Summary

  • Shichibukai are powerful pirates offered protection by the World Government until defeated by others.
  • Notable characters like Luffy and Blackbeard have taken down Shichibukai, leading to their downfall.
  • Admirals like Ryokugyu have also beaten Shichibukai, showing the dynamic power struggles in One Piece.

The Seven Warlords of the Sea, or the Shichibukai, are seven pirates who are among the strongest fighters in the world. A pirate is offered the role of Shichibukai when the World Government deems them a big enough threat.

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While the Shichibukai are all powerful combatants, they are not invincible. In fact, several other One Piece characters have beaten Shichibukai on their journeys. Usually, after being beaten, the World Government revokes their status, and they are branded regular criminals once again. As a result, the Marines are free to hunt them down.

The list includes Shichibukai from all eras.

6 ​​​Portgas D. Ace

Shichibukai Defeated: Hanafuda

One Piece Portgas D. Ace Wano
  • Devil Fruit: Mera Mera no Mi
  • Haki: Yes

Portgas D. Ace was the son of Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge. As the Pirate King's son, Ace was expected to emulate some of Roger's success. He started on a high note as he found the Mera Mera no Mi, which granted him the ability to manipulate fire at will.

Additionally, Ace had access to all three types of Haki, making him part of a unique list. Not long after starting his journey, Ace came across Hanafuda, who was known as the King of Lizards. He was Shichibukai who collected Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruits. Ace fought Hanafuda and defeated him. This earned Ace a great deal of reputation, and the World Government even offered him a chance to join the Shichibukai, which he turned down.

5 Monkey D. Luffy

Shichibukai Defeated: Crocodile, Gecko Moria, Donquixote Doflamingo

One Piece Luffy Gear 5 Egghead
  • Devil Fruit: Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika
  • Haki: Yes

Monkey D. Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and one of the Yonko. Luffy has mastered the use of all types of Haki, so he can use them freely. He also possesses a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, which allows him to transform into the ancient Sun God, Nika.

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Luffy is the biggest nemesis of the Shichibukai. He has single-handedly beaten the likes of Crocodile, Doflamingo, and Gecko Moria. Luffy has also defeated Buggy, although he was not a Shichibukai back then. It is safe to say that without Luffy, the Shichibukai system would still be functional, as their crimes would have never been exposed.

4 Shanks

Shichibukai Defeated: Dracule Mihawk

  • Devil Fruit: No
  • Haki: Yes

When it comes to prodigies, Shanks is right up there with the likes of Ace, Big Mom, and Kaido. He was an apprentice on the ship of Gol D. Roger, yet he received the Straw Hat. After the Roger Pirates disbanded, Shanks traveled far and wide to recruit crewmates and build a strong crew. He was a talented swordsman who caught the eye of Dracule Mihawk.

The two engaged in multiple duels, but the outcomes are unclear. Either a) both of them won the same number of times or b) all their fights were draws. Since the latter seems unlikely, it means that Shanks defeated Mihawk, making him one of the few characters who overpowered a Shichibukai.

3 Blackbeard

Shichibukai Defeated: Boa Hancock, Trafalgar Law

Blackbeard uses the Dark-Dark Fruit to capture Boa Hancock in One Piece
Blackbeard uses the Dark-Dark Fruit to capture Boa Hancock in One Piece
  • Devil Fruit: Gura Gura no Mi, Yami Yami no Mi
  • Haki: Yes

Marshall D. Teach, also known as Blackbeard, is among the strongest pirates in the world. Not only can he use Haki, but he also has two Devil Fruits in his arsenal. He ate the Yami Yami no Mi first, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that nullifies the abilities of other people. This allows Blackbeard to bypass the intangibility of other Logia-types without using Haki.

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2

He got his hands on the Gura Gura no Mi during the Marineford arc. After Whitebeard's death, Blackbeard was able to steal his former captain's power mysteriously. Blackbeard's thirst for Devil Fruits didn't stop there; it took him to Amazon Lily. He wanted to beat Hancock and steal her Devil Fruit. Unsurprisingly, Hancock had the upper hand in the fight, and she managed to petrify most of Blackbeard's underlings. However, the Yonko was able to capture Boa Hancock temporarily with the help of a distraction. He also defeated Trafalgar Law on Winner Island.

2 Ryokugyu

Shichibukai Beaten: Edward Weevil

admiral ryokugyu Mori Mori no mi
  • Devil Fruit: Mori Mori no Mi
  • Haki: Yes

Ryokugyu is one of the three Marine Admirals. He joined the organization via the World Military Draft along with Fujitora. Like all Admirals, Ryokugyu possesses a powerful Devil Fruit, giving him an edge over his adversaries. Ryokugyu ate the Mori Mori no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that gives him complete dominion over plant life. He knows the limitations of his powers and has trained his plants to overcome them.

Ryokugyu has not gone all out in a fight, which makes it difficult to gauge his full strength. His only demonstration came towards the Wano Country arc, where he overpowered the Beasts Pirates, but it is important to remember that they were gravely injured. After leaving Wano, Ryokugyu went to Sphinx Island, where he defeated and captured Edward Weevil.

1 Whitebeard

Shichibukai Beaten: Crocodile

One Piece Young Whitebeard in Wano
  • Devil Fruit: Gura Gura no Mi
  • Haki: Yes

Edward Newgate was the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, a crew that he started after the God Valley Incident. Under his leadership, the crew reached new heights. Whitebeard also earned the title of Strongest Man in the World. He was said to have the power to destroy the world, which was an obvious reference to his Gura Gura no Mi. A single move powered by the Devil Fruit could destroy an entire island effortlessly.

On top of that, Whitebeard could use three types of Haki, and he exercised great control over them. With so many powerful abilities at his disposal, only a fool would challenge him. Surprisingly, Crocodile tried his luck and was beaten horribly. While the timeline is unclear, it is highly possible that he fought Whitebeard when he was a Shichibukai. The main thing to remember is that Crocodile served as a Shichibukai for over twenty years. So, there is a good chance that the fight occurred when he was affiliated with the group.

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Release Date
October 20, 1999
Network
Fuji TV
Directors
Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
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  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Mayumi Tanaka
    Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Kazuya Nakai
    Roronoa Zoro (voice)

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming
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Studio
Toei Animation
Creator
Eiichiro Oda
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV