The power ceiling in One Piece has been rising with every arc and it's starting to get truly out of control. With the current Egghead Arc being the first chapter in the Final Saga, all the strongest characters in the setting have seemingly been revealed – and everyone's gearing up for what's sure to be a bombastic grand finale, Luffy most of all.
The Egghead Arc is the beginning of the end for One Piece, and it's brought many of the strongest characters in the series together at long last. With longtime villains like Kaido and Big Mom having already been defeated, and allies like Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid meeting their matches, One Piece's strongest characters are starting to thin out. But the most powerful have already left their mark on the franchise and aren't going down without a fight.
10 Dracule Mihawk is the Powerhouse of the Cross Guild
A former Warlord of the Sea, Dracule Mihawk has been the strongest swordsman in the world since the beginning of One Piece, and is yet to be surpassed. Mihawk possesses no Devil Fruit powers, instead relying on his extremely powerful Haki and his sword, Yoru, which is one of only twelve in the world with a Supreme Grade ranking.
Alongside Crocodile, Mihawk publicly serves under Buggy the Clown, an Emperor of the Sea, while they secretly operate as the true leaders of the military organization. Although Mihawk once served as a rival to an Emperor, Red-Hair Shanks, he now effectively acts as one, positioning him on the same level of power as Big Mom and Kaido.
9 Monkey D. Garp May Have Met His End
Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, the "Hero of the Marines", was once a peer of Gol D. Roger, but his best days are long behind him. While he remains one of the strongest fighters in One Piece, his age and inner turmoil have prevented him from keeping up with younger characters who hold greater will and conviction. Throughout his career, Garp has repeatedly been offered the position of Admiral, with him only remaining a Vice Admiral by choice.
Despite not possessing a Devil Fruit power, his Haki alone made him a legend among his peers, and his fists are feared by pirates across the sea. Garp is one of only a handful of individuals in One Piece to possess the incredible power of infusing Conqueror's Haki into his attacks. In the Egghead Arc, however, age has finally caught up to Garp. Attacked by the Blackbeard Pirates in an assault spearheaded by Kuzan, Garp falls to the man he once trained, but not without putting up an impressive fight. Whether or not Garp survived this encounter remains to be seen.
8 Admiral Kizaru Has Finally Been Outclassed
Admiral Kizaru has one of the most impressive introductions in One Piece. Arriving on the Sabaody Archipelago in the arc named after it, he defeates four of the eleven Supernovas with great style, fights Silvers Rayleigh without much effort, and nearly kills the Straw Hat Pirates. Kizaru is as powerful as ever in the Egghead Arc, but he's no longer the threat he once was. Wielding the power of the Pika Pika no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit, Kizaru is untouchable by those without Haki.
His mastery over light and ability to move at the speed of light make him unstoppable even against most who do. Kizaru is a Marine Admiral, signifying him as one of the strongest fighters in the organization. However, his lack of candidacy for the position of Fleet Admiral indicates his power to be beneath that of Sakazuki and Kuzan's. In the Egghead Arc, Kizaru once again confronts the Straw Hat Pirates, but this encounter doesn't go anything like the one on Sabaody Archipelago. Now armed with Gear 5 and infused with Conqueror's Haki, where Luffy was once helpless against Kizaru, he now defeats him with ease.
7 The Five Elders Are the Main Antagonists of the Egghead Arc
For much of One Piece, The Five Elders (also known as the Gorōsei) were presented as the leaders of The World Government, leaving fans to theorize for decades over how their power compares to the Admirals who serve them. With them finally stepping into the spotlight as the main villains of the Egghead Arc, their power is finally on display – and it's terrifying.
Jaygarcia Saturn, Marcus Mars, Topman Warcury, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, and Shepherd Ju Peter have all eaten Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruits and awakened their full power. Each of them can transform into a different giant-sized yōkai, and can regenerate endlessly while in these forms. Luffy even theorizes during their fight that they may be immortal. The Elders are also all Haki masters, with Topman even possessing Conqueror's Haki. All together, their power is more than enough to challenge Gear 5 Luffy.
6 Imu Could Be The Main Villain of One Piece
Little remains known about Imu. The shadow ruler of The World Government, this mysterious figure holds authority over the Five Elders and the Admirals, implying their power to be on par with the very strongest in the world and making their clash with Luffy inevitable.
