Gol D. Roger's final words inspired a generation of outlaws and revolutionaries, and since then, One Piece's Marines have struggled to control not just the Grand Line, but every major ocean in the series. In an attempt to gain ground against the newest wave of rookie pirates, the World Government adopted what is known as the Warlord system.
In exchange for losing their wanted status, pirates that become Warlords are required to assist the World Government in their endeavors. For several years, the system was believed to function well, but in truth, many of the Warlords abused their powers, leading to the eventual dismantling of the system at the latest Reverie. While these Warlords are once again wanted pirates, they're more dangerous than ever now that they are free of oversight from their greatest enemy.
Updated on May 17, 2023 by Kennedy King: With the Wano Country arc now concluded, the legacy left by the Warlord system is more clear than ever. Many of the former Warlords rank among the most dangerous criminals in the world, and as One Piece moves into its final saga, they are primed to make a bigger impact than ever before.
12 Buggy The Clown
After Buggy the Clown's connection to the Roger Pirates is revealed, he is formally invited to become a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. This greatly increases Buggy's prestige in the pirating world, allowing him to leverage his name recognition and recruit numerous strong pirates.
However, regardless of how strong Buggy's associates are, he is easily the weakest member of the Warlord system. He has never used any form of Hakin on-screen, and his Chop-Chop Fruit powers are only useful against weaker opponents. The red-nosed clown slots among One Piece's best characters, but he is nothing but a poser among the Seven Warlords.
11 Gecko Moria
Before the events of One Piece, Gecko Moria's crew is annihilated by Kaido, forcing Moria into hiding for quite some time. While hiding, he conducted a new plan to hopefully see him become the next King of the Pirates.
By building a massive ship known as Thriller Bark, Moria was able to wander around the seas, abducting strong fighters and stealing their shadows with his Devil Fruit's ability. Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates were able to defeat Moria pre time-skip, but should he ever accumulate enough shadows, he could pose a significant threat to other more powerful Warlords.
10 Bartholomew Kuma
Bartholomew Kuma is the former king of the Sorbet Kingdom, as well as a former member of Monkey D. Dragon's Revolutionary Army. He's currently in the World Government's possession where he works as a slave for the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise. Both before and after his capture, Kuma's name commanded fear and respect across the Grand Line.
The Paw-Paw Fruit is one of the most useful and versatile Devil Fruits in the series, and it alone makes Kuma a formidable opponent. Unfortunately, the World Government's abuse of Kuma has rendered him a shell of his former self, preventing the full scope of his powers from being seen in One Piece thus far.
9 Jinbei
Jinbei is arguably the most well-respected Fish-Man in history, due in large part to the great sacrifices that he has made for his people and his allies. After the death of his former captain, Fisher Tiger, Jinbei took over as captain of the Sun Pirates, eventually earning enough status to claim the title of Warlord.
When Jinbei and Big Mom, an Emperor of the Sea, squared off, the Fish-Man was able to withstand her overwhelming Haki and Devil Fruit powers. This alone speaks to his strength, but as evidenced by victories over characters like Who's Who, he is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the New World's best fighters.
8 Edward Weevil
Edward Weevil is the self-proclaimed son of the former Emperor of the Sea, Edward Newgate, better known as Whitebeard. While this claim is unsubstantiated, it has been confirmed that Weevil is the son of Buckingham Stussy, a former member of the Rocks Pirates who claims to have been Whitebeard's lover.
Much like a young Whitebeard, Weevil is frighteningly powerful — as shown by how easily he has single-handedly laid waste to the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies. During the Wano Country arc, it is revealed that Weevil was defeated and captured by Admiral Ryokugyu, so he's likely weaker than the strongest members of the Seven Warlords.
7 Crocodile
As a young pirate, Crocodile made his way into the New World where he challenged the most wanted pirate in the world, Whitebeard. Unfortunately for Crocodile, Whitebeard was much more powerful than the future Warlord could have imagined, forcing him to change plans and set his sights on taking control of Alabasta Kingdom.
Although Monkey D. Luffy eventually defeats Crocodile, the Straw Hat Pirate stood virtually no chance had he not discovered Crocodile's weakness to water. The Sand-Sand Fruit provides the former leader of Baroque Works with massive power, and assuming he learned a few tricks during his time in Impel Down, he's likely stronger than ever.
6 Donquixote Doflamingo
One of the great tyrants that came to power because of the Warlord system is Donquixote Doflamingo, a dastardly pirate who used his position to take over the country of Dressrosa. Under his rule, the country appeared to be a peaceful nation but, under the surface, it was being used to conduct Doflamingo's criminal syndicate.
In order to defeat Doflamingo, Trafalgar D. Water Law and Monkey D. Luffy were forced to join forces. While Luffy's Gear 4 form ultimately took down the flamboyant Warlord, Doflamingo's indomitable spirit likely led him to grow even stronger following his defeat. If he escapes during One Piece's final saga, then the World Government and pirates alike should beware.
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4 Boa Hancock
Boa Hancock is a former slave of the Celestial Dragons, the current ruler of Amazon Lilly, and the captain of the Kuja Pirates. Known for her strength and beauty, Boa Hancock can use her Love-Love Devil Fruit to wipe out entire armies with a single glance.
In addition to her beauty, Boa Hancock is also skilled in the use of Haki, allowing her to square off against almost any opponent in the series. She will likely play a vital role in One Piece's final saga, and if her Conqueror's Haki is any indication, Hancock should play a major factor in the inevitable war against the World Government.
3 Trafalgar D. Water Law
For many years, Trafalgar D. Water Law harbored deep hatred towards Doflamingo, and during the Dressorsa Arc, he and Monkey D. Luffy were finally able to defeat the sadistic tyrant. Law's Op-Op Fruit proved to be a vital asset during this conflict, and it has continued to serve him well in subsequent battles.
During Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid's battle with Big Mom, Law awakened his Devil Fruit, giving him a massive boost in power that placed him on par with some of the strongest pirates ever. While he is not quite Emperor of the Sea status, he's undoubtedly one of the most impressive pirates to serve as a Warlord for the World Government.
2 Dracule Mihawk
Dracule "Hawkeye" Mihawk is the World's Strongest Swordsman, and as evidenced by his legendary duels with Shanks, he is on equal footing with One Piece's most legendary characters. Mihawk is known to travel the Grand Line by himself in search of challenges, speaking to his confidence in combat.
Although Roronoa Zoro and Mihawk have clashed multiple times throughout One Piece, the vast gap between their abilities makes it hard to estimate Mihawk's true potential. With the end of the series on the distant horizon, the World's Greatest Swordsman is finally set to prove the full scope of his abilities.
1 Marshall D. Teach
Marshall D. Teach cleverly applied to become a Warlord in order to abuse the privileges of the position, eventually sneaking into Level 6 of Impel Down where he recruited some of the strongest pirates in the world. This allowed the Blackbeard Pirates to amass enough power to deal the killing blow to Whitebeard, an act that officially ushered in a New Age of pirates.
Blackbeard is currently the only known character to ever possess two Devil Fruit powers. These Devil Fruit — the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit — are arguably the most powerful of their respective classes, so Teach's status as an Emperor of the Sea is clearly an accurate representation of his power.