Zoan Devil Fruits allow transformation into giant or mythical beasts, Paramecia Devil Fruits allow conjuration or manipulation of various substances, and Logia Devil Fruits allow one’s body to shift into an element like fire or water. However, One Piece is also full of powerful characters who don’t need Devil Fruits to rule the seas and overpower pirates. Some of them rely solely on “willpower,” which is enough to bring anyone down and can match any Devil Fruit user’s capabilities. These are the kinds of characters who end up being legendary heroes and iconic figures, feared by everyone—including Devil Fruit eaters who will do everything they can to not cross paths with them. Here are the strongest One Piece characters without Devil Fruit abilities!
9. Franky
You’re probably wondering why Franky is on this list. After all, he’s just a shipwright and a comic relief type character in the crew. Well, as it turns out, Franky is actually pretty powerful! His modified body works like a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit as it has tons of built-in weapons that are locked, loaded, and ready to fire. And if you think ordinary guns and cannons aren’t enough to match Devil Fruit users, he also has his awesome Radical Beam, which shines a destructive light that can blast away anyone in range.
8. Kozuki Oden
Kozuki Oden is a samurai from Wano. He’s a happy-go-lucky guy who dreams of opening up his country to the world. We witness his toughness and unwavering will when he passed the “pseudo initiation” of the Whitebeard Pirates, in which he was dragged behind Moby Dick for several days and nights. In his battle to reach his dream and his fight against Kaido, we saw that he’s no ordinary samurai—he’s able to slice up the dragon’s thick skin and leave a scar that forever marks Wano’s retaliation.
7. Jinbei
Fishmen are far superior to humans in terms of strength, especially when they’re in their element, whether water or sea. Jinbei is one of them. Jinbei is a former Warlord of the Sea and one of the original Sun Pirates. On land, he can fight as well as any human (or even better) with his Fishman Karate. In the sea, he’s a truly formidable opponent. On top of his tough Armament Haki, he has many destructive moves, like shooting water droplets like bullets with high explosive power.
6. Vinsmoke Sanji
Sanji is no ordinary chef. He’s a close-combat fighter that relies on kicks, thus earning him the epithet “Black Leg.” He fights with kicks because he believes that his hands must be reserved for cooking. It’s quite the handicap for him, but he still manages to defeat many opponents using only his fast and strong legs. After a nightmarish training stay at the Okama land, his legs became even more powerful due to endless running. When combined with Armament Haki, his strikes are even deadlier. And he even has a Raid Suit, which gives him stealth and flight abilities. It came from his Vinsmoke lineage of the Germa, who are known for their body modifications that create superhuman soldiers.
5. Roronoa Zoro
Roronoa Zoro was once a bounty hunter, giving him the name “Pirate Hunter.” He’s a swordsman who mastered the wielding of three swords at once: a sword in each hand, plus one in his mouth. Aside from his unique sword mastery, he’s able to learn from and adapt to his battle disadvantages, crafting techniques to make up for his gaps. One example is when he devised a long-ranged slash attack during the Skypeia arc, which compensated for his short-ranged fighting style and gave him an edge against enemies who could fly. After the timeskip in One Piece, he’s even stronger. He was trained by Dracule Mihawk, the man whom he promised to defeat to become the world’s strongest swordsman. Now, with all of the above and his Haki-imbued attacks, Zoro is unstoppable and more terrifying than he’s ever been.
4. Monkey D. Garp
Monkey D. Garp is known as the Hero of the Marines, who brought down great pirate fleets with nothing but brute strength and battle experience. His Haki is so strong that he’s able to fight the Rocks Pirates in the God Valley Incident—you know, the Rocks Pirates whose main members are the monsters of the current generation: Kaido and Big Mom! Because of his strength, battle experience, and career achievements, Garp was offered the position of Admiral of the Marines Fleet many times, but he has always turned it down. His ability to guide and train has created strong Marines, including Aokiji and Coby, as well as a powerful pirate in his grandson, Luffy.
3. Dracule Mihawk
Dracule Mihawk is known as the world’s strongest swordsman. He’s feared by many except for Zoro, who wants to beat him—at least that’s the case in the early arcs of the story. Dracule Mihawk’s epic entrance in the early parts of One Piece, in which he sails alone in a small boat, is enough to tell you that he’s the kind of character who everyone should be wary of. With his Great Blade Yoru, he can slice anything and anyone—and he has long-ranged attacks, like the one he uses to hit Whitebeard during the Marineford War. A single slash of his can cover a wide area, and can even cut off the top of a frozen tsunami!
2. Dark King Rayleigh
Silvers Rayleigh is one of Gol D. Roger’s crew and one of the legendary icons of the pirate era who actually reached the ultimate treasure. He was one of the most powerful pirates roaming the seas during his prime days, but even today it seems like his power is still terrifying. We’ve seen it in action when he saved Luffy from Kizaru and when he swam the Calm Belt full of Sea Kings to reach Luffy. He trained Luffy to use Haki in order for the young pirate to advance in his journey up against dangerous waters. As for his Haki, well, Rayleigh can not only use the two basic types, but also the Conqueror’s Haki!
1. Shanks
Shanks is captain of the Red Hair Pirates and also one of the Emperors of the Sea. Though he lost an arm after saving the young Luffy, he’s still one of the most powerful pirates to roam the seas. The moment he stops the bloodshed of the Marineford War is proof enough that he has what it takes to stand between forces as powerful as the Marines, the pirates, and the rampaging Blackbeard. His presence alone is feared by many, and his Conqueror’s Haki overflows, as seen when he stepped aboard Whitebeard’s ship—some of the crew fell unconscious just being caught in his range. Read next: The Weirdest Ways Anime Characters Obtained Their Abilities
