One Piece is an expansive narrative, incorporating a wide range of characters, events, abilities, and plotlines. Many of these ideas intersect each other at various points, making the story richly profound. As a result, One Piece has remained consistently brilliant for nearly 25 years. Although the adventurous tale largely centers around the Straw Hat Pirates, the heroes often come into contact with numerous pirate crews on their voyages.
Many of them are no match for Luffy's gang, but there are a few that have put up quite a fight. At the same time, there are also crews that have no current beef with the Straw Hats, but that's likely to change as everyone starts chasing after the One Piece. That said, even after 1,100 episodes, the Straw Hats still haven't become the strongest pirate crew in the Grand Line. This suggests that they have a long way to go before they can rise to the top of the ranks.
Updated on May 6, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: The Great Age of Pirates was ushered in by Gol D. Roger, who offered the One Piece to anyone daring enough to go after it. In the 24 years that have passed since the Pirate King's execution proclamation, countless pirate crews have sailed to sea and made a name for themselves. That said, the best pirate crews aren't necessarily the strongest — or even currently active, for that matter. As such, we've rewritten this article with some more relevant information.
10 The Cross Guild Is Too New To Make A Measurable Impact
Their Combined Might Could, However, See Valuable Returns In The Future
Crocodile and Dracule Mihawk were Warlords of the Sea until the Navy decided to abolish the organization. Buggy, on the other hand, somehow managed to fail upwards until he also became a Warlord. These three men, each radically different from the others, chose to incept a brand new organization known as the Cross Guild. Although not technically a pirate crew, it is composed of exclusively pirates and even has a blended Jolly Roger insignia.
The Cross Guild has used its powerful authority to place bounties on certain high-ranking Marine officers. In other words, the Navy has to deal with both pirates and civilians attempting to snipe their employees. While Mihawk, Crocodile, and Buggy have a nearly-9 billion belly bounty between them, the Cross Guild is far too new an organization to have had much influence on the Grand Line. As such, we have ranked it at the bottom of this list.
9 The Heart Pirates & The Kid Pirates Are Almost Equally Matched
Law's Dedication Sets Him Apart From Kid's Aloofness
Both the Heart and Kid Pirates made their One Piece appearances at the same time, as part of the Worst Generation, as well as the Eleven Supernovae. Despite having numerous core philosophical differences, the events in Wano ensured that these two crews were almost equally matched. Trafalgar D. Water Law, eater of the Op-Op Devil Fruit and a talented doctor, has been in an alliance with Luffy's crew since the Dressrosa Arc.
In fact, the Straw Hats would have never been able to defeat Donquixote Doflamingo without Law's guidance. Eustass Kid, on the other hand, enjoys his freedom far too much to make official alliances — unless he has no choice. As seen in the Wano Country arc, Kid and Law fought Big Mom together, only taking her down after their Devil Fruits were Awakened. As of the latest chapter, the Heart and Kid Pirates have around the same bounty.
8 The Blackbeard Pirate Crew Contains Some Of The Strongest Devil Fruits
The Straw Hats Have Yet To Stand Against Blackbeard, But It Will Be An Epic Battle When They Do
Marshall D. Teach tricked his way into Whitebeard's family before betraying them. He murdered Thatch in order to steal the Dark-Dark Devil Fruit and went on to form a crew himself. Teach later exchanged a captured Ace for a position as a Warlord of the Sea, but this was revoked when his crew invaded the prison of Impel Down. More infamously known as Blackbeard, Teach presumably wants to find the One Piece and become the next King of the Pirates.
This also explains why he's seeking the strongest fighters for his crew. Although no match against Whitebeard, the Blackbeard Pirates have enjoyed victories against powerhouses like Gecko Moria, Marco the Phoenix, and Boa Hancock. Fans still don't know why Admiral Kuzan decided to remain a member of Blackbeard's crew, however, even when he had to fight Garp during the Egghead Arc. That said, the Straw Hats will inevitably face off against the Blackbeard Pirates in the future.
7 The Once-Formidable Beasts Pirate Crew Are Now In Ruins
Luffy Defeating Kaidou Factors Heavily Into The Beasts Pirates Downfall
Led by the overpowered Kaidou, the so-called "strongest creature in the world," the Beasts Pirates were among the greatest crews to sail the Grand Line during the Golden Age. Then again, they did a lot less sailing than most of their outlaw peers. Kaidou made a deal with Orochi around 25 years before the start of One Piece, allowing the Beasts Pirates to establish a permanent base in Wano Country.
Thanks to an alliance with Caesar Clown and Donquixote Doflamingo, the Beasts Pirates contained hundreds of members with SMILE Fruit powers. As a result, the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance found it rather difficult to reach Onigashima in the first place, let alone fight off the troops stationed on the island. By the end of the Wano Arc and Luffy's Gear Fifth Awakening, however, the Beasts Pirates were in complete ruins. Even Kaidou has been missing since he was defeated by Luffy.
6 The Big Mom Pirates Are Presently Left Without A Leader
Big Mom's Crew Has Come Far, But Several Obstacles Stand In Their Way
Both Kaidou and Big Mom have strengthened their respective crews by feeding them strong Devil Fruits, but Big Mom literally gave birth to most of her formidable warriors. Also known as Charlotte Linlin, Big Mom rules over Totto Land, an archipelago with food-based island names. The Big Mom Pirates are currently led by three of Linlin's children, Katakuri, Cracker, and Smoothie, who are known as the Three Sweet Commanders.
