Sengoku is the former Fleet Admiral of the Navy in One Piece and one of the strongest characters to ever grace the series. Along with Garp, Sengoku is considered to be one of the strongest Marines. He was a leading figure of the Marines during the era of Roger which meant his skill was above most of the pirates.
Being the Fleet Admiral, it goes without saying that Sengoku was tremendously powerful. However, there are quite a few characters who have surpassed his level over the years. Here are 5 One Piece characters who can defeat Sengoku and 5 who can't.
10 Can Defeat: Garp
Garp is a Vice-Admiral of the Navy, who is also considered to be the strongest in their history. Thanks to the God Valley incident which saw him destroy the Rocks Pirates (although with help from Roger Pirates), Garp came to be known as the Hero of the Navy.
His strength is immense, as seen when he claimed to have destroyed 8 full mountains just in his training to beat Don Chinjao. Garp also cornered Gol D. Roger several times in the past, however, he was never able to defeat him.
9 Can't Defeat: Akainu
Akainu is the current Fleet Admiral of the Navy who aims to aggressively oppose the Yonko of the New World. He wields the power of the Magu Magu no Mi, which allows him to create and control magma at will.
Being a former Admiral, it goes without saying that Akainu is very powerful. However, he is certainly not as strong as Sengoku, at least for now. Sengoku is known to have fought the likes of Roger and Whitebeard in their primes while Akainu struggled against a sick, and wounded Whitebeard.
8 Can Defeat: Roger
Also known as the King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger was one of the strongest pirates in the world of One Piece, if not the strongest. As evident from his title, he is the only known man in the series whoever conquered the Grand Line completely.
Roger was powerful enough to fight the likes of Garp and Sengoku. In fact, he even matched the strongest man, Whitebeard, in a fight, becoming the only person to do so in the process. Undoubtedly, he was stronger than Sengoku.
7 Can't Defeat: Kizaru
One of the current Admirals of the Navy, Kizaru wields the power of the Logia type Pika Pika no Mi, which gives him the ability to turn into light and manipulate it at will.
As such, he is easily one of the fastest characters in the world of One Piece. Kizaru's strength is such that he can stand up against even the strongest of pirates in the series. However, Sengoku was certainly a step above him, both in terms of status and power.
6 Can Defeat: Whitebeard
The strongest character in the world of One Piece, Edward Newgate, also known as Whitebeard was one of the Yonko of the Sea. He had a bounty of over 5 billion berries on his head, making him one of the biggest threats in the story.
Even in his old age, he was considered to be a monster capable of destroying the entire world. In his prime, he was equal to Gol D. Roger in terms of power. The strongest Marine, Garp, openly acknowledged him as the King of the Seas.
5 Can't Defeat: Aokiji
Kuzan, also known as Aokiji, is a former Navy Admiral who is now a member of the Blackbeard Pirates. Aokiji is quite powerful and he holds the power of the Logia type Hie Hie no Mi at his disposal, which lets him turn into and manipulate ice at will.
Aokiji was able to fight against Diamond Jozu during the Paramount War, which is an indication of how strong he really is. Furthermore, he was also able to put up quite a fight against Akainu, however, he ended up losing.
4 Can Defeat: Shiki
Also known as the Golden Lion, Shiki is easily one of the strongest known people in the world of One Piece. During Roger's era, he was considered to be one of the greatest pirates ever. In fact, Shiki led the largest fleet, known as the Golden Lion Armada, in the New World back then.
Shiki was a monster in combat and he held the power of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, which allowed him to make anything float. With its powers, he could take on both Garp and Sengoku at once.
3 Can't Defeat: Luffy
Luffy is the Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and the man who has a 1.5 billion berries bounty on his head. Luffy's skill and prowess are such that he could even defeat Charlotte Katakuri, a man known to be invincible throughout his life.
Although Luffy is strong, he isn't a match for the likes of Sengoku for now. To get there, Luffy will have to train harder and grow more. Eventually, he'll get to that level.
2 Can Defeat: Rocks D. Xebec
Rocks was the strongest force in the world before the era of Roger and he led the infamous Rocks Pirates. He was a threat so powerful that he challenged the World Government head-on like a terrorist.
Rocks aimed to become the King of the World, which is a title even loftier than the Pirate King. Eventually, the Navy and the Roger Pirates combined their forces to take him down. Sengoku alone would stand absolutely no chance against him.
1 Can't Defeat: King The Wildfire
King is the right-hand man of Yonko Kaido and quite a powerful pirate. He wields the power of the Ancient Zoan type Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Pteranodon that lets him transform into the said creature at will.
King has tremendous power, however, it falls short of the likes of Sengoku and Garp. Everything about Sengoku, from his Devil Fruit to his Haki is superior to that of King.