One Piece: Oda Confirms The Next Strongest Pirate In History After Joy Boy And Davy Jones

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This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc.

The final arc of One Piece has been consistently introducing incredibly strong characters. We’ve seen the Emperors (Yonko) make surprising moves, while the Admirals are heavily involved in major conflicts. Veteran characters like Garp are fighting, and even figures from the past, such as Harald and Rocks, have emerged into the story.

As a huge One Piece fan, I’ve been blown away by everything happening lately! Oda just dropped a massive reveal – he’s essentially confirmed who the strongest pirates of all time are! It turns out it’s Davy Jones and Joy Boy! What’s really cool is that Joy Boy is apparently Imu’s biggest fear, which pretty much cements his status as the strongest. And in the current story? Oda’s made it clear who’s at the top right now, second only to those two legends – Davy Jones and the original pirate, Joy Boy! It’s incredible!

Joy Boy And Davy Jones Were The Two Strongest Pirates Of The Void Century

Image by Viz Media
  • Joy Boy Was The First To Be Called A Pirate
  • Davy Jones Was The Former King Of The World

Currently, very little is known about what happened during the Void Century. However, based on clues from the author, it’s becoming clear that Joy Boy and Davy Jones were two incredibly powerful figures who frightened Imu, the world’s current strongest person. Joy Boy was so powerful that his ability caused Imu significant pain and trauma, as seen in the Egghead arc. Davy Jones was also a formidable force, and while his power may not have affected Imu as intensely as Joy Boy’s, it clearly instilled fear.

Considering everything we’ve seen so far, it’s likely that Joy Boy and Davy Jones were the most powerful pirates who lived during the Void Century. That’s probably why Imu wants to eliminate any trace of Joy Boy and completely wipe out the Davy family line. Though these two were exceptionally strong, possibly even stronger than Imu at the time, they aren’t relevant to the current story because they are no longer alive.

I did everything I did to help Elbaf break free from endless conflict. I always meant for anyone wanting to join the Navy to be able to, but not through forced conscription! I offer myself for your judgment. Guards, please bind me to the post and immediately summon Elder Jarul and Loki. — King Harald, One Piece Chapter 1168

Currently, Luffy is believed to be the next Joy Boy, though he’s still developing his full potential. Similarly, Blackbeard, who carries on the legacy of Davy Jones, is steadily growing stronger. However, neither of them is the most powerful pirate right now – that title belongs to Red-Haired Shanks. Fans generally consider Shanks the third strongest pirate of all time, behind only Davy Jones and Joy Boy.

Shanks Is The Next Strongest Pirate In One Piece

  • Oda Confirmed Shanks Is Stronger Than Harald and Rocks
  • Shanks’s Haki Is Comparable To Joy Boy’s

Many One Piece fans wonder why Shanks is considered one of the strongest pirates ever. The answer likely lies in the Elbaf arc. Throughout the series, Shanks’ power has been built up as immense – even the Five Elders acknowledge he’s unstoppable when enraged. We’ve already seen a taste of this power when he effortlessly defeated Kid and Killer, leaders of the Kid Pirates, with a single sword swing. What’s truly remarkable is that Shanks can intimidate even Admirals and nullify their Devil Fruit abilities with a burst of Haki from a great distance. No other character in One Piece has demonstrated such feats, and this is likely just a fraction of his full potential.

Despite everything else, the true reason Shanks is considered the strongest pirate isn’t about those factors. In the Elbaf Arc, Oda really showcased Shanks’ incredible power. The key reason Shanks is arguably the strongest pirate after Joy Boy and Davy Jones is his solo defeat of Loki and Ragnir.

Shanks Beat Loki And Ragnir All By Himself

To appreciate how impressive it was that Shanks defeated Loki and Ragnir on his own, you need to understand just how powerful they are. We learned in One Piece Chapter 1170 that Ragnir has guarded the incredibly rare Devil Fruit of Elbaf for centuries. This is a big deal because many have tried to claim this fruit, but Ragnir wouldn’t let them, meaning they weren’t strong or determined enough to earn his approval. Harald tried and failed, and so did countless others. However, Loki did manage to gain Ragnir’s trust and demonstrated significant fighting ability in Chapter 1170.

Ragnir’s incredible strength was on full display. He didn’t even flinch when hit with Loki’s most powerful Conqueror’s Haki, and easily forced Loki to retreat. This performance suggests Ragnir is at least as strong as the top commanders of the Yonko from One Piece, and potentially rivals or even matches the strength of the Admirals, or even the Yonko themselves. Some fans might find this surprising, especially considering Ragnir is a squirrel, but the recent chapters clearly demonstrate this level of power.

Defeating Ragnir is already a major accomplishment, but Shanks went even further – he also defeated Loki. It’s also important to remember just how powerful Loki is when considering this feat.

Loki Was Stronger Than Rocks and Harald

Image by Viz Media

Fourteen years ago, when Harald passed away, Loki had become powerful enough that Harald briefly summoned him for help. However, Loki then ate a famously powerful Devil Fruit. This fruit made Loki incredibly strong – strong enough to defeat Harald, even though Harald had been enhanced by a special agreement called the Deep Sea Covenant made with Imu. This Covenant boosted Harald’s strength beyond even the greatest pirates in history, like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Garp, and Whitebeard.

The Five Elders describe King Harald as radiating immense power, a power so great it’s terrifying. Now, having achieved immortality, he’s become something beyond a mere monster – he’s a force of destruction, a living weapon. (One Piece Chapter 1168)

Honestly, watching Loki take down that monster so easily was just amazing! He didn’t even seem to be trying that hard, but Harald didn’t stand a chance. Loki’s strength was just on another level – it was incredible to see!

Shanks Beat Loki 6 Years Ago, Becoming The Strongest Pirate Alive

It’s now widely accepted that Loki is currently the most powerful character in the One Piece world, exceeding even Rocks and Harald in strength, and potentially even surpassing the Pirate King, though that’s still uncertain. Six years ago, Shanks managed to defeat Loki and Ragnir in a combined battle, which is an astonishing feat. This victory demonstrates that Shanks’ power is significantly greater than both Rocks and Harald.

Fourteen years ago, Shanks wasn’t powerful enough to defeat Harald. But now, it’s obvious he’s become incredibly strong – strong enough to defeat both Loki and Ragnir. He captured them and brought them back to Elbaf. Shanks is now a legend, and no one currently comes close to matching his power. He’s easily the strongest pirate of his generation.

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 called the One Piece. The story is currently in its final arc. A new chapter, 1170, will be released in this week’s Weekly Shonen Jump. It will be available on January 4, 2026, at 12 AM Japan Standard Time (11 AM Eastern Time and 8 AM Pacific Time). Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump app, which directly supports the creator.

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2026-01-03 00:35