10 Strongest One Piece Villains Luffy’s Crew NEEDs to BEAT in the Final Saga

Before the final One Piece saga reaches its end, there are several powerful villains the Straw Hats must take down.

The long-running shonen saga One Piece has reached its final phase after the conclusion of the Wano saga. By this point, the Straw Hat Pirates have defeated an astonishing variety of powerful villains to make it into that final saga, from the Warlords of the Sea to Emperors like Kaido and more.

One Piece fans can rest easy knowing that the Straw Hats are stronger than they’ve ever been and are ready for what lays ahead, but the final battles still won’t be easy.

Major villains like Donquixote Doflamingo and Kaido may have been dealt with, but protagonist Monkey D. Luffy has plenty more antagonists who are prepared to face him anytime. Luffy won’t seize the One Piece treasure and become king of the pirates until the last major Navy officers and villainous pirates have been vanquished in the Final Saga.

10. Admiral Aramaki is Still a Threat With His Woods-Woods Fruit

Villain Name: Admiral Aramaki

Powers/Weapons/Skills: Woods-Woods Fruit

Debut Episode/Chapter: Episode 882

Admiral Aramaki made his debut partway through the Wano saga as yet another Navy Admiral for the Straw Hat Pirates to contend with. Fortunately for Luffy’s crew, Aramaki wasn’t as powerful as the fearsome Emperors Kaido and Big Mom, but the heroes still had to take him seriously when he unleashed his tree-making Woods-Woods Fruit in battle.

Although Aramaki speaks casually compared to other senior officers of the Navy, it’s also clear that Aramaki is fanatically loyal to the nobles of the World Government, possibly more so than even Akainu, which is saying a lot. Aramaki also follows the nobles’ example, gladly pushing around and scorning anyone whom he deems inferior. That will no doubt put him on a collision course with Luffy as the Final Saga continues.

9. Jaygarcia Saturn Threatens Bonney and the Straw Hat With His Spider Form

Villain Name: Jaygarcia Saturn

Powers/Weapons/Skills: Unknown Zoan-type Fruit

Debut Episode/Chapter: Episode 151

Jaygarcia Saturn is a scientist and a member of the Five Elders, making him an intelligent and highly influential member of the World Government. Like the other Elders, Saturn is completely hostile to pirates, and he is already clashing with the Straw Hats in the One Piece manga. He’s no armchair general – Saturn can and will fight in person with his awakened Devil Fruit powers.

Saturn has proven a tough opponent for the Straw Hats so far, and he can even recover from blows from Gear 5, though it seems unlikely that Saturn will actually defeat Luffy in the process. If Luffy’s and Saturn’s fight isn’t concluded on Egghead Island, then they will likely trade blows again in the Final Saga.

8. Admiral Fujitora is a Relatively Gentle Admiral But is Still Luffy’s Enemy

Powers/Weapons/Skills: Press-Press Fruit

Debut Episode/Chapter: Episode 630

Compared to his fellow Admirals, Admiral Fujitora is a benevolent and good-hearted person who has taken a liking to Luffy, despite them being enemies on paper. In fact, Fujitora helped Luffy in the Dressrosa saga and wished he could have seen Luffy’s face. Fujitora might oppose Luffy later in the Final Saga, though, when the stakes reach their peak.

Fujitora might not relish the idea of fighting Luffy, however, since he is a believer in human justice and probably doesn’t consider Luffy to be evil, either. Fujitora seems more upset about the World Government itself, lamenting its actions on various islands, such as Alabasta. If Luffy plays his cards right, he might even convince Fujitora to stop fighting him later in the Final Saga.

7. Admiral Akainu/Sakazuki Is Still at Large as Ace’s Killer

Powers/Weapons/Skills: Magma-Magma Fruit

Debut Episode/Chapter: Episode 278

Unlike Fujitora and Aokiji, Admiral Akainu is perfectly willing to kill Monkey D. Luffy, and almost did at the great Marineford battle. Akainu believes in absolute justice and, in his mind, can rationalize any brutal act if it’s in service to the Navy’s justice. Akainu won’t show mercy or take any prisoners if he believes a person, Navy or pirate, has done something wrong.

Given Akainu’s apparent hatred of pirates and his role in Ace’s death, there’s little doubt that Luffy will want a rematch against him and take him out of the picture in the Final Saga. Most likely, Akainu will oblige his pirate enemy and try to take Luffy’s head to make a dire warning for all pirates across the world.

6. Dracule Mihawk Needs His Rematch With Roronoa Zoro

Villain Name: Dracule Mihawk

Powers/Weapons/Skills: Yoru, Haki

Debut Episode/Chapter: Episode 23

Dracule Mihawk isn’t quite a hero or villain, but he still has an antagonistic relationship with the Straw Hat Pirates, so there’s a good chance that Mihawk and the Straw Hats will trade blows in the Final Saga. After all, Roronoa Zoro is still eager to defeat Mihawk in a proper duel to prove himself the world’s greatest swordsman.

