One Piece's 8 Most Brilliant Strategists

Summary

Bege successfully took down his mafia rivals and came up with a complex plan to assassinate Big Mom.
Usopp relies on gadgets and clever plans to defeat his enemies, showcasing his high intelligence.
Law hatched a complex plan involving revenge on Doflamingo and taking down Kaido, which displayed his strategic brilliance.

The vibrant universe of One Piece is teeming with perils, such as lethal pirates, treacherous marines, ruthless bounty hunters, and numerous other threats. To thrive in this imaginative realm, one must possess not only physical power and skill but also sharp wit and tactical acumen.

As a result, many prominent characters in Eiichiro Oda’s world-renowned anime and manga series have proven to be brilliant strategists time and time again, as they have come up with fascinating schemes that allow them to defeat their opponents and come out on top. Whether they are pirates or marines, there are numerous strategists in One Piece, and the following eight are the absolute best of the bunch.

8. Capone “Gang” Bege

A Mafia Boss Who Came Up With The Plan To Assassinate Big Mom

First Appearance: Chapter 498 (Manga), Episode 392 (Anime)

In case it wasn’t obvious by his name and design, Capone “Gang” Bege used to be a mafia boss who came up with a plan to take down the other Five Families of the West Blue, which is already an impressive display of his strategic mind. But, of course, he later decided to set sail to sea and created the infamous Fire Tank Pirates.

After the time skip, Bege associated himself with the Big Mom Pirates, but he was actually playing the long game as he slowly planned out how to assassinate the infamous Emperor. He eventually made an alliance with the Straw Hat Pirates and came up with a long, complex, and ingenious plan to take down Big Mom, and everyone involved in it flawlessly played their respective parts (even Luffy). If it wasn’t for Linlin’s surprisingly powerful screaming shockwaves, Bege’s plan would have successfully ended the life of one of the strongest pirates in the world.

7. Usopp

He Relies On His Gadgets And His Plans To Defeat His Enemies

First Appearance: Chapter 23 (Manga), Episode 8 (Anime)

“God” Usopp is arguably one of the most interesting and relatable characters in One Piece, as he stands out for being one of the few members of the Straw Hat Pirates who is just a regular human being, without any Devil Fruit powers or enhanced biology. He is a coward, but he uses his fear to his advantage to come up with some truly incredible plans.

Throughout the series, Usopp has defeated multiple enemies—like Chew, Miss Merry Christmas, Perona, or Sugar—all by using his brains to hatch complex plans in which he makes good use of his ability to deceive and of his wonderful creations, like his hammers, his slingshots, or his Pop Greens. He’s the perfect example of how intelligence can take someone very far in this dangerous fictional world.

6. Sir Crocodile

He Intentionally Caused A War That Almost Overthrew A Monarchy

First Appearance: Chapter 126 (Manga), Episode 76 (Anime)

The former Warlord of the Sea, Sir Crocodile, is a deadly pirate of big ambitions who had one huge goal in mind at one point: To overthrow the King of Arabasta, take the throne for himself, and acquire the ancient weapon, Pluton. In order to achieve this, he needed the help of his entire organization of Bounty Hunters, Baroque Works.

The project, labeled “Operation Utopia,” brought together significant figures such as Nico Robin, Bon Clay, and even Crocodile himself, employing their Devil Fruit abilities (in conjunction with a substance known as Dance Powder capable of inducing artificial rain) to instigate a political unrest within the kingdom that would ultimately ignite a widespread civil war. Although the plan was ingenious, it overlooked the intervention of the Straw Hat Pirates who played a pivotal role in Crocodile’s downfall. Despite his incarceration after this setback, Crocodile contrived another masterful strategy: he founded part of Cross Guild, an elite military group that issues bounties on Marine officials and tracks them down.

5. Trafalgar D. Water Law

He Hatched An Ambitious Plan To Take Down Both Kaido And Doflamingo

First Appearance: Chapter 498 (Manga), Episode 392 (Anime)

It’s only natural that “Trafalgar D. Water Law,” often referred to as the “Surgeon of Death,” is considered one of the most tactically astute characters in “One Piece.” This is due to his mastery over the intricate abilities granted by the Ope Ope no Mi, a Devil Fruit that demands quick wit, adaptability, and extensive medical understanding to utilize effectively.

