One Piece: 5 Anime Characters Arlong Could Defeat (& 5 He'd Lose To)

The leader of the Fish Men and one of the most difficult challenges Luffy faced in the beginning of One Piece, Arlong's legacy is one of strength and terror. His experience as a fighter and unique physiology give him natural advantages over many of the obstacles foolish enough to stand in his way.

Despite his impervious skin and razor sharp teeth, Arlong is not invincible. By analyzing his history, feats, and battles, we gain a fuller understanding to the limitations of the shark's power and gauge just how strong the aquatic menace was against the Straw Hat Pirates.

10 Could Beat – Kuro (One Piece)

One of Usopp's worst enemies, Kuro's treachery nearly resulted in the destruction of Syrup Village. He was able to engage in a stance so swift, it would shred anyone on an entire beach that was caught in its path.

Unfortunately for the pirate, his attacks are not concise, reducing the potency of the damage he could possibly inflict against his shark-like opponent. Since Arlong was able to withstand a direct blow from Zoro to the face, it follows that Kuro's claws would shatter against his body before they could do any harm.

9 Would Lose – Galand (Seven Deadly Sins)

Though he may be weaker than some of the other Ten Commandments, Galand's physical strength overshadows anything that Arlong would be able to withstand. He cleaved down an entire town in a matter of moments, causing destruction far more significant than that of the Fish Man's park.

Further, while Arlong's teeth may be able to puncture his armor, such wounds are superficial since the demon does not abide by traditional standards of human anatomy. It would procure an even balance of offense and durability that would invariably cause the shark's defeat.

8 Could Beat – Rui (Demon Slayer)

Rui's webs are usually potent enough to cleave through ordinary people. It was a tactic he employed with great success against the many demon slayers in his path, almost killing Tanjiro in the process.

However, against sturdier opponents they do not fare nearly as well. This is evidenced through the way Nezuko was able to withstand them. All Arlong would have to do is charge through the youth's attack, gripping him by the shoulders and tearing off his head with his teeth.

7 Would Lose – Overhaul (My Hero Academia)

Though Arlong's physical might entail that he could potentially kill Overhaul in a single punch, his haughty demeanor would spells that the Yakuza boss might have the chance to land the first blow. The Fish Man views humans as a novelty, and any efforts to resist would amuse him – until it was too late.

As tough as the shark's hide might be, Overhaul's quirk overrides any defenses, obliterating his adversaries into a fleshy paste. Since Arlong's self preservation strategies are additionally geared more toward what he can resist rather than dodge, it would spell his doom in their battle.

6 Could Beat – Mad Pierrot (Cowboy Bebop)

Able to withstand dozens of bullets and even the concentrated fire of a ship, Mad Pierrot is easily the deadliest villain in the Cowboy Bebop universe. He is equipped with an arsenal of weapons to defeat his opponents, including his cane, guns, and even explosives.

While Pierrot may have been able to absorb the projectiles fired at him, he does not fare well against blunt attacks (as seen through his death via pulverization). It follows that Arlong's physical brawn would be enough to overcome him, especially if he crushed him with rubble.

5 Would Lose – Mario Zucchero (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

Mario's "Soft Machine" Stand was not only able to defeat enemies with one hit (by deflating them into a rubbery substance he could manipulate at will), it also allowed him to conceal himself by stretching one thing over another and layering him inside.

This would make it difficult for Arlong to predict his movements and render him vulnerable for the killing stroke. Since the Fish Man is unfamiliar with the nature of his adversary's Stand, he could not hope to anticipate it until it was too late.

4 Could Beat – Asuma (Naruto)

Asuma's primary skill was tying his chakra into weapons, infusing them with power. However, he struggled immensely against Kisame, an opponent with many similarities to Arlong himself and would require the assistance of Might Guy to win the day.

Moreover, the Fish Man not only possesses superior durability, he can also use his jaws as makeshift weapons. This entails that in a melee exchange, he would be able to inflict much more devastating damage than his shinobi adversary and give him an insurmountable edge in the fight.

3 Would Lose – Gon (Hunter X Hunter)

Despite his childlike appearance, Gon is capable of immense power. He is able to concentrate energy into his fist for devastating Nen attacks, ones that could overcome even the most seasoned chimera ants (who share many properties with the Fish Men themselves).