Mihawk will no doubt agree to meet Zoro on the field of battle, and fight purely for the sake of swordsmanship, not for the World Government or any other party. Even though Mihawk belongs to the Cross Guild organization, he probably won’t fight Zoro in that group’s name. Like Zoro, Mihawk the final duel of swords will be personal.

5. Saint Garling Figarland Commands the God’s Knights Group

Villain Name: Saint Garling Figarland

Powers/Weapons/Skills: Saber

Debut Episode/Chapter: Chapter 1,086

Garling Figarland is one of the most recent antagonists to appear in the One Piece manga series, and he has yet to directly fight the Straw Hat crew in battle. Still, the manga must have introduced him for a good reason, and it seems he is a capable swordsman with his saber. Zoro, though, will probably view Garling as a mere warm up en route to dueling Dracule Mihawk.

Like Admiral Aramaki, Garling Figarland scorns everyone below him as trash, subscribing to the idea that the world nobles are the most elite beings in the world. Such an ideological stance will no doubt make Garling a sworn enemy of the Straw Hat Pirates, which will probably lead to a battle with them. One Piece fans may also get the chance to see how effective Garland is as the command of a military organization.

4. Sir Crocodile Needs to Pay All Over Again For What He Did to Alabasta

Powers/Weapons/Skills: Sand-Sand Fruit

Debut Episode/Chapter: Episode 76

Monkey D. Luffy has already fought and defeated Sir Crocodile, a former Warlord of the Sea, but there is a chance that Luffy and Crocodile will come to blows once again. Luffy vanquished Crocodile after three fights in the Alabasta Kingdom, and then they were reluctant allies at Marineford after escaping Impel Down together.

Sir Crocodile now runs the Cross Guild organization alongside Dracule Mihawk, and he’s been putting bounties on the heads of Navy officers and crewmen like Koby. Crocodile may not be Luffy’s single worst enemy so far in the Final Saga, but if Crocodile goes after Koby or gets in Luffy’s way, then Luffy won’t hesitate to take him on once again.

3. Admiral Kizaru/Borsalino Stands in Luffy’s Way at Egghead Island

Villain Name: Admiral Kizaru

Powers/Weapons/Skills: Glint-Glint Fruit

Debut Episode/Chapter: Episode 398

Admiral Kizaru/Borsalino has a terrifying Devil Fruit that grants him the power of light itself, making him a dangerous foe for One Piece‘s heroes to face. Also, like his fellow Admirals, Kizaru is hostile to the Straw Hats, no matter his laid-back attitude, and he is making a serious effort to defeat them on Egghead Island. So far, though, Kizaru is having a tough time against the power of Gear 5.

Kizaru won’t hesitate to kill former allies like Dr. Vegapunk, a fact that the Straw Hat pirates can’t accept. No matter what happens to Vegapunk, Luffy will make every effort to vanquish Kizaru in retaliation and prove to the Navy that the World Government can’t keep pushing people around any longer.

2. Rob Lucci Won’t Stop Fighting the Straw Hat Crew

Villain Name: Rob Lucci

Powers/Weapons/Skills: Cat-Cat Fruit, leopard model

Debut Episode/Chapter: Episode 230

Luffy has already defeated Rob Lucci once before in One Piece, having taken him down at Enies Lobby in the Water 7 saga. At the time, Rob Lucci was a powerful opponent for Luffy, and now that Luffy is much stronger, Rob Lucci has caught up by awakening his Zoan-type Devil Fruit, the Cat-Cat Fruit.

Rob Lucci has returned for more at Egghead Island, where he is currently battling the Straw Hat Pirates. If neither side conclusively wins on that island, then perhaps Rob Lucci and his Straw Hat enemies will finish the fight elsewhere. Given how loyal Rob Lucci is to the World Government, only his total defeat will get him out of the Straw Hats’ way for good.

1. Captain Blackbeard Will Probably Be the Endgame Boss Battle

Powers/Weapons/Skills: Dark-Dark Fruit, Tremor-Tremor Fruit

Debut Episode/Chapter: Episode 146

Captain Blackbeard and Luffy have barely clashed in One Piece so far, but the story clearly intends for them to do battle at some point in the Final Saga. Blackbeard was the one who captured Ace, meaning he played a role in Ace’s death, and he is Luffy’s rival as a fellow Emperor. Whatever Blackbeard’s end goal is, he will probably aim to complete it in the Final Saga, and Luffy won’t like it.

In fact, given his immense power and role in the story, Captain Blackbeard may end up as the final enemy after everyone else has fallen. Luffy hasn’t yet had an ultimate archnemesis, but at this rate, Blackbreard will assume that role, and fans can’t wait to see him fight Luffy to the finish.