The Great Pirate Era in One Piece started with the death of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and countless pirates took to the sea in search of the grand treasure known as the “One Piece.” Thanks to Roger’s last words, piracy became a lot more common, however, even before the Great Pirate Era began, some incredible pirates ruled the seas of the One Piece world.
While some of them had their names jotted down in the history books, others were so powerful that the Government completely erased every record of them. The power they wielded, however, remains a testament to their legacy.
Updated February 23, 2022 by Rei Penber: The world of One Piece has seen a new generation of pirates swarm the seas after Gol D. Roger ushered in the Great Pirate Era. However, there are several pirates of the old era who achieved incredible fame in the days of the past and, as such, their names are still relevant to this day. While we’ve already mentioned the ten strongest pirates in One Piece, there are quite a few more who deserve equal credit for their achievements in the past. With that being said, we’ve expanded this list of the strongest pirates of the old era.
14 Zeff
Also known as Red-Leg, Zeff was a famous pirate of the old era and one of the very few who have made a name for themselves in the East Blue. Zeff took to the seas to look for the ocean known as the All Blue. He voyaged across the Grand Line for a year and returned unharmed, which is quite a feat.
In his prime, Zeff’s strength was said to have been so incredible that whenever he fought, his foot was coated in the blood of his enemies, earning him the epithet of “Red-Leg” Zeff. Although Zeff has considerably weakened in the current time, he was one of the strongest pirates in One Piece in his prime.
13 Shakky
Shakky used to be a pirate around 40 years ago, as mentioned by Hachi and even Shakky herself. She was likely a part of the infamous Rocks Pirates of the past. While Shakky’s strength isn’t known, what fans do know is that she was chased around by Garp back in the day.
Given that Garp, one of the Navy’s strongest, wouldn’t be deployed for just any pirate, it certainly implies that Shakky was a capable pirate in her own right. In the future, fans might get to see a glimpse of what she’s capable of as a fighter.
12 Crocus
Crocus was the doctor of the Roger Pirates and an incredibly powerful fighter as well. Although he was a part of the Roger Pirates for quite a short while, joining only for the last voyage, Crocus managed to do the impossible and reached Laugh Tale with Roger.
As a fighter, he is likely to have been impressive as that’s expected of the Pirate King’s crew. Crocus engaged the likes of Whitebeard Pirates and also the Golden Lion Pirates in combat on several occasions and remained relatively unharmed over the years.
11 Don Chinjao
The 12th leader of the Happo Navy, Don Chinjao was one of the strongest pirates in One Piece, and back in the day, he was feared as a legendary pirate. Chinjao had a bounty of over 500 million berries on his head, which just goes to show that the level of skill that he possessed was quite high.
He could use all the three types of Haki and had, in the past, fought Garp on multiple occasions. Chinjao often made use of his drill in combat and it is believed that it was strong enough to split a continent of ice apart. During his last fight against Garp, he lost his drill and therefore, his biggest source of power.
10 Captain John
Captain John was one of the members of Rocks Pirates around 50 years ago and together with his crewmates, he ruled the seas with absolute authority. After the God Valley Incident, Captain John became much stronger and earned great fame.
He’s known to have been a legendary pirate. He died at an unknown time, however, history still remembers him as a phenomenal pirate. His treasure is especially regarded to be unique and was sought by Buggy.
9 Scopper Gaban
One of the strongest members of the Roger Pirates, Scopper Gaban was an incredibly powerful pirate. According to Roger, he was one of his two best men on the crew, putting him second to just Silvers Rayleigh. Although he hasn’t been seen fighting in the story, he’s known to be a user of Haki.
His weapons of choice are two axes and he’s very proficient with their usage. Gaban’s whereabouts after the disbandment of the Roger Pirates are unknown.
8 Silvers Rayleigh
The right-hand of the Pirate King, Silvers Rayleigh is one of the most fearsome pirates in the story. As the second strongest of the original members of the Roger Pirates, Rayleigh earned the title of the Dark King.
In the One Piece world, he’s feared by nearly everyone and even Garp held him in legendary light before the Paramount War. Rayleigh wields all three Haki types and has great control over Ryou as well.
7 Kaido
Just like Captain John, Kaido was one of the members of the Rocks Pirates as well, however, he was one of the weaker members of the group as he was merely an apprentice back then. After Rocks’ fall, he immediately made a great name for himself and in the years to come, he had acquired a powerful crew.
Before the Great Pirate Era began, however, Kaido wasn’t as strong as he is today. In fact, his pirate crew was far from being complete during the time.
6 Kozuki Oden
Kozuki Oden was the strongest samurai of Wano Country and a man that even the likes of Roger and Whitebeard were charmed by. He was an incredible samurai who wielded two swords, Ame no Habakiri and Enma, both of which are considered to be powerful.
Oden was a great user of Ryuo and he could also use Conqueror’s Haki to coat his attacks, making him one of the strongest in the world. In his fight against Kaido, he nearly killed him and won the war with just 10 men on his side.
5 Shiki
Also known as the Flying Pirate, Shiki is one of the most infamous pirates in the One Piece world. He was once a subordinate of Rocks but after the fall of the crew, he created the Golden Lion pirates. His armada is known to have been the biggest in the One Piece world, second to none. Shiki was a rival to the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
What’s more, he was strong enough to fight both Garp and Sengoku at the same time and destroy half of Marineford while at it. His powers of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi gave him the ability to fly and make inanimate objects levitate as well.
4 Charlotte Linlin
One of the Yonko, Charlotte Linlin, also known as Big Mom, is one of the most fearsome pirates in the One Piece world. She was once one of the most prominent members of Rocks’ crew. With the power of the Soru Soru no Mi, she can manipulate souls according to her will and even bring inanimate objects to life.
Linlin was incredibly powerful back in the day and certainly stronger than Kaido as she had already established herself as a rival to Roger. Her usage of all the Haki types, along with her natural monstrous power, makes her a force to be reckoned with.
3 Whitebeard
Edward Newgate, also known as Whitebeard, became an incredibly powerful pirate before the start of the Great Pirate Era. Whitebeard also worked under Rocks once but after he left the crew, he grew even stronger.
With the power of the Gura Gura no Mi, he was declared as the World’s Strongest Man, and he was the only man worthy of fighting Gol D. Roger to a tie. Whitebeard was also described as the king of the seas following Roger’s death, which just goes to show how strong he truly was back in his prime.
2 Gol D. Roger
The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger is known to have been the most incredible pirate. Roger was responsible for starting the Great Pirate Era and at the same time, he was the most influential pirate of this era as well. With his Saijō Ō Wazamono sword Ace, Roger could match up to any foe.
His usage of all three types of Haki was immense, as seen during Oden’s flashback. Roger was just as strong as Whitebeard despite being ravaged by a deadly illness, implying his true power was never even seen. Without a doubt, Roger was a phenomenal pirate.
1 Rocks D. Xebec
Known to be one from the history books, Rocks ruled the seas of the One Piece world all alone about 40 years ago, which is way before the era of Gol D. Roger. He directly opposed the World Government and the entire world feared his crew, given that he had some of the mightiest people on board.
Rocks was so powerful that even Roger couldn’t take him down alone and he needed Garp’s cooperation to do so. According to Sengoku, Rocks is Roger’s most formidable enemy ever, even more so than Whitebeard.