Imu can transform into a gargantuan, shadowy beast. In this form, Imu proves resistant to the attacks of Sabo, the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army, and is able to injure him as well. They no doubt have more tricks up their sleeve, but as of the Egghead Arc, Imu hasn't gotten the chance to display their true strength.
5 Kuzan Defeated Monkey D. Garp
Kuzan is an enigmatic antagonist in One Piece whose loyalties have never been completely clear. Whether he's fighting for the Marines as an Admiral or for Blackbeard as one of his Ten Titanic Captains, he's always standing shoulder to shoulder with the strongest characters in the series. Kuzan ate the Hie Hie no Mi, one of the most desired Logia-type Devil Fruits, as the ice powers it grants negate the weakness all Devil Fruit eaters share: water.
A master of his Fruit's power and of Haki, Kuzan fought Sakazuki for ten days in an attempt to claim the title of Marine Fleet Admiral, before eventually losing. In the Egghead Arc, Kuzan attacks the man who trained him, Vice Admiral Garp, alongside several other Titanic Captains serving under Blackbeard. With the assistance of his crewmates, Kuzan puts Garp down while hardly using his Devil Fruit powers, potentially killing him.
4 Sakazuki Remains a Looming Threat
The Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Sakazuki has proven himself to be the strongest member of the organization since the Marineford Arc, wherein he killed Portgas D. Ace, and enabled Blackbeard to kill Whitebeard. Having defeated Kuzan to claim his current position, Sakazuki has all the power he needs to enforce his brand of Absolute Justice. Sakazuki ate the Magu Magu no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that grants him control over magma.
Combined with his Haki, this power allowed him to stand toe to toe with Whitebeard, the former strongest man in the world, and to kill one of his commanders with a single blow. While Sakazuki is yet to step into action in the Egghead Arc, there is no reason to believe Kuzan has surpassed him. As a potential candidate to be Luffy's final opponent in the series, fans should expect to see him match the power of Gear 5.
3 Monkey D. Luffy is Close to Becoming King of the Pirates
Coming off the heels of his climactic battle with Kaido, the Egghead Arc has shown just how powerful Monkey D. Luffy has become. With Future Sight, infused Conqueror's Haki, and Gear 5, Luffy has gone from a rubber boy in a barrel to a force of nature worthy of the title of Emperor. Luffy ate the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit that transforms its user into the Sun God, Nika.
Having awakened the fruit's full power, Luffy can fully manipulate his body and the environment around him as he sees fit, shifting them to his will. As Luffy himself puts it, he has the power to do whatever he wants. In the Egghead Arc, Luffy defeats two of his strongest past opponents, Rob Lucci and Admiral Kizaru, without significant difficulty and he's currently engaged in combat with The Five Elders.
2 Shanks is the Last Remaining Emperor of the Previous Generation
Shanks is Luffy's hero and inspiration, and has been the bar that Luffy must meet if he's ever to become King of the Pirates. While his peers Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom have all fallen, Shanks is only now taking an active role in One Piece, and the limits of his power are only beginning to be explored. Shanks has not eaten any Devil Fruit, instead fighting purely with his sword and Haki.
A veteran pirate and Emperor of the Sea, Shanks is a master of Armament and Observation Haki, and is one of the few to possess infused Conqueror's Haki. In the past, Shanks clashed with Whitebeard and served as a rival to Mihawk. In the Egghead Arc, Shanks shows that he possesses Future Sight, can use Conqueror's Haki from miles away, and can defeat two of the strongest members of The Worst Generation, Eustass Kid and Killer, with a single Divine Departure attack.
1 Marshall D. Teach Seems Unstoppable
Better known as Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach is one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, and Luffy's greatest rival to become King of the Pirates. Wielding the power of both the Gura Gura no Mi and the Yami Yami no Mi, Blackbeard possesses more raw strength than any other One Piece character.
Between his two Devil Fruit powers, Blackbeard can create earthquakes capable of destroying the world and unleash blasts of darkness that negate all other Devil Fruit abilities. Blackbeard is also skilled in Armament and Observation Haki, and has been able to walk off nearly all attacks thrown at him. In the Egghead Arc, Blackbeard defeats Boa Hancock, a former Warlord of the Sea. He also defeats one of Luffy's strongest allies, Trafalgar Law, just after Law struck down Big Mom, an Emperor. As powerful as Gear 5 is, Luffy may need one more power-up to defeat Blackbeard.
