The One Piece universe has a variety of malevolent villains who seek nothing more than to dismantle the Straw Hat Pirates. From ruthless shogun dictators to alleged gods, there are no lack of enemies for Luffy to contend against. However, some characters are so friendly that it's easy for audiences to forget that they're villains at all.
They do not harbor personal grudges against the heroes and sometimes even help them directly later in the story. By identifying these charismatic rogues, it becomes easier to appreciate that not all of Luffy's opponents are beyond salvation and that the series is morally complex.
10 Perospero Just Wants To Protect His Family
At first, Perospero may seem particularly brutal. He nearly candified the heroes on multiple occasions and took delight in their potential petrification. He was also responsible for Pedro's death. However, Perospero has mentioned that everything he's done has been a result of what happened to him.
He did not actually kill Pedro; instead, he survived the man's attempted suicide attack. Additionally, he was within his rights to retaliate since the Straw Hat Pirates breached Whole Cake Island and attacked the wedding.
9 Hannyabal Was More Of An Ally Than Hindrance
As the vice warden of Impel Down, one might assume that Hannyabal has few redeeming qualities. However, he chafed under Magellan's leadership so much that he romanticized the heroes' escape.
Instead of protesting against the prison's injustices, Hannyabal was exclusively interested in replacing his boss. All the same, he is also responsible for keeping the worst prisoners on the Grand Line locked away. When Blackbeard released them, their true depravity became known at Marineford. In this regard, Hannyabal was one of the last lines of defense between terrible criminals and the innocent.
8 Foxy Was A Sportsman Above All
Foxy was the leader of the Foxy pirates, a unique crew whose sole purpose was to expand. He challenged Luffy to a Davy Back Game though proved a hospitable host. The heroes were provided with concessions and entertainment throughout the contest, and those who were impressed into Foxy's service were also treated with dignity.
Additionally, Foxy himself was a sensitive man who seldom resorted to insults regardless of how much the Straw Hats berated him. Nonetheless, his cheating and manipulative ways cannot be overlooked and clearly define him as a villain even if he is relatively harmless.
7 Aokiji Is The Reason Robin Is Alive
When the marines stormed Ohara and slaughtered its denizens, Aokiji came face to face with Jaguar D. Saul. The giant protected Robin at the cost of his life, leaving her at his mercy.
Aware of Robin's potential but unwilling to murder a child, he created an ice bridge so that she could get away. Robin's escape meant that the entire buster call had failed since the secrets of Ohara weren't destroyed for good. Nonetheless, Aokiji expressed a semblance of regret for his decision in the Water Seven arc when attempting to capture Robin again.
6 Luffy Earned Smoker's Respect
At first, Smoker presented himself as a man determined to destroy all pirates. He doggedly pursued Luffy across the East Blue and would have captured him in Loguetown if not for Dragon's unexpected interference. Despite his grizzled demeanor, Smoker has come to respect Luffy for his actions.
Not only did Luffy save his life in Alabasta, he also freed dozens of Caesar Clown's captured children despite it having no benefit to himself. This challenged Smoker's idea of pirates and inspired him to protect Luffy from Doflamingo.
5 Fujitora Was A Just & Righteous Man
Fujitora has perhaps the most correct sense of justice out of all marine admirals. He realized that Luffy wasn't a villain throughout the Dressrosa arc and even committed his soldiers to stop Doflamingo's bird cage.
Additionally, Fujitora refused to fire on Luffy while he escaped due to the potential for civilian casualties. He also ensured that the truth behind Doflamingo's corruption was revealed, which helped to dissolve the Seven Warlords program and completely disgraced the World Government. Nonetheless, Fujitora's rank still makes him a serious threat to be dealt with.
4 Perona Ultimately Cares About Zoro's Wellbeing
When first debuting, Perona was Gecko Moria's most powerful servant. Her negative hollows were an excellent counter to the Straw Hats since it capitalized on their positive dispositions. However, after being whisked to Mihawk's island by Kuma, she quickly found Zoro and bonded with him.
Perona became so attached that she looked over the swordsman regardless of her best efforts not to care about him. Eventually, she even gave up on rejoining Moria's crew, as seen through the fact that she did not accompany him during his invasion of Blackbeard's island.
3 Baby Five Joined The Heroes Midway Through Dressrosa
Baby Five was a member of the Donquixote family first sent to destroy the Thousand Sunny. Although thwarted by Franky, she remained an active participant in the Dressrosa conflict against the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
During her battle with Sai, Five misinterpreted his threats as propositions and immediately fell for him. Finally feeling as if she were "needed," she defected from Doflamingo's forces and joined the Grand Fleet. Eventually, Sai took his new partner back to the kingdom of Kano to be married. The new couple will likely return when Luffy needs them most.
2 Hachi Apologized For His Previous Transgressions Against Nami
Initially, Hachi sided with Arlong when the Sun pirates dispersed. He accompanied the villain to the East Blue, and together, they terrorized Nami's village. After Luffy defeated him, Hachi turned over a new leaf. He ran a food restaurant in Archipelago and denounced his previous master.
Hachi was so profuse in his regret that he apologized to Nami directly for what he'd done. Luckily for him, she accepted his sentiments and had no issues about making him an ally. This came in handy later when Hachi got shot by Saint Charloss.
1 Bon Clay Sacrifices Everything For Luffy
Bon Clay has sacrificed everything for Luffy. Between giving the Straw Hats time to escape Alabasta and his heroic final stand at Impel Down, he has proven a reliable friend time and again. However, their relationship was not always so stellar.
Previously, Clay had been a member of the notorious Baroque Works agency working under the pseudonym "Mr. Two." He was a massive proponent in destabilizing Alabasta, especially after faking the king's identity and committing a crime. Clay's Devil Fruit made him instrumental in Crocodile's plans and one of the challenging henchmen to defeat.