The One Piece universe has a nebulous definition of what a pirate is supposed to be. Though there are an ample number of sea-faring barbarians that plunder innocent villages, there are also many heroic individuals who only want to live as freely as possible.
Ironically, many of these noble souls would not self-identify as heroes since it denigrates their profession. Nonetheless, their actions have rendered them as examples that not everyone who opposes the World Government is an evil person. In many instances, the marines have even acknowledged their nobility and asked them for assistance against shared adversaries.
10 Buggy Has Stumbled Into The Role Of Hero Before
Buggy would likely consider himself to be a great scourge of the high seas. Having nearly killed Luffy, terrorized Orange Town, and become a mercenary broker, such a claim is not entirely unfounded.
However, Buggy has also helped to liberate Impel Down, saved Luffy from Akainu, and had a heroic stand against the World Government as a warlord of the sea. Considering his many accolades, Buggy is somewhere between antihero and well-timed comic relief.
9 Chiffon Convinced Bege To Help The Straw Hats
Chiffon was Big Mom's daughter and Bege's wife. Throughout the Whole Cake Island arc, she advocated for the Firetank pirates to help the Straw Hats based on a debt she owed to them for saving her sister.
This helped to sate Big Mom's hunger pangs that otherwise would have destroyed the Thousand Sunny and everyone on it. Chiffon's frequent acts of conscience help to balance her husband's roguishness and nuanced her crew. Were it not for her aid, it's unlikely that the Straw Hats would have been able to escape the island unscathed.
8 Bartholomeo Was Luffy's Biggest Fan
Bartholomeo's devil fruit allowed him to create impervious barriers. A lifelong fan of the Straw Hat pirates, he immediately pledged his crew to their aid immediately after Luffy arrived at Dressrosa. Though Bartholomeo may be crass and guttural, he is extremely well-meaning.
The man was a driving force behind the formation of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, a coalition of pirates indebted to Luffy for his role in freeing them. Bartholomeo's devil fruit also helped Robin assist Kyros against Diamante, who would have killed Rebecca if not for her contribution to the fight.
7 The Depths Of Shanks' Help Has Yet To Be Fully Understood
Shanks is a character shrouded in mystery. First debuting to give Luffy the iconic straw hat, he took off with a band of memorable rogues in order to maintain his legacy as an emperor of the sea.
Perhaps Shanks' greatest accomplishment is preventing the Marineford war from escalating out of control. His presence dissuaded the marines from pressing an attack and allowed Whitebeard's remaining forces to collect their dead. However, given that Shanks is able to procure an audience with the Gorosei, it is unclear if he is hiding a dark secret.
6 Rayleigh Helped Train Luffy & Stopped Kizaru
Despite his age, Rayleigh's greatest accomplishments were in the final years of his life. In addition to stopping Kizaru from crushing the Straw Hats, he also agreed to be Luffy's mentor and prepared him for the New World.
Furthermore, Rayleigh is one of the remaining members of Roger's original crew. His presence is a reminder of a great legacy that Luffy has yet to fully match. Regardless, Rayleigh's insights about armament and conqueror's haki were both essential to the young man's development.
5 Oden Helped Roger Find The One Piece
A titan among men, Oden's insatiable lust for adventure landed him a place in Whitebeard's crew. It wasn't long before he met and assisted Roger in finding the One Piece, which would set the entire pirate world ablaze.
Oden also has many successes in his personal life. In addition to training the nine samurai, he raised a family that guaranteed the future of Wano. He was even willing to sacrifice his reputation and life for the sake of his people regardless of how much they mocked him.
4 Trafalgar Law Fought Emperors & Warlords Alike
Having been saved by Corazon, Trafalgar Law learned the values of altruism early on. He assisted Luffy against Doflamingo at Dressrosa and remained a powerful ally during the Wano conflict. In both instances, Law's contributions helped make the Onigashima raid possible, especially when considering the unique nature of his devil fruit.
Law himself is extremely heroic. He was willing to allow his own capture in exchange for his subordinates' release in a confrontation with Basil Hawkins. This illustrates that, like Luffy, he sacrifices for the sake of his crew.
3 Whitebeard Protected The Innocent For Decades
Endeared to the concept of a "family," Whitebeard took in the forlorn and dejected to become his sons and daughters. An extremely powerful pirate, his influence quickly spread across the sea, with many desperate territories depending on him for defense.
Unwilling to let even a single one of his sons die, Whitebeard launched a massive campaign against Marineford that shook the world to its foundations. Though dying, he assured audiences across the globe that the One Piece was real. It reignited the firestorm that Roger started and reduced the impact of the marines' victory.
2 Roger Started A New Age Of Pirates
Roger was a mythic figure and the first official king of the pirates. He remains best known for his death, famously stating that anyone who found his treasure could keep it. This began a new era of adventure and danger that revitalized a stagnant world.
Despite being known as a pirate, Roger was also a hero. He and Garp defeated Xebec, a brutal villain who had once been captain to Kaido and Big Mom. Without his intervention, the sea might have looked very different.
1 Luffy Has Saved People From The East Blue To Wano
Despite refusing the title of "hero," Luffy certainly behaves like one. He was responsible for saving people from the East Blue to Wano, gaining a growing number of admirers with every victory. Luffy's influence has grown so great that multiple kingdoms are indebted to him.
Drum, Alabasta, Fish-Man Island, and Dressrosa all quietly supported him in the Reverie. When the time comes to take the battle to the World Government, Luffy's personal and international resources will be a massive credit in making the final fight a thrilling success.