Each of them is dangerously overpowered, skilled at martial combat, and capable of using multiple forms of Haki. On the other hand, only Big Mom and Katakuri have been shown to possess Conqueror's Haki. Although Luffy's victory over Kaidou is considered official, the Straw Hat captain is yet to face Big Mom in direct combat. He might actually defeat her with Gear Fifth under his control; until that happens, the Big Mom Pirates will retain their middle ranking on this list.
5 The Straw Hat Pirates Are Inevitably Going To Find The One Piece
Luffy & The Straw Hat Pirates May Not Be The Strongest Yet, But They're Well On Their Way
The Straw Hat Pirates, captained by Monkey D. Luffy, are probably the fastest-evolving crew in One Piece. Each member's bounty has risen significantly since their humble beginnings in the Romance Dawn Arc. Usopp, Nami, and Chopper are still notorious cowards, but all three of them have developed their strengths far beyond their own expectations. Similarly, Zoro and Sanji have grown strong enough to earn bounties over a billion belly each, while Luffy's stands at a whopping three billion.
The interesting thing about the Straw Hats is that all members have something crucial to offer the crew, making them one of the most balanced pirate groups in the New World. Every single one of them believes that Luffy will become the King of the Pirates, and are prepared to sail all the way to Laugh Tale to accomplish their fearless leader's ultimate mission. There will likely never be any defections from this tightly-knit crew.
4 The Whitebeard Pirates Were A Powerhouse In The Grand Line
Whitebeard Was The Heart Of His Crew
Gol D. Roger was said to be peerless in battle, but Edward Newgate was capable of equalling the former Pirate King. Newgate, or Whitebeard, wanted nothing more than a family, and that was exactly what he set out to find. By the end of his prestigious career, Whitebeard had hundreds of beloved "children" as well as the second-largest bounty in the history of One Piece. Armed with his Tremor-Tremor Devil Fruit, Whitebeard was correctly referred to as "the strongest man in the world."
Despite his old age and advanced illness, his very presence at Marineford threatened to destroy the very heart of the Navy. While he was unable to save Ace, Whitebeard made sure to discipline Akainu for brutally killing his "son." In the last moments of his life, Whitebeard proclaimed the reality of the One Piece and indirectly alluded to Luffy being the man that Roger had been waiting for. Whitebeard's crew members were not nearly as powerful as he was, but they were certainly strong enough to merit a high ranking on this list.
3 The Rocks Pirates Once Included Big Mom, Whitebeard, & Kaidou
Pirate Crews Grow And Change With The Ebb & Flow Of The Tides
Approximately four decades before the story began, an individual named Rocks D. Xebec established a crew that included rising stars like Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaidou. These three would later become Emperors of the Sea, so their willingness to follow Rocks proves that he must have been a true force of nature. On the other hand, it's said that the Rocks Pirates were rarely in sync with each other, allowing minor arguments to turn into violent battles.
Despite their overwhelming strength and widespread notoriety, the Navy ensured that the Rocks Pirates would effectively be erased from history. As such, One Piece doesn't delve into much detail about this fractious group, save for the God Valley Incident. Here, the Rocks Pirates were ultimately defeated by the joint forces of Pirate King Roger and Monkey D. Garp, with the latter earning his "Hero of the Marines" epithet for this specific accomplishment. The Rocks Pirates disbanded soon after.
2 The Red Hair Pirates Are The Strongest Active Crew In One Piece
Despite Their Ties To The Straw Hats, Their Inevitable Confrontation Looms On The Horizon
With Shanks at the helm, it's no wonder that the Red Hair Pirates have become a force to be reckoned with. In fact, most fans would agree that they're the strongest pirate crew still sailing in One Piece. Shanks spent several years aboard the Roger Pirates, giving him the skills necessary to form his own equally impressive crew. Shanks is known to be extremely powerful, perhaps even stronger than the Admirals as well as the other Emperors of the Sea.
The Red Hair and Straw Hat Pirates share intimate connections — Yasopp, one of the members, is the father of Usopp, while Shanks plays a paternal role in Luffy's life. That said, Shanks has made it clear that he intends to find the One Piece, so the Red Hair Pirates might end up battling the Straw Hats at some point in the story. Or they might even team up against the Five Elders and Imu, especially since the latter's powers are completely unknown and probably substantial.
1 The Roger Pirates Are Currently The Only Ones To Have Found The One Piece
Gol D. Roger Once Led The Most Powerful Crew On The Grand Line
The Roger Pirates began with a young man wearing a Straw Hat, the same Straw Hat that Luffy would wear over half a century later. They quickly became legendary across the Grand Line, mostly due to their immeasurable combat prowess. Gol D. Roger later dueled Whitebeard to a draw and demonstrated the rare ability of coating his weapon with Conqueror's Haki. Meanwhile, First Mate Silvers Rayleigh was strong enough to keep Admiral Kizaru occupied even after passing his prime.
Some of the most important characters in the Wano Country Arc were part of Roger's crew, such as Kozuki Oden, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi. With such a remarkable group of pirates, it was fated that Gol D. Roger would be the first man to locate the island of Laugh Tale and obtain the One Piece. Although Roger did indeed lead the best pirate crew in the story, they will be surpassed by the Straw Hats by the end of One Piece.
