One Piece, as bright and full of wondrous adventure as it is, is a cruel, unforgiving world whose very waters will easily toss aside the weak. To rule its various domains, one has to be ruthless and powerful enough to handle the god-like beings who may oppose them. The most infamous warriors capable of such are the sea-bound scoundrels known as pirates, barbarians, and conquerors of the waters who are all competing for the same coveted treasure, the One Piece.
Even within the same boat, pirate crews have a hierarchy, with those at the bottom scrubbing the floors hard to impress the crew's strongest. This list will be ranking some of the strongest members of each pirate crew. Given their status, captains will be omitted, so this will be a battle between shipmates for the top.
14 Bepo (Heart Pirates)
Bepo is the navigator and long time friend of Trafalgar Law. Though his actual navigational skills have left a lot to be desired, he more than makes up for it with his talent for martial arts.
Always there to defend this captain, Bepo has been shown to easily handle groups of enemies, threatening them, not with his claws, but his powerful fists.
13 Mr. 3 (Buggy Pirates)
With Buggy having quickly risen in the pirating world after the Paramount War, the Buggy Pirates, more than ever, have needed to bulk. Helping Buggy carry the team (especially with Hajrudin's sudden departure), Mr. 3 Galdino currently ranks as the strongest member of Buggy's crew.
As an ex-agent of Baroque Works, Mr. 3 was a tenacious and talented bounty hunter entrusted to handle pirates with even 100 million beli bounties, far above the tastes of the Buggy Pirates. With his wits and Wax Wax Fruit, Mr. 3 is just the support that Buggy needs.
12 Perona (Thriller Bark Pirates)
A huge gap was left within the Thriller Bark ranks when they lost hold of some of the strongest members of their zombie army. And while Absalom (and certainly not Dr. Hogback) could certainly find his place here given his powerful implants, there really is no other stronger force in Gecko Moriah's ranks than the Ghost Princess herself.
With her Hollow Hollow Fruit, Perona is able to summon a variety of ghosts that can steal the positive energy of anyone who holds any ambition, pretty much making her the most dangerous person in the race to find the One Piece.
11 Aladine (Sun Pirates)
Aladine has been with the Sun Pirates since its inception. And even during its days under Fisher Tiger, Aladine has stood among the group as their voice of reason. He is also capable of doing plenty of talking with fists, as he's shown to be really proficient with both Fishman Karate and Jujutsu.
Having maintained that stature when he became the trusted second under Jinbei, Aladine would even find himself promoted to captain once Jinbei left the group.
10 The Gorgon Sisters (Kuja Pirates)
In a country where true beauty lies within one's strength, Boa Hancock and her sisters rank high as the Kuja's most alluring group. Having to keep up with the power of their sister, Sandersonia and Marigold stand as the Kuja's mightiest warriors, having been entrusted with the execution of Monkey D. Luffy when he made mincemeat of their panther, Bacura.
With the techniques and Haki of the Kuja and the powers of two different Snake Snake Fruits, the Gorgon Sisters were a towering force to give Luffy a bitter taste of what to expect from the seas' elite pirates.
9 Killer (Kid Pirates)
As a Supernova, Killer easily ranks as one of the most infamous pirates to ever just be a subordinate. He is prone to using dual scythes during battle, showing incredible mastery of them in combination with his quickness and agility.
Upon having been taken in by Lord Orochi, he was used as a mass serial killer/assassin to benefit the feudal lord. Having strong abilities to clash with even Urouge and be trusted as a talented fighter in the land of samurai, Killer must be a welcome addition in Kid's group.
8 Pica (Donquixote Family)
The Donquixote Family requires no one in their ranks that is anything less than a ruthless, capable killer. With the ability to fuse with stone cities to become a towering giant, killing must be very easy for Pica.
Even at the age of nine, Pica was a brute that could do away with full-grown men. Today, he is a powerful gladiator with full control of Armament Haki. Using that natural strength and ability to manipulate stone, Pica is truly the most frightening force under Doflamingo.
7 Roronoa Zoro (Straw Hat Pirates)
Though Pica was a powerful force, he evidently didn't stand much of a chance against the Straw Hats' resident swordsmen. Having become a master of the three sword style and trained under Dracule Mihawk himself, Roronoa Zoro is easily one of the most powerful and talented sword fighters in the One Piece world.
He's taken on human saw mills, zombie samurai, and even a giraffe in his rise to become the #1 swordsmen. Looking at his resume, he's getting pretty close.
6 Shiryu (Blackbeard Pirates)
While not a lot is known about the Blackbeard Pirates and their strength, the ex-Head Jailer of Impel Down made more than a good first impression during his introduction.
With his base strength capable of taking on Magellan and a ruthless nature for killing, Shiryu is one of the most dangerous sword fighters in the series. Now, having gained the abilities of the Clear Clear Fruit, he has ensured that his opponents will never see their demise coming.
5 King (Animal Kingdom Pirates)
The Animal Kingdom Pirates currently stand as the most feared pirate crew after the disbandment of the Whitebeard Pirates. Though not a lot has been shown of King besides his ability to transform into a pteranodon, his status and ability to look down and the living disaster that is Jack says a lot about where he is in the crew.
4 Charlotte Katakuri (Big Mom Pirates)
As the lead protector of the Charlotte Family and the top fighter of the Big Mom Pirates, Katakuri holds a great weight on his shoulders that he carries with ease. A master of Armament, Observation, and Conqueror's Haki, he is easily one of the most well-rounded fighters.
With the added benefit of his Mochi Mochi Fruit, Katakuri is able to deliver a variety of surprising and lethal attacks from anywhere, showing people that mochi can damage much more than a sweet tooth.
3 Marco the Phoenix (Whitebeard Pirates)
Marco the Phoenix has been with Whitebeard ever since his teenage years. Having been raised for decades in the crew, Marco is no stranger to the wild waves of the Grand Line nor the bloody combat that it takes to survive it.
Not that the latter is even that hard given his Phoenix Phoenix Fruit. Capable of healing himself and his comrades from all manner of attacks and quickly flying across the battlefield, Marco is one of the most essential allies in Whitebeard's forces.
2 Benn Beckman (Red-Haired Pirates)
Benn Beckman's abilities may have not been thoroughly shown in the series, but there is a lot of hype behind him to suggest that he is a powerful foe.
Having been stated by Eiichiro Oda himself as having the highest IQ of anyone in the East Blue, Benn's intellect must be a frightening force for a world full of brutes. Though Beckman himself is a talented fighter and gunman with the ability to make even Admiral Kizaru surrender.
1 Silvers Rayleigh (Roger Pirates)
Silvers Rayleigh is the second to the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and is considered to be the Dark King of the pirating world. He is a talented and powerful sword fighter who easily clashed with the light speed maneuvers of Admiral Kizaru.
When he learned that Luffy was on Amazon Lily, the man swam the entire expanse of the sea between Sabaody Archipelago and Amazon Lily to see him and even offer his services as his teacher for Haki. As a feared fighter and cool-headed leader, Rayleigh must be a welcome addition to any pirate crew.