That’s not all, because Law has repeatedly proven to also be a smart strategist, seeing as he spent most of the two-year time skip coming up with a multi-layered plan that would allow him to take revenge on Donquixote Doflamingo and eventually take down Kaido, one of the Four Emperors. Of course, it involved a lot of patience and allying himself with Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, but they all eventually succeeded. Furthermore, he also served as the strategist for the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance at the start of the Raid on Onigashima, in which his practical Devil Fruit was a valuable asset.

4. Sanji

The “Secret Spy” Of The Straw Hats

First Appearance: Chapter 43 (Manga), Episode 20 (Anime)

Similar to Luffy and Zoro, Sanji is one of the heavy hitters of the Straw Hat Pirates thanks to his martial arts skills and enhanced body. However, he stands out from his fellow members of the “Monster Trio” in one key aspect: he’s way more intelligent than them, and thus, has managed to create multiple clever plans that have helped his crew throughout the story.

From my perspective, it’s evident that Sanji deftly outsmarted Sir Crocodile in Little Garden, concealing his true identity from him. He also sabotaged the central engine of the Maxim in Skypiea, shut the Gates of Justice at Enies Lobby, enabling his crew to evade the Buster Call’s wrath. In Whole Cake Island, he ingeniously devised a plan to bake a cake capable of pacifying Big Mom. By the end of the day, it becomes clear why Sanji is a chef; the Straw Hat Pirates undoubtedly would have been lost without his strategic mind and meticulous planning skills.

3. Edward Newgate (Whitebeard)

He Led His Entire Crew In A Deadly War Against The Marines

First Appearance: Chapter 234 (Manga), Episode 151 (Anime)

Edward Newgate (aka. Whitebeard) would never have become one of the original Four Emperors if he didn’t have incredible tactical skills. After all, he was known as a beloved leader who could handle and guide an enormous pirate crew made up of over 1600 members.

Of course, Whitebeard’s most impressive strategic performance was seen during the Summit War of Marineford, where he triumphantly led his troops in a war against the Marines to rescue Portgas D. Ace, and even went toe-to-toe against the similarly brilliant Fleet Admiral Sengoku. He knew exactly when and where to strike, how to see through Sengoku’s deception, and how to take precise advantage of his powerful Devil Fruit. The Whiteberd Pirates would have suffered many more losses if it wasn’t for the great tactical mind of their captain.

2. Sengoku

Known As “The Resourceful General” For A Very Good Reason

First Appearance: Chapter 234 (Manga), Episode 151 (Anime)

Needless to say, even though he was a great strategist, Whitebeard and his crew lost the Summit War of Marineford for many reasons, with one of the biggest ones being the fact that they were no match for the Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Sengoku the Buddha. With an epitaph as notorious as “The Resourceful General,” it’s no surprise that he is one of the smartest tacticians in One Piece.

In just a few days, Sengoku managed to gather all the Warlords of the Sea, the Pacifista, the Vice Admirals, and even the three Admirals to make them fight against the Whitebeard Pirates, which is already a monumental achievement in and of itself. He also successfully tricked his enemies on more than one occasion and knew exactly when to restrain Monkey D. Garp so he wouldn’t kill Akainu, one of the most valuable soldiers of the Marines’ forces. Nevertheless, Sengoku later resigned from his position during the time skip, and the entire World Government is suffering from his absence.

1. Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard)

An Opportunistic Villain Who Became One Of The Strongest Pirates In The World

First Appearance: Chapter 223 (Manga), Episode 146 (Anime)

There’s no character in One Piece as deviously opportunistic, manipulative, and patient as Marshall D. Teach, also known as Blackbeard. After all, he slowly but surely became one of the biggest and most dangerous antagonists in the series, all because he was able to successfully pull off several long and complex plans that gave him significant advantages.

Blackbeard set sail with the Whitebeard Pirates solely to search for the legendary Yami Yami no Mi, and the moment one of his crewmates found it, he didn’t hesitate to kill him in order to get its powers for himself

. After that, Blackbeard gathered a powerful pirate crew and executed his plan to become one of the Four Emperors. He captured Portgas D. Ace, became a Warlord of the Sea, attacked Whitebeard just when he was about to die in order to acquire his Devil Fruit, and defeated the remaining forces of the Whitebeard Pirates. Every single thing Blackbeard does is carefully planned out in advance, and even to this day, he is still making major strategic moves (like attacking Amazon Lily just when the Warlords of the Sea were disbanded) to find the One Piece and become the new Pirate King.

2025-03-17 08:07

One Piece’s 8 Most Brilliant Strategists