Oftentimes, the One Piece universe is defined through its many close fights and narrow victories. Whether fighting CP9 agent Rob Lucci or contending with rogue fishman Arlong and his men, the Straw Hats are no strangers to scarce success over massive adversity.
However, many of the anime's fights have been completely one-sided, with no questions of who might prevail at any point in the encounter. Through identifying the best instances of decisive victory, we can better appreciate what it takes to survive on the Grand Line and what lies beyond it.
10 Magellan Completely Dominated Luffy In Their First Encounter
When Magellan caught up with Luffy, the Straw Hat captain was predictably overconfident. He brazenly lunged at the warden without armament Haki and quickly found himself engulfed in noxious venom.
In addition to being imprisoned, his body was now afflicted with poison that would have killed him without Ivankov's aid. Even despite the miracle hormones coursing through his veins, Luffy would shave ten years from his life for his recklessness. Although his second encounter against Magellan alongside Mr. Three proved more successful, he was not able to bring the man down and eventually agreed to flee from him.
9 Ivankov Completely Humiliated Sanji When He Returned To His Kingdom
When Ivankov finally returned to his kingdom, he and Sanji fought for the right to earn a boat and the knowledge of Luffy's whereabouts. Despite having already faltered to Emporio's substitute, Sanji felt confident in his odds to defeat the nation's rightful ruler.
Predictably, his hubris was ill-conceived. Emporio brought the man to his knees through a combination of brutal techniques, the most impressive of which was his "hair removal" ability. Despite his loss, Sanji nonetheless consented to take on all of Kamabakka Kingdom in order to discover the secret behind its strengthening recipes.
8 Kuma Completely Obliterated The Straw Hats & Scattered Them For Several Years
After Luffy punched a world noble, the full might of the marines bore down on the Archipelago. Although Rayleigh kept Kizaru busy, he could not protect the Straw Hats from Kuma, a warlord of the sea first encountered on Thriller Bark.
None of the heroes' attacks were successful in thwarting their titanic mechanical adversary. Ultimately, Luffy was forced to watch as his friends were scattered before his eyes and cursed himself for his own weakness.
7 Doflamingo Defeated Gecko Moria Easily After The Battle For Marineford
After the battle for Marineford, Doflamingo attacked Gecko Moria, claiming that he was too weak to hold the office of warlord and that a figurehead with a higher position than Sengoku wanted to see him deposed.
Gecko was caught off-guard and virtually helpless to stop his flamboyant opponent from bringing him down. However, he managed to disappear before being executed, much to his adversary's intrigue. Nonetheless, Doflamingo was uninjured in the aftermath of the skirmish, further illustrating how easily he dominated his macabre opponent.
6 Luffy Defeated Axe-Hand Morgan Effortlessly
Axe-Hand Morgan was notorious for his physical strength. A single swipe was powerful enough to create massive cracks in the ground and proved a threat to Luffy with his weakness to sharp objects.
Despite this, the Straw Hat captain was able to avoid his attacks and land dozens of debilitating punches. After his defeat, Morgan was brought into Marine custody and under the careful watch of Garp. Ultimately, the monument he dedicated to his ego would come crashing down, and his dreams of tyranny along with it.
5 Mihawk Defeated Zoro With A Tiny Dagger
During the events of the Baratie arc, Zoro had the misjudgment to identify and challenge Mihawk, a man regarded to be the world's greatest swordsman at the time. He overcame Zoro using a tiny dagger, stabbing him through the chest and humiliating him in front of dozens of spectators.
However, Hawkeye admitted that he fought admirably and would honor Zoro by delivering a slash across his chest with his main sword. In addition to severely injuring him, this would serve as a reminder to the hero that he should always focus on his training.
4 None Of The Survivors Could Lay A Finger On Eneru
When Eneru's game of death came to its conclusion, his prediction was proven correct; there were ultimately only four survivors. He offered them positions to replace his evidently incompetent high priests but was quickly refuted and attacked.
Unfortunately, none of the heroes could land meaningful damage against him on account of his Logia devil fruit. Although Wyper managed to wound him using a modified impact dial, Eneru quickly recovered and defeated the Shandian warrior without much effort.
3 Whitebeard Caught Ronse's Weapon & Destroyed Him
When Whitebeard made landfall at Marineford, Vice Admiral Ronse of the giant squad was overconfident that he could take him down. Charging into battle, he brought his great axe against the elder, only to have it -- and him -- obliterated through the power of the Tremor-Tremor fruit.
Ronse was one of the few opponents Whitebeard bothered to face directly who never managed to lay a single injury on him. The best the giant could show for his efforts was that he marginally fatigued the enemy leader for his future battles against more important threats (such as Kizaru and Akainu).
2 The Straw Hats Stood No Chance Against Aokiji
Before arriving at Water Seven, the Straw Hat pirates ran into Aokiji. The Admiral realized the nascent threat the crew posed to the World Government but was more specifically interested in capturing Nico Robin.
Predictably, Luffy sought to defend his friend and lunged for his ice-conjuring adversary. Without having learned Armament Haki or possessing any other conceivable way to defeat him, the captain was quickly frozen solid and in critical condition. Aokiji allowed the heroes to escape but warned them that Robin was not to be trusted.
1 Crocodile Only Took A Single Punch From Luffy During Their First Encounter In The Dunes Of Alabasta
Crocodile was the first villain not only to defeat Luffy but to do so decisively. He was virtually untouchable in the dunes of Alabasta and impaled the Straw Hat captain on his hook. If he hadn't been rescued, Luffy would have succumbed to poison and met a disgraceful death.
Since Luffy was already bleeding from the battle, he managed to land a single successful punch against the Warlord during this fight. He would use this knowledge to defeat him later in the crypts beneath the city.