Eiichiro Oda Finally Confirms The New Strongest Yonko Crew In One Piece

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This article contains spoilers for the Final Saga of One Piece.

In the world of One Piece, the Yonko are widely considered the most powerful pirate crews, ruling as the dominant forces in the New World. They control vast territories and are essentially kings in that region of the sea. Their power is so immense that even the Navy avoids direct conflict with them, highlighting just how strong they are.

Throughout the One Piece series, the positions of the Yonko have changed several times. Initially, the group consisted of Whitebeard, Shanks, Big Mom, and Kaido. Blackbeard took Whitebeard’s place, and after the Wano arc, both Kaido and Big Mom were replaced by Luffy and Buggy, resulting in a completely new Yonko lineup.

The world is becoming increasingly chaotic, and a power struggle between the four strongest pirate crews – the Yonko – is underway. Currently, the Red Hair Pirates are considered the most powerful and seasoned of these crews. However, the Straw Hat Pirates are quickly gaining strength and are poised to challenge their dominance.

The Red Hair Pirates Are The Strongest Yonko Crew In One Piece At The Moment

  • Led By Red Haired Shanks
  • High Bounty Commanders
  • No Apparent Weakness

From what I’ve seen, the Red Hair Pirates are easily the strongest of the Yonko right now. They’ve been holding that position for about six years, which gives them a lot more experience than the others. Plus, Oda himself has stated they don’t seem to have any real weaknesses. Each of their commanders is incredibly powerful, and they’re all pretty well-matched in terms of strength. Honestly, it seems like Shanks himself might be the strongest pirate out there, and Oda’s really made that clear through how he’s presented him so far.

I suppose that’s reasonable, Navy man. But attacking those fresh, new leaves – the ones that signaled the end of the old ways of piracy? Isn’t that going too far? Are you really that scared of what’s coming next? — Shanks

From what Oda has shown us, the Red Hair Pirates currently seem like the strongest crew out there. The Cross Guild is still getting established, and the Blackbeard Pirates, while always improving, haven’t reached their full potential yet. It really feels like the Red Hair Pirates are now leading the charge towards the One Piece, and they’re making serious progress.

If Loki Joins The Straw Hats, They Will Surpass The Red Hair Pirates

Everyone agrees the Red Hair Pirates are currently the strongest of the Yonko, but I’ve been watching the Straw Hats, and they’re definitely aiming to take that spot. Luffy and his crew just keep getting more powerful with each new challenge they face. Luffy is already incredibly strong, and I have a feeling what happened at Elbaf will make him even more of a force to be reckoned with.

Additionally, Zoro and Sanji are continuing to grow stronger, and it’s likely they’ll both master Conqueror’s Haki by the story’s end, allowing them to fight at an incredibly powerful level.

Get ready, because things are about to get wild with One Piece! I’m finally going to start revealing all the secrets and mysteries I’ve been holding onto for so long. It’s going to be an incredible ride, so buckle up! Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of the journey with One Piece! — Eiichiro Oda

However, the next member of the Straw Hat Pirates will likely be the most impactful addition yet – it seems Loki, the infamous Prince of Elbaf, is joining the crew. Many fans are aware that Loki is incredibly powerful, with legends claiming he could even destroy the world.

One Piece chapter 1170 showed just how powerful Loki is, and it’s clear he’s currently stronger than Luffy. He defeated Harald, who had been enhanced by Imu’s Deep Sea Pact, meaning Loki’s power rivals or even surpasses legendary figures like Rocks and Harald himself.

Considering all factors, if Loki became a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy would need to be the strongest person on the crew. Adding Loki would give the Straw Hats another incredibly powerful member, comparable to the Yonko. With Zoro and Sanji also becoming masters of advanced Conqueror’s Haki, the crew would be on the verge of Yonko-level strength themselves. This exceptionally powerful team would undoubtedly be worthy of becoming the crew of the Pirate King, and they would likely even surpass the Red Hair Pirates in strength.

Loki Should Be The Last Straw Hat

Image by Viz Media
  • Loki Has Immense Strength
  • He Wants To Follow The Sun God

Although Loki currently seems like the most probable new member of the Straw Hat Pirates, it’s not certain he’ll join. The story has hinted at other possibilities too, like Vivi, and more recently, Jewelry Bonney, both of whom could become part of the crew.

Of these three characters, Loki is the most likely to join Luffy’s crew, as Luffy has already extended an invitation. Considering Loki is unwelcome in Elbaf and desires revenge against the World Government for their actions towards the Rocks Pirates, his father, and his homeland, it’s highly probable he’d align himself with Luffy, the Sun God Nika, and embark on a seafaring adventure. Loki is a strong candidate to become the next member of the Straw Hat crew, and his skills would undoubtedly elevate the crew’s overall strength.

Luffy Will Also Surpass Shanks Eventually

It’s almost certain that if Loki joined the Straw Hat Pirates, they’d become the strongest Yonko crew, even stronger than Red-Haired Shanks. However, Luffy is also rapidly improving, which would contribute significantly to their strength. Currently, Luffy isn’t as powerful as Shanks – the author, Oda, has made that clear. But it’s obvious that Luffy will become much stronger after the events at Elbaf.

Luffy will need to become powerful enough to fight incredibly strong opponents, like Harald and Rocks. After the Elbaf arc, he’ll be among the very strongest characters, truly deserving of becoming Pirate King. This means he’ll reach a level where he’s equal to Shanks, and potentially even stronger than him by the end of the next story arc.

This is a really thrilling development for the One Piece story, and it clearly demonstrates how intense things are becoming in the Final Saga – something fans will be eager to see unfold.

Eiichiro Oda’s popular manga, One Piece, follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as they search for the legendary treasure, the One Piece. The story is currently in its final arc. The newest chapter, 1171, will be released in this week’s Weekly Shonen Jump on January 18, 2026. In Japan, it will be available at midnight on Monday, which is 11:00 AM Eastern Time and 8:00 AM Pacific Time. Fans can read the chapter for free on the Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps, and reading through these official sources is a great way to support the creator.

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2026-01-09 15:37