Further, Gon is able to fight through severe injury as seen through his battle against the Bomber, entailing that after wounding him, Arlong's success would not be guaranteed. In a dire situation, he could also transform into his adult state, granting him enough power to devastate entire ridges and taking out the shark along with them.

2 Could Beat – Kars (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Kars may have been the apex of the Pillar Men, though in his unevolved form, he is hardly impressive. The villain was forced to rely on deception to defeat Lisa Lisa and even had his hand broken by Stroheim, whose only remarkable attribute was his metallic body.

Considering that Arlong can catch and destroy cannon balls in his mouth, he is an unprecedented physical advantage over his Aztec opponent. Kars' blades are more likely to snap against his skin than inflict meaningful damage, putting him in the range of the shark's voracious jaws.

1 Would Lose – Grimmjow (Bleach)

Grimmjow's physical prowess rivaled that of Ichigo's himself, able to cause widespread devastation after he activates his Resurrección state. Even without one of his arms, he was able to fight effectively, demonstrating the ferocity and power behind his attacks.

Accordingly, he possesses both the speed and precision to overwhelm Arlong in a flurry of blows, and even if the shark was able to retaliate by biting him, the Espada's Hierro would grant him natural resistance, making what should have been a lethal wound manageable.

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One Piece: 10 Best Fights In The Dressrosa Arc, Ranked

The Dressrosa saga is one of the longest most exciting arcs in One Piece. The premise, build-up, and execution of the saga were all beyond phenomenal; some would even argue that the Dressrosa arc is among the best of what One Piece has to offer.

Every aspect that builds up this grand saga is quite notable on its own. The characters were interesting, the sequence was well-structured, and above all, the fights were engaging. What separates the fights featured in Dressrosa from the One Piece fights in previous arcs is undoubtedly the hype at play. The entire Fishman Island Saga that preceded Dressrosa acted as a hype-inducing saga. The true limits of the Straw Hats were only explored in Dressrosa, bringing an excitement to the arc's fights.

10 Corrida Colosseum Battles

The Dressrosa arc was akin to a colosseum. The quantity and quality of the fights in this arc could only be rivaled by a handful of counterpart arcs. Perhaps only in the Marineford did the series experience such a brawl-for-all. The Corrida Colosseum battles, which took place in the first half of the arc, were some of the most notable. It served as a perfect introductory stage for the many characters who were to debut.

9 Smoker And Law Vs Vergo

This particular fight solidified Law’s position as one of the toughest Supernovas. Of course, Smoker’s role in the fight deserves a mention as well – though it could be said his part be lacking when all the hype is taken into consideration.

There was a lot at stake in this battle and the two couldn’t afford to lose. Though they were technically enemies, Smoker and Law had to work side by side to secure that victory.

8 Law Vs Smoker

Prior to engaging Vergo as a team, Smoker and Law had a not-so-friendly encounter with each other. Again, the two are technically enemies, and Smoker isn’t one to slack while on duty. Needless to be said, the results of the fight were in Law’s favor by a large margin. Smoker and his men did put in a good fight, but they just weren’t cut to bring down the latter – or even make him break a sweat for that matter.

7 Luffy Vs Caesar

For a final fight, the battle between Luffy and the Mad Scientist, Caesar Clown, was unbelievably mild. No limits needed to be broken, and no reinforcements needed to be called. In one of his easiest fights to date, Luffy knocked down Caesar with one badass ‘Grizzly Magnum’. But again, Caesar is more of an evil scientist than he is a fighter. It would only make sense for him to get bodied by the newly rejuvenated Luffy.

6 Zoro Vs Fujitora

Sword fights are always welcome, even more so when they are between two equally skilled swordsmen – Zoro and Admiral Fujitora. While this clash between Zoro and Fujitora wasn’t a full-fledged battle, it was more than entertaining nonetheless. Truthfully, any battle – no matter how short – including either Zoro or an admiral will be worthwhile.

5 Luffy Vs Fujitora

Every fan knows that most encounters the Straw Hats had with marine admirals were skirmishes at best. As the Marines’ strongest fighting forces, it wouldn’t be beyond an admiral’s capabilities to subdue a rising crew like our band of heroes.

Naturally, the same could be said for the mini-fight between Luffy and Fujitora. It was nice seeing Luffy throwing hands with a heavy-hitter, but it can’t be argued that Fujitora was giving it his all.

