Summary
There are hundreds of pirate crewsin the masterful Shonen seriescalledOne Piece. And who can blame them for going down this path of crime? The “romance” of the open ocean, complete freedom, conquering the seas, it all sounds pretty nice.It’s sort of why so many different pirate games exist. Unfortunately, as the story has gone on, a lot of the crews have met their end at the hands of the Marines or another pirate crew, were disbanded, or have gone missing entirely.
Now, in the New World, there aren’t many crews left that pop up, as it takes some truly powerful folks to make it into the second half of the Grand Line. So, let’s take a look at some of the strongest ones that are currently active.
Updated on June 21, 2025, by Suzail Ahmad:The Final Saga of One Piece has not been kind to every pirate crew. Many have had their voyage cut short by their rivals and other enemies.
However, there are still some pirate crews who have managed to overcome all the hurdles in their path. They have shown that hard work and determination are key to survival in the One Piece world. A lot has happened since the list was written, so it has been updated to include the current status of the pirate crews.
18The Treasure Pirates
Quite frankly, a lot of the villains inOne Piecemovies aren’t fellow pirates, but rather people that are not part of any organization or marines. Yet,The Treasure Pirates, the crew that function as the antagonists of theHeart of Goldspecial that would later tie into the plot ofOne Piece, Film: Gold, are an exception.
Most of the crew is about as forgettable as many of the pirate crews inOne Piece, butCaptain Mad Treasure, as well as his two trusted companions Psycho P and Naomi Drunk, are all pretty powerful. They were able to put up pretty decent fights against Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy.
They’re near the bottom of this ranking in terms of strength, and the last time viewers saw them they were still stuck inside a giant Sea King angler fish, but they are still assumedly active and could very easily survive on their own in the New World.
Biggest Achievement:The Treasure Pirates were nothing special, and in their short time on the screen, they didn’t manage to capture the attention of the fans.
Current Status:The crew’s journey came to an end after their captain’s defeat.
17The Yonta Maria Grand Fleet
Captain: Orlumbus
Not much is known about theYonta Maria Grand Fleet, other than the fact it is 4500 strong and has 56 ships all led by one man,Orlumbus the Adventurer. After the events of Dressrosa, Orlumbus also pledged his loyalty to the Straw Hat Grand Fleet and went back to his home island, the Standing Kingdom, to resign from his position and become a pirate.
Outside of Orlumbus himself, who was strong enough to fare pretty well in the Dressrosa Coliseum, not much is known about the strength of his crew. But the sheer number of them and the fact that they’ve survived in the New World implies this is a much different situation than Don Krieg’s crew, which had numbers but almost no “real” strength.
Biggest Achievement:Aside from Orlumbus, the Yonta Maria Grand Fleet doesn’t have any notable fighters. So far, their biggest achievement is helping the residents of a poor island.
Current Status:Orlumbus' crew is still very active, and they will likely play a key role in the Final Saga of One Piece.
16Sun Pirates
Captain: Aladine
The Sun Pirates are one of the most reputable pirate crews in the world. The crew was formed by the legendary Fisher Tiger, who invaded Marijoa and freed all the slaves. His actions made him a world-renowned figure, and they also caused the World Government to label him a big threat to their authority. After Fisher Tiger’s unfortunate death, the captaincy was passed down to Jimbei. He raised the crew’s morale and turned them into respectable individuals.
When Jimbeijoined the Shichibukai, the crew was granted immunity by the World Government, but they did not use it to wreak havoc. After quitting the Shichibukai, Jimbei pledged allegiance to Big Mom, and he served under her until Luffy came calling. Jimbei left the Big Mom Pirates during the Whole Cake Island and officially joined the Straw Hat Pirates. With Jimbei gone, Aladdin was named the captain.
Biggest Achievement:The Sun Pirates, led by Aladdin, helped the Straw Hats escape from the clutches of Big Mom. Had they not intervened, the Yonko and her crew would have slaughtered the heroes.
Current Status:The Sun Pirates left Totto Land in one piece, and are still active.
