The Strongest Characters Who Have Awakened Their True Potential in One Piece

This list contains spoilers for the One Piece manga

Characters in One Piece don’t all begin the story as incredibly strong like Kaido or Garp. Most need time and effort to reach their full fighting potential. While a Devil Fruit can definitely make someone more powerful, it still requires dedicated training to master its abilities. This is especially true for those who don’t have a Devil Fruit at all.

Fans love seeing characters develop and become more powerful throughout a story, especially when they finally unlock their full potential. Here’s a look at some of the strongest characters in *One Piece* who have done just that, after facing many challenges along the way.

Just to be clear, this isn’t a ranking of the absolutely strongest characters, but rather a list of those who’ve grown and fully realized their abilities over the course of the story.

Koby

Koby Never Stopped Working Hard To Become A Fully Fledged Marine

First Appearance: Episode 1

Koby began as a seemingly weak and inexperienced kid, often getting beaten up, but it was obvious he had a lot of hidden talent. Driven to become a true Marine soldier, he eventually earned the chance to train with Garp, a legendary hero within the Marines.

Similar to Luffy, Koby has steadily become stronger and more aware of his abilities throughout the story. This growth led to his promotion through the Marine ranks and eventually his recruitment into the secret SWORD organization. During the Egghead arc, Koby demonstrated his immense power with the Honesty Impact, a single punch so strong it destroyed part of an island.

Eustass Kid

Kid Became Confident Enough In His Abilities To Take Aim At Not One, But Two Yonko

First Appearance: Episode 392

Initially, Kid’s power – absorbing nearby metal to build a massive weapon – felt awkward and a bit slow. However, as the story progressed, it became obvious he was mastering his Devil Fruit ability, making it both simpler to use and significantly stronger. The raid on Onigashima in Wano Country provided the ideal chance to demonstrate just how much he’d improved.

Kid made a huge impact by defeating Big Mom using his incredibly powerful cannon, which quickly became his signature way of dealing with enemies. He didn’t stop there, though, and soon targeted Shanks, even managing to worry the Yonko with the threat of his weapon. Shanks feared Kid’s cannon could destroy his entire ship. Although Shanks ultimately defeated Kid before he could fire, it’s still amazing how strong Kid has become by maximizing the potential of his Devil Fruit power.

Jewelry Bonney

Bonney Has Managed To Achieve Some Truly Impressive Feats With Her New And Improved Devil Fruit

First Appearance: Episode 392

We first met Bonney during the Sabaody arc with the rest of the Worst Generation, and at that time, her Devil Fruit power seemed limited to slowing people down by altering their age. While this was already a significant ability, the Egghead arc is where Bonney really started to unlock the full extent of her powers, largely fueled by her strong emotions surrounding Kuma’s situation.

I’m absolutely fascinated by Bonney’s abilities! It turns out she can actually see into the future and basically *become* a version of herself – Nika – just like Luffy! This transformation makes her unbelievably powerful, and the fact that she managed to actually *hit* the Gorosei is mind-blowing, considering how strong they are. Plus, hanging out with Vegapunk and the Straw Hats really boosted her confidence. Now she’s always eager to jump into a fight and help anyone who needs it, which is awesome to see!

Rob Lucci

Lucci Can Now Take On A Much More Vicious Zoan Form

First Appearance: Episode 230

Rob Lucci was already a powerful fighter when he joined CP9, even before the main story of *One Piece* truly began, making his introduction in Water 7 quite impactful. However, he was defeated by Luffy, who had just learned Gear 3. Since then, Lucci has clearly continued to train and improve, and we see the results of that training in the much later Egghead arc.

Before, Lucci could only fight in his basic leopard form. But after awakening his Devil Fruit powers, he can now transform into a faster, more human-like leopard, making him much more dangerous. Even though he still had trouble keeping up with Luffy, being able to compete with Luffy’s Gear 5 form proves how powerful it is for Zoan-type Devil Fruit users to unlock their Awakening as quickly as possible.

Trafalgar D. Law

Law’s Fruit Just Keeps Getting Stronger And Stronger With Every Story Arc

First Appearance: Episode 392

Law’s Devil Fruit is incredibly hard to defend against because he’s mastered so many different ways to use its powers, making it both versatile and unpredictable. However, this also means he had to put in a lot of effort to fully understand how the fruit works – its abilities aren’t immediately obvious when you first gain it.

Law was already skilled at controlling enemies within the area created by his Devil Fruit power in Sabaody. However, after unlocking the full potential of his Devil Fruit – its Awakening – he became significantly more powerful. This allowed him to unleash incredibly strong attacks, like Shock Wille, which played a crucial role in defeating Big Mom as she headed towards Kaido. It took time and effort, but Law has now fully mastered his Devil Fruit’s abilities, making him one of the most formidable pirates alive.

Vinsmoke Sanji

The Straw Hat Cook Has Done All He Can To Be A Reliable Comrade For Luffy

First Appearance: Episode 20

It’s easy to forget now, given how strong he’s become, but Sanji used to primarily fight using only kicks. Unlike most of the Straw Hats, he doesn’t have a Devil Fruit power, so he depended on his incredibly fast kicks to win battles. However, as he’s grown more confident in his role as one of the crew’s powerhouses, he’s unlocked a variety of new abilities.

During the Enies Lobby arc, Sanji first unlocked his Diabla Jambe technique, but he later significantly improved it to Ifrit Jambe when fighting Queen. He also gained the ability to propel himself through the air thanks to training during the timeskip. Sanji perfectly demonstrates how much stronger a person can become by recognizing their own hidden power and potential, with or without a Devil Fruit.

Roronoa Zoro

Zoro’s Dream Of Becoming The Greatest Swordsman Is Now In Arm’s Reach

First Appearance: Episode 1

Like Sanji, Zoro doesn’t rely on a Devil Fruit for his power. Instead, he’s driven by an unwavering ambition to become the world’s greatest swordsman. Early in the story, he was defeated by Mihawk, which showed him just how much training he still needed to reach the level of the very best.

I’ve been following Zoro’s journey for so long, and it’s been amazing to see him constantly push himself to become the dependable powerhouse Luffy needs in a fight. He’s always been strong, but Wano is where he *really* unlocked his potential! Seeing him go toe-to-toe with Kaido, one of the strongest beings alive, was incredible. Not only did he survive, but he actually *injured* Kaido – he’s only the second person *ever* to do that! It wasn’t easy, not by a long shot, but Zoro finally proved to everyone – and, most importantly, to himself – that he’s worthy of being called the world’s greatest swordsman.

Monkey D. Luffy

The True Power Of Luffy’s Devil Fruit Was Far Greater Than He Could Have Imagined

First Appearance: Episode 1

Luffy has a huge dream: to become the King of the Pirates, and he’s completely committed to achieving it. While he used to win fights by stretching his body and simply overpowering his enemies, he realized facing the most powerful pirates – the Yonko – would require a lot more skill. After a long journey spanning over a thousand chapters and episodes, his battle against Kaido finally unlocked a secret power within his Devil Fruit, letting him tap into the energy of the legendary Sun God Nika.

In this form, Luffy is nearly invincible, easily overpowering even Kaido without effort. It’s amazing to think he could become any more powerful, especially since he’s already gained god-like abilities. Still, seeing Luffy finally unleash the full potential of his Devil Fruit was an incredible sight.

2025-09-27 08:36