4 The Straw Hats Vs Big Mom Pirates

Not to forget the rest of the gang, Sanji and the rest of the Zou team had their own portion of fun on their route to Zou. Out of absolutely nowhere, The Big Mom Pirates’ flagship, Queen Mama Chanter, popped up and confronted Thousand Sunny. As retaliation, the Straw Hats pulled off an intricate teamwork attack and managed to push away the assaulters. This particular event served as the groundwork for the next couple of arcs.

3 Zoro Vs Pica

Most fans speculated that Dressrosa would be the arc where Zoro showcases his 100%, but were they wrong. Not only did Pica not push Zoro to his limits, he also failed to pose any challenge to the swordsman whatsoever. With a bunch of arcs following the timeskip, fans still have no idea where Zoro’s true limits lie.

2 Sabo Vs Fujitora

The chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army clashing with an esteemed marine admiral was definitely a fight to marvel at. While it’s true that both parties were holding back the entire time, they still managed to put up an entertaining battle. If two men of their caliber were to go at it with zero restraint, the Kingdom of Dressrosa would be reduced to toast.

1 Luffy Vs Doflamingo

As the highlight of the Dressrosa arc, the fight between Luffy and Doflamingo is easily among the most impressive in the series. The only downside has to be the slow pacing. That on top of the filler content sprinkled all over the place makes the fight harder to watch in one sitting. With that being said though, this was an anime-exclusive issue that manga readers didn’t have to deal with.

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Still Haven't Gotten Into One Piece? There's No Better Time Than Now

One Piece is one of those manga series that feels like it's been going on forever, and for good reason. Now approaching its 1000th chapter, the manga has been published in Weekly Shonen Jump for 23 years, but that longevity is a double-edged sword, as many newcomers find the series daunting, while long-time fans are certain to have forgotten some key details. Not to worry though -- Shonen Jump and Viz Media have you covered.

From now until the 1000th chapter is released, Viz Media will be releasing eight chapters of this iconic manga for free weekly through both the Shonen Jump app and Viz Media's website. The plethora of options to take up this opportunity means that no matter what your day looks like, you can easily find and access the chapters, whether chilling at home or braving the bus.

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Not to mention, eight chapters is actually far more than it sounds. The currently-released free chapters, #1 through #8 are the entire first volume! And right now, until Tuesday, November 3, they're available for free, no strings attached (other than the time limit.) This is the perfect chance for newcomers to get into the series. For those who have been on the fence, uncertain of whether or not they'd enjoy the art, humor, world-building or any other aspect of Eiichiro Oda's story, this is the opportunity to give the series a test run with no need to shell out.

The first volume spends a fair amount of time establishing each of the characters, and introduces the large cast one-by-one, allowing each new character a chance to shine and demonstrate their particular quirks before moving onto the plot and new characters. As with any long-runner, the cast is massive, so getting to know them as they were originally established lays the groundwork for jumping ahead to watch with friends.

But this chance won't last forever. Viz Media will be changing which eight chapters are released for free on its platforms every Wednesday, so you'll want to keep checking back to make sure you don't miss a moment of the free action. Of course, keep in mind that the publisher has also said nothing about the chapters released being consecutive. Instead, it seems it's elected to take key points in the story and release the chapters surrounding them. What this means is that while the story's been stripped down to the bones, it should still be followable for a newbie, and there's always the option of buying the volumes you missed if you get hooked.

For older fans though looking to revisit epic battles, or simply refresh their memories on the plot, this is a great time to review the manga in preparation for the 1000th chapter, or just for a trip down memory lane. Many grew up with the series, and the chance for some nostalgia is too good to pass up, whether you discovered the manga as a teen; the dubbed anime as a kid (complete with 4kids' Pirate Rap opening), or later in life when you just wanted to find out what all the hype was about.

One Piece is the only one of Shonen Jump's "Big Three" manga to stand the test of time, and with fun characters, dynamic artwork, intriguing plot and surprisingly grounded world-building for a pirate story with superpowers, now is the best time to dive into the East Blue sea and see for yourself how it's managed to stay popular, relevant and fun for over 20 years.

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One Piece: The Best 10 Fights Of The Yonko Saga Thus Far

It’s no breaking news that the Yonko Grand Saga is one of One Piece's most hyped-up sagas, if not the most. There is no refuting it, the individual aspects that make up this exciting saga have been some of the best to be offered by One Piece. The story sequences, introduced characters, and worldbuilding were all impressive, to say the least.