15Barto Club
Captain: Bartolomeo
The Barto Club is led by Bartolomeo, who is a huge fan of the Straw Hat Pirates. The crew made their debut in the series during the Dressrosa arc, where Bartolomeo helped the Straw Hats to defeat the Donquixote Pirates. After freeing the country of Dressrosa, Bartolomeo pledged allegiance to the Straw Hat Pirates and became a part of their Grand Fleet.
Bartolomeo appears to be a fearless pirate as he has attacked one of Shanks' territories. Whether he will suffer the consequences of his actions remains unknown. As a part of the Grand Fleet, it is inevitable that the Barto Club will be involved in the final saga at some point, and they will play a major role in it.
Biggest Achievement:The members of Barto Club are fearless, which is why they did not hesitate to burn down the flag of the Red Hair Pirates.
Current Status:The Barto Club’s ship was blown up Yasopp, leaving their fate unknown.
14The Tontatta Pirates
Captain: Leo
The Tontatta Piratesare yet another crew underneath Straw Hat Luffy, as there aren’t many crews in the New World in general who isn’t “part” of the Four (now tentatively five) Emperors in some way. The Tontatta Pirates are made up entirely of 200 dwarves from Dressrosa, under the command ofThe “Warrior” Leo, wielder of the Sew-Sew Devil Fruit.
The thing is, each of these tiny creatures has strength far surpassing that of an average man, being able to wreck entire buildings singlehandedly in an instant. Plus, they’re absurdly fast, innately stealthy, and overall very capable warriors. And, outside of Leo, this crew has two other Devil Fruit users as well. Honestly, if these dwarves weren’t so hopelessly trusting, they could easily become one of the most fearsome crews in the New World.
Biggest Achievement:The Tontatta Pirates played an important role in the Dressrosa arc, where they helped the Straw Hat Pirates bring down Doflamingo and his crew.
Current Status:Leo was involved in a big incident in Marijoa, but he made it out safely, so the crew is still together.
13Buggy’s Delivery AKA The “Pirate Dispatch Organization”
Captain: Buggy
If this list was made before the time, the crew ofBuggy the Clownwouldn’t be anywhere near it, since they were one of the weakest pirate groups that Luffy encountered early on in his adventures. Sure, Buggy’s Chop-Chop DF is pretty useful, but his combat ability and overall cowardice lead him to avoid most fights he isn’t absolutely sure he can win. That said, after the events of Impel Down, the Marineford War, and the timeskip, Buggy the Clown has lucked his way into building up an organization all his own calledBuggy’s Delivery.
Before the Seven Warlords system was disbanded, Buggy was able to operate this Pirate Mercenary service while sanctioned by the Marines. And, this rather large collaboration between pirates includes criminals from all levels of Impel Down, Devil Fruit users like Alvida and Mr. 3, and (for a time) included some Giants as well. It’s not a crew made up of big-name pirates, but there are thousands of them. And, they all swear by Buggy’s leadership, which makes sense,given the popularity Buggy somehow manages to hold on to.
Biggest Achievement:Most members of the Buggy Pirates are weak and don’t pose any real danger. However, the crew is considered one of the strongest in the world because of the fake reputation built by Buggy’s underlings. Needless to say, it is quite impressive to gain the status of an Emperor without any notable strength.
Current Status:The Buggy Pirates have evolved into the Cross Guild, which is considered one of the biggest threats to world peace. With Crocodile and Michael as leaders, the Cross Guild has become a force to be reckoned with.
12The New Giant Warrior Pirates
Captain: Hajrudin
In the world ofOne Piece, the Giants have always been a mysterious race of warriors known for their absurd natural battle prowess. In fact, the legend of Dorry and Broggy, the two captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, has been elaborated on more and more ever since their initial appearance at Little Garden. And, for numerous reasons.
Now,The New Giant Warrior Piratesare a crew made up entirely of Giants and are a spiritual revival of the Giant Warrior Pirates that were previously mentioned. There are only five of them so far, led byHajrudin. But, just like Luffy’s crew, each one is likely able to handle hundreds of normal fighters on their own. Lastly, like many other notable pirate crews, they are also part of