nearly 40 years ago. He was such a force that even the World Government was somewhat intimidated by him.
He met his end on an island known as God Valley 38 years ago. There, Roger and Garp combined their forces to crush Captain Rocks, and the rest of them simply scattered and made their own pirate crews later down the line, becoming legends and establishing their own stories.
1 Joyboy
Era: Void Century/Before Void Century
While not explicitly confirmed to be a pirate, it is highly likely that Joyboy was one as well. Between 900 to 800 years in the One Piece world, Joyboy was likely the strongest pirate alive. He was a legendary figure who held the same powers as Luffy, those of Nika. When Luffy reaches his pinnacle, he will likely hit the same level as Joyboy. During this time, Joyboy was a prominent figure in the Ancient Kingdom and he likely led the battle against the combined forces of the 20 Kings.
Unfortunately, he ended up losing this battle, but he was certainly a phenomenal figure, such that his legends are passed down even centuries later to this day. Many slaves pray to Nika as the Warrior of Liberation and the bringer of joy and smiles.
One Piece (1999)
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.