One Piece: 6 Characters From Rocks Era That Can Defeat Luffy

by

This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.

Luffy is the central character in *One Piece*, and he’s become incredibly powerful as the story has progressed, especially after mastering Gear 5. His Haki further enhances his abilities. Despite this, Luffy isn’t yet the strongest character in the *One Piece* world. The current focus on the Rocks Era reveals characters who were even more powerful, some capable of defeating Luffy even in his Gear 5 form.

Five Elders

The World Government’s Strongest Force

The Five Elders, also called the Gorosei, are incredibly powerful and likely the most influential group within the World Government, even more so than the Holy Knights. Luffy has already encountered them during the events on Egghead Island, but despite putting up a fight, he couldn’t harm them. Had Luffy stayed, they probably would have eventually defeated him. Since he hasn’t figured out how to damage them, they remain stronger than he is.

Monkey D. Garp

The Hero of the Marines

Monkey D. Garp is Luffy’s grandfather and was incredibly strong even during the legendary God Valley incident, rivaled by only a handful of fighters. Though he hasn’t shown his full power yet, Garp has already demonstrated amazing abilities. In fact, Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom – three of the most powerful pirates – all actively avoided fighting him.

It really highlighted how incredibly strong Garp is – I mean, he took a direct hit from Big Mom and didn’t even seem fazed! It’s clear Luffy is going to be even more powerful than his grandpa one day, but he’s still got a ways to go before he reaches that level.

Whitebeard

The World’s Strongest Man

I’ve always understood why people call Whitebeard the world’s strongest man – there’s a real reason for that reputation. His Devil Fruit, the Gura Gura no Mi, is considered the most powerful one in the One Piece world. What’s really incredible is that he possessed this power even way back during the events at God Valley, and some believe he was already at the peak of his strength then.

Whitebeard is established as one of the strongest characters in *One Piece*, having fought to a draw with Roger in a duel.

Rocks D. Xebec

The Captain of the Rocks Pirates

Rocks D. Xebec was an incredibly powerful figure who dominated the Grand Line during his time, becoming a legend in the world of *One Piece*. He led a fearsome crew that included individuals who would later become powerful Emperors. The flashback to Elbaf revealed just how strong he was – he defeated an Admiral, successfully entered and left the Flower Room, and now it’s been shown he effortlessly defeated Garling Figarland in combat.

All these feats prove that Luffy, at the moment, would get absolutely obliterated by Rocks D. Xebec.

Gol D. Roger

The Future Pirate King

I’ve always been fascinated by Gol D. Roger. He’s basically a legend in the world of *One Piece*, the man who became the Pirate King by successfully navigating the treacherous Grand Line. We know he was at God Valley, and while we haven’t seen his full power yet, it’s clear he was incredibly strong – one of the most powerful pirates ever to sail the seas.

Although the details of the battle remain a mystery, it’s believed that he and Garp defeated the Rocks Pirates – a truly remarkable accomplishment that currently surpasses anything Luffy is capable of.

Imu

The Secret Sovereign of the World

Saint Imu Nerona is a key figure in One Piece, and has existed since the mysterious Void Century. He secretly controls the world and is widely considered the most powerful character in the series. Imu’s abilities are immense, and we’re starting to see them revealed – most recently, he took control of Saint Saturn, one of the Five Elders, during the events at God Valley.

Imu is an incredibly powerful character, capable of defeating any opponent. While Luffy is predicted to eventually become stronger than Imu, it will probably take a combined effort from his allies. Viewers are expecting to see Imu’s overwhelming strength displayed in the upcoming events on Elbaf, particularly through their actions against the Gunko.

The newest chapter of One Piece, chapter 1162, will be released next week on Sunday. While it becomes available in Japan late Sunday night (12 AM JST Monday), most fans around the world will be able to read it on October 12, 2025. The chapter will be available for free on Manga Plus.

Read More

2025-10-14 21:37