But one step above all, the engaging fights that were-- and are to be-- featured in this saga are what keep the fans coming back for more. Because when all is taken into consideration, One Piece is an authentic battle shounen in and out. The true roots of the series can not be ignored no matter how high it climbed. These are the crème de la crème of the One Piece fights featured in the Yonko Saga (with manga spoilers ahead).

10 Straw Hats VS Big Mom

After successfully invading Totto Land and rampaging about for a while, it was time for the Straw Hat Pirates to bid their farewells. But of course, as this is One Piece, the concept of smooth sailing doesn’t exist.

Nami, Brook, Chopper, and Jinbe were making a swift but rough escape from the Yonko territory, while an angry Big Mom was hot on their heels. Each of the aforementioned Straw Hats contributed greatly to keeping the menacing Big Mom at bay.

9 Luffy VS Cracker

While Big Mom herself handled the farewells and escort, it was Cracker’s job to give the unwanted guests a warm welcome. Although the biscuits he offered as snacks were a tad hard to chew, even for Luffy.

While it wasn’t necessarily the most blood-boiling fight of the Whole Cake Island arc, it was beyond entertaining nonetheless. Luffy’s spectacular finisher on the Sweet General was a definite highlight of the arc.

8 Straw Hats VS Big Mom: Round Two

The not-so-exciting reunion between the Strawhats and Big Mom was much earlier than what one side expected. They had barely managed to fend her off just recently, and she was already back for more.

Fortunately, though, the narrative was being lenient on the band of good guys. With some intricate teamwork from Jinbe, Robin, and a few other Strawhats, Big Mom was thrown off the picture-- at least for the time being.

7 Sanji VS Luffy

Luffy and Sanji did not engage in any fight whatsoever. This entire event was Sanji’s desperate attempt to shoo away his captain to safety. But of course, it only remained as an attempt. There’s no way Luffy would’ve fallen for Sanji’s amateur yet convincing acting.

Luffy’s speech following the ordeal is what makes this clash noteworthy. It left not only Sanji but even fans at home covered in emotional tears.

6 Brook VS Big Mom

Brook vs Big Mom was one of the highlights of the Whole Cake Island arc. Just due to this brief mismatched confrontation, Brook earned one of the MVP spots. It’s not every day that someone confronts a Yonko with a firm unshaken heart.

Needless to be said, the result of the fight was already predetermined the moment Big Mom set foot in that room. It’s Brook’s spooky badassery that earned this fight a mention.

5 Zoro VS Killer

Zoro vs Killer (Kamazou at the time) was both the fight fans wanted and the one they needed. Seeing everyone’s favorite swordsman swinging his blade fluidly was a refreshing experience for most fans. The great choreography on top of the anime’s smooth animation elevated this fight to masterpiece class.

This particular fight also served to cement Zoro’s position as one of the toughest Supernovas.

4 Sanji VS Page One

For his new raid suit, Sanji needed a proper test subject, and Page One was the perfect test subject. He was barely commander level and stronger than 99% of the Beast Pirates’ fighters. It was a feast for the eyes for all Sanji fans out there.

While the fight might’ve ended abruptly with no confirmed winner, Sanji’s combat superiority was obvious during the entire duration of the fight.

3 Luffy VS Kaido

Calling this encounter between Luffy and Kaido a fight would undoubtedly be a stretch. This was no battle, if anything, it would be a one-sided massacre at best. It was a pre-mature fight picked by an emotional Luffy.

One solid smack from Kaido’s kanabo club rendered the rubbery boy unconscious. There was no thrilling trade of blows, just one side getting overwhelmed. Luffy will be up for a challenge in his imminent rematch.

2 Nine Red Scabbards VS Kaido

The Red Scabbards duking it out with Yonko Kaido himself and actually succeeding in injuring the latter was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. No one expected Oden’s retainers to be that powerful. The entire fandom bet their money on a one-sided victory in Kaido’s favor.

That being said though, the Yonko said it himself in chapter 993 of the manga that their cuts were too shallow.

1 Luffy VS Katakuri

Last is the final showdown between Luffy and Charlotte Katakuri. It was one exceptional fight that rocked the entirety of the One Piece community-- easily miles above any fight featured in the saga thus far.

Even when compared to similar boss fights, there are only a handful of fights that could rival this battle. The emotions and elements at play were completely top-notch even by One Piece standards.

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