One Piece: 7 Strongest Pirates Before The Rocks Era

by

This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.

The world of *One Piece* has always been filled with incredibly powerful pirates, both now and in the past. From Luffy’s generation to the era of the Rocks Pirates, and even further back to the mysterious Void Century, piracy is a major force. Eiichiro Oda has introduced many pirates who predate even the Rocks, and some of them are remarkably strong. The pursuit of freedom, symbolized by the Jolly Roger, consistently drives these powerful figures.

Joy Boy

The Previous Nika from the Void Century

Joy Boy is a hugely significant figure in the One Piece story, despite currently being shrouded in mystery. What we do know is that Joy Boy was the original Nika, a legendary figure from the Void Century. Vegapunk’s research reveals that Joy Boy was the first person to ever explore the seas and earned the title of ‘Pirate’.

It seems Joy Boy was likely the original owner of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. While it’s known he was defeated by Imu and passed away, the specifics of what happened are still a mystery.

Davy Jones

A Legendary Pirate from the Void Century

Few fans initially realized how important the pirate first seen in the Long Ring Long Land arc would become to understanding the Void Century. The story revisits Davy D. Jones in Elbaf, revealing him as a legendary figure from that lost era and an ancestor to characters like Xebec and Blackbeard. While he was clearly a powerful individual, many details about his life remain unknown.

Brook

A Former Rumbar Pirate Member

Brook is currently a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, but he has a past with another crew. Before joining Luffy, Brook sailed with the Rumbar Pirates, who originated from the West Blue.

Brook’s Devil Fruit power allowed him to escape death, and now he’s a remarkable 90 years old. He began his pirate career with the Rumbar Pirates long ago, even before Roger became famous. In fact, Brook sailed the seas in a time before the legendary Rocks Pirates and others rose to prominence.

Jorul

The Former Co-Leader of the Giant Pirates

Jorul was a giant in the world of *One Piece*. He lived to a very old age and passed away 344 years ago, before the story begins. He was killed by Charlotte Linlin, who would later become a Yonko. Jorul used to be a leader of the Giant Pirates and was causing trouble on the seas long before the time of the Rocks Pirates.

Jarul

The Former Co-Leader of the Giant Pirates

Jarul is the oldest character we know of in the One Piece series. This Giant is currently 408 years old! Though he’s now too old to be an active pirate, he used to be a leader of the Giant Pirates, a famously fearsome crew that sailed the Grand Line.

Jarul was a pirate centuries ago – over 300 years before the time of famous pirates like Rocks and Roger, even before they were born. His days of sailing the seas are long past.

Dorry

The Co-Leader of the Giant Pirates

Dorry is a co-captain of the Giant Pirates, leading alongside Brogy. As a giant, Dorry is very old – currently 160 years old, the same age as Brogy. The pair have been pirates for much longer than Rocks, who later became infamous. Dorry is incredibly strong, with a bounty of 1.8 billion, and together with Brogy, they are powerful enough to be considered as formidable as the Yonko.

Brogy

The Co-Leader of the Giant Pirates

Like Dorry, Brogy is a leader of the Giant Pirates. Being a Giant in the world of *One Piece* means he lives much longer than humans, and he’s been a pirate for over a century because of it.

Dorry and Brogy had been fighting their hundred-year battle on Little Garden for a very long time – they were pirates well before the current generation, like Rocks and his crew, were even born.

One Piece Chapter 1161 is scheduled for release this week, as usual on Sundays. While it becomes available in Japan at midnight on Monday (JST), most international fans will be able to read it on September 28th. The official release date is September 28, 2025, and the chapter will be available to read for free on Manga Plus.

Read More

2025-09-25 03:37