One Piece has told quite the journey within its 20+ years of syndication. In the Straw Hats' epic tale of finding Gold Roger's elusive treasure, they've come across giant monsters, lost cities, advanced civilizations, and, as this list will look over, a few good enemies along the way. The villains of the series are a pivotal element in creating its dynamic with the competitive lifestyle of the adventurer as well as the moral crisis of the pirating life vs. order.
And though the series has cultivated hit villain after villain across multiple arcs, this list will be taking a step back and examine the humble years of the Straw Hats' first enemies. Here are the top 10 villains of the East Blue Arc, ranked.
10 Lord of the Coast
Though not a villain in the nefarious plotter sense, the Lord of the Coast represents a very pivotal conflict for the early game of the series. During Romance Dawn, Luffy was kidnapped by a band of bandits and as Shanks tried to save him while one of them took him to the sea, the village's dreaded sea king, the Lord of the Coast, swooped in and took Shanks' arm.
The Lord of the Coast was the ultimate representation of Luffy's early weakness and greatest childhood regret. Therefore, when Luffy managed to take him out with one punch when he first set sail, his defeat not only avenged Shanks' lost arm but showed Luffy's early readiness as a brave and strong adventurer of the sea.
9 "Double-Crosser" Jango
While he has been sidelined as a comedic character and underling to "Black Cage" Hina within recent years, "Double-Crosser" Jango's first moonwalk unto the scene was as one of the most eccentric and distinct villains ever to give the Straw Hats a hard time.
As the intermediary captain and hypnotist of the Black Cat Pirates, Jango was Captain Kuro's right-hand man and a valued resource in doping the strength of the crew with his hypnotism. However, that doesn't mean Jango is a slouch himself. He's also able to use his hypnotism to stifle his foes, and his hypnotizing piece also serves a double-purpose as a razor-sharp projectile.
8 Helmeppo
Helmeppo is evidence of the very early, very weak and mild beginnings of the series. He was a classic spoiled rich kid whose arrogance instigated the very imprisonment and torture that lead to Luffy and Zoro's first meeting. While not much of a threat on his own, Helmeppo's cowardice and weakness were still pretty frustrating during his introduction.
Though it didn't serve much than fodder to Luffy and Zoro during that initial arc, it served as the perfect antithesis to Helmeppo's growth once he joined Coby's journey to becoming a brave and powerful Marine. It's still amazing to see how Captain Coby's current right-hand man once held a gun to his head.
7 "Iron Mace" Alvida
While the Lord of the Coast may have officially served as Luffy's first obstacle when entering the East Blue, "Iron Mace" Alvida was his first full-fledged villain/pirate enemy. She played the classic role of both an introductory villain and an introductory pirate. She was nefarious and cruel and lead a swashbuckling group or ne'er-do-wells.
The lady herself was a large and intimidating force whose booming voice corralled the hardened souls of her crew and whose, heavy iron mace would bear down hard on its enemies. While not much compared to the gods and monsters of the later arcs, Alvida was still a charming force to see Luffy takedown. Without her, Coby wouldn't have met Luffy or set out his journey to becoming a Marine.
6 "Axe-Hand" Morgan
While pirates by definition and reputation are lawless soldiers of the sea, their counterparts of order, the Marines, aren't exactly all that far off from pirates. Though they are trusted with protecting the people and upholding the law, many of them use their status to rule over their communities with an iron fist. Or, in this case, an ax hand.
"Axe-Hand" Morgan was the series' introduction to the corrupt Marine and all its brute force. While he didn't pose much of a threat, the actions of him and his son made for an interesting introductory arc for Zoro. Morgan would also play a pivotal role in Helmeppo's new journey during his and Coby's cover story as the catalyst to wanting to be a strong adventurer.
5 Gin the Man Demon
Not enough love is given to the secondary villains as absolute show-stealers within their respective arcs. Proof of that is in the Baratie Arc's Gin the Man Demon, Don Krieg's first mate and a unique voice among the white noise of the series' white noise of stereotypical villains.
While Gin could have simply been an intimidating fighter, he made his mark with his own personal conflict between serving his captain and helping Sanji, the one man to show him kindness. As a pirate, Gin's priorities should have already bee set, which made his conflict in loyalties all the more interesting and his eventual, hard-boiled decision to run it both ways all the more surprising and heartbreaking.
4 Commodore Don Krieg
While Gin was an interesting character, the main villain of the Baratie Arc was, of course, the man adorned in a suit of gold armor. Commodore Don Krieg was an ex-Marine who betrayed the organization. Using that deceptive nature as well as his incredible strength and mass resources, Don Krieg stood as one of the most intimidating figures within the East Blue and managed to accrue one of its most promising armadas for entering the Grand Line.
All of that would eventually prove fruitless as soon as Don Krieg actually entered the Grand Line, but all that hype still helped make him an intimidating foe as well as a tantalizing taste as to how dark and mysterious the Grand Line could really be.
3 Captain Kuro
As much as this list can run through foes who essentially just walk the line of being really big, tough, and mean, very few entries on here could legitimately call themselves "diabolical." That's where the cunning mind and patience of Captain Kuro comes in.
A legendary East Blue pirate who faked his own death, Captain Kuro took refuge in Syrup Village, being hired as a butler for its most elite family. However, Kuro would immediately hatch a plan in his favor, as he would play the long game of earning the family's trust to get into their will.
Beyond just a 3+ year plan, Kuro of a Hundred Plans was also a tactful enemy in his battle against Luffy and co. Not only would much of his crew's strength depend on elusiveness and manipulation, but the man himself was also a cruel and unilateral being. When forced to up his strength against Luffy, Kuro would silently enter a hyper-fast rampage that hurt enemies and crew alike.
2 Buggy the Clown
Buggy, as the sole character to actually have a consistent recurring role out of anyone on this list, has obviously made his mark as an iconic villain of One Piece. His first meeting with "Straw Hat" Luffy introduced the boy to his future navigator, as well as the mysterious nature of other Devil Fruit users.
On top of that, Buggy brought an eccentric crew of talented and deadly circus performers who fought the Straw Hats' early crew with fire, lions, and even their own patented cannonballs, the Buggy Balls. Though his defeat was inevitable, Buggy soon took on his lasting role as the series' main and most favored comedic villain, dedicating his life to taking revenge on the Straw Hat as well as make a few bucks on the Grand Line.
1 Arlong
Who else could stand at the top of the East Blue's villainy than the man who was equal parts diabolical, unforgivably cruel, and monstrously powerful? Arlong, for a time, was the most wanted pirate in the East Blue. After being ejected from the ranks of the Fishman Pirates, Arlong would bring his own crew to the East Blue and immediately raid and conquer Nami's hometown.
In doing so, they ransomed the lives of the townspeople, eventually killing off Nami's mother who could not pay for her own life. Having conquered the island and subjugated Nami to years of labor and piracy, Arlong was a pure evil that fans couldn't wait for Luffy to show him his place.