One Piece: Oda Officially Confirms The Strongest Yonko Crew In The Current Era

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

The Yonko are among the most fascinating characters in the world of *One Piece*. They’re known as the four strongest pirates, which makes them incredibly important, particularly as the story nears its conclusion. The lineup of Yonko isn’t fixed; it changes over time. Currently, the group consists of Luffy, Shanks, Blackbeard, and Buggy the Clown, also known as the Genius Jester.

The pirates in *One Piece* are all searching for the legendary treasure, the One Piece, and fans expect one crew to eventually find it. Most believe the strongest of the Yonko – the four most powerful pirate crews – has the best chance. Now, the author, Oda, has confirmed that the Red Hair Pirates, led by the Yonko Red-haired Shanks, are indeed the strongest. There are many reasons why this crew stands above the others.

The Red Hair Pirates Is The Strongest Yonko Crew

The Highest Bounties Belong To This Crew

  • Their Overall Balance Is The Best
  • The Straw Hats Are Not Balanced

Fans of *One Piece* have long noticed that Eiichiro Oda has been carefully building up the Red Hair Pirates. Introduced relatively early in the story, they’ve clearly been a focus for him. In fact, the Red Hair Pirates were intentionally created as a sort of ultimate goal for Luffy to aspire to.

Led by the Chief Red Hair Shanks, this crew has very few weak spots. — Brannew

Luffy tells Shanks he’ll become a great pirate and build a stronger crew than Shanks’s. Right now, Luffy and his Straw Hat crew aren’t quite at that level – but that’s mainly because the story needs it to be that way.

Oda, the creator of the series, has repeatedly suggested that the Red Hair Pirates are the strongest pirate crew. He recently pointed out in the Wano arc that they have exceptionally high bounties across the entire crew. Generally, high bounties indicate a crew’s strength and the threat they pose. Since the Red Hair Pirates haven’t been actively causing problems for the World Government, their high bounties likely reflect their immense power.

Are you that afraid of the new era? — Shanks

I remember Oda mentioning that, when it comes to the Yonko crews, the Red Hair Pirates are the most well-rounded. What he meant was that the strength difference between the members isn’t huge, and they don’t really have any obvious weak links. It’s like everyone on the crew is a solid, capable fighter.

The Straw Hats Are In The Third Spot

Blackbeard Pirates Are Closing In On The Red Hair Pirates

Right now, most fans agree that the Red Hair Pirates are the strongest of the Four Emperors in *One Piece*. The Blackbeard Pirates are the only crew that currently comes close in terms of power, largely due to the strength they’ve gained from their Devil Fruits.

While the Straw Hat Pirates are still developing, they’re generally not as strong as other crews. Only Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji – known as the Monster Trio – are considered particularly powerful members.

I’m so excited – the next chapter of One Piece is coming in two weeks! Like always, it’ll be released on a Sunday. For those in Japan, it drops at midnight on Monday, but the official date everywhere else is September 28, 2025. And the best part? We can read it for free on Manga Plus!

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2025-09-17 20:47