Summary
- Intelligence can surpass physical strength in One Piece characters like Nami and Franky.
- Characters like Dr. Hogback and Caesar Clown use their brains for diabolical plans.
- Strategic masterminds like Sengoku and Vegapunk redefine the power of technology.
The One Piece world is one in which the strongest — whether they be pirates, Marines, or revolutionaries — are at the top of the food chain. Due to this, strength is often seen as king. However, a small subset of characters challenges this narrative. These characters show that by employing brains in the right direction, they can overcome various forms of brawn, be it overwhelming Haki or dominant devil fruit abilities.
Certain One Piece characters show that intelligence and strategic brilliance, employed alongside various forms of technology, can be just as strong as, if not more than, raw physical strength. Through tactical planning and sheer wit, these characters tend to use their brains more than brawn as they strive to carve out a place for themselves in a world where strength reigns supreme.
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The One Piece story will eventually end. Oda reveals when he plans to do so.
8 Dr. Hogback
Twisted Surgeon Blurring The Line Between Life And Death
- Manga Debut: Chapter 446
This character was only predominantly shown during the Thriller Bark arc; however, his scientific genius, even if paranormal, is not to be underestimated. As a world-renowned “Genius Surgeon,” Hogback was known to be capable of performing miracle surgeries, surgeries one would believe can only be performed by the wielder of the Ope Ope no Mi.
With his medical expertise, Hogback was sought after by Gecko Moria so that he could patch up various corpses together, even modifying them. Whether humans, beasts, or inanimate objects, Hogback was able to surgically join various creatures together as they were turned into zombies for Gecko Moria’s army.
7 Nami
A Cunning Navigator And Master Manipulator
- Manga Debut: Chapter 8
Unlike many members of her crew, Nami hasn’t had a significant power-up in terms of her physical abilities. Many believe she doesn’t have the capabilities to be in the emperor-level fights that Luffy has been finding himself in recently, at least if she were to rely on pure brawn.
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One Piece hosts a colorful cast of lovable characters, but one of the original crew members, Nami, has many fans divided.
Yet with her brains, whether by crook or clever strategy, the navigator of the Straw Hats has continually outsmarted and outmaneuvered many opponents much stronger than herself. While she lacks overwhelming strength, Nami’s wit and her mastery of weather-based tactics have allowed her to come out on top many times, even in situations where it seems unlikely.
6 Franky
A Genius Shipwright With A Mechanical Mind
- Manga Debut: Chapter 329
The shipwright of the Straw Hats could be perceived as more easily fitting the brawn-alone stereotype rather than the brains. However, the reality is very different. Despite his often perverted outlook and his massive frame, Franky is a very intelligent individual. Like Vegapunk, he applies his smarts to most things in his life.
Knowing the limitations of the human body, Franky didn’t set out to obtain a devil fruit, an incredibly powerful punch, or even Haki. Rather, he decided to modify his body into that of a cyborg. In addition to constant improvements to his cyborg self, Franky's smarts are seen through his exceptional engineering skills and their many strategic combat applications.
5 Nico Robin
Sharp Mind Unlocking The World's Lost History
- Manga Debut: Chapter 114
The archaeologist Nico Robin has been wanted by the World Government ever since she was a child. Now, with a bounty of 930,000,000 Berries, Robin stands as the individual with the fifth-highest bounty of the Straw Hats. Compared to the likes of Luffy and Zoro, Robin’s bounty isn’t because of her extensive combat abilities, but because of the threat she poses to the World Government with the knowledge she has.
As the last survivor of the Ohara scholars, Robin’s intelligence has put her in both fortunate and unfortunate situations. Right from when she was a child, Robin employed her smarts to both evade the World Government and partner up with (while also deceiving) dangerous pirates like Crocodile.
4 Tony Tony Chopper
A Brilliant Doctor Who Outsmarts Disease And Danger
- Manga Debut: Chapter 134
As the doctor of the Straw Hats, Chopper’s main role in the crew is to diagnose and treat different kinds of ailments and injuries, and he does it brilliantly. Unfortunately, being in a pirate crew means that having a way to protect himself becomes absolutely necessary, aside from his healing expertise.
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And so, while he’s not the most skilled reindeer fighter out there, by using his smarts, he has developed ways to better make use of his reindeer body and the various transformations his Hito Hito no Mi devil fruit gives him. With the rumble ball and knowledge of poisons and healing, Chopper proves himself a formidable foe.
3 Caesar Clown
Mad Genius Pushing The Boundaries Of Science
- Manga Debut: Chapter 658
As the creator of the SMILE artificial devil fruits, Caesar might be diabolical, but he certainly is smart. Unfortunately, he uses his smarts to get whatever he wants in the dog-eat-dog pirate world of One Piece. Teaming up with Doflamingo, Caesar manufactured thousands of SMILE devil fruits and experimented even on children to further his plans.
Aside from his diabolical doings, Caesar displays the use of his brain even in the way he fights. Rather than physically overpowering an adversary, he'd much rather try and deprive them of oxygen or use deadly chemical attacks. In this way, even the strong can fall before him if they're careless.
2 Sengoku
The Strategic Mastermind Of The Marines
- Manga Debut: Chapter 234
The ex-Fleet Admiral of the Marines is physically powerful, no doubt, even in his old age. However, much unlike his lifelong companion, Monkey D. Garp, Sengoku focuses more on getting things done with his brain. As seen during the Summit War of Marineford, Sengoku set up plan after plan to defeat and thwart the pirates and their end goal of rescuing Portgas D. Ace.
From an enclosing fortress to purposefully leaking his plans, Sengoku had many things planned out to stop the pirates, and he largely succeeded. If not for anomalies like Blackbeard, fans of the series might not have gotten to see the power of the Hito Hito no Mi in action.
1 Vegapunk
The Greatest Scientific Mind To Redefine Technology
- Manga Debut: Chapter 684
As the most renowned scientist of his time, Vegapunk became a household name known far and wide. With a head that seemed like it could stretch on for miles, Vegapunk became synonymous with intellect and innovation. He stood at the forefront of the scientific development in the world of One Piece, even after his death.
With his intellect, Vegapunk could even predict his own death. So, using the clones he created of himself to be able to achieve more things, he ensured that the many scientific advancements he made would continue on into the future, even if his main body (Stella) wouldn’t be able to see it.
One Piece
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Number of Episodes
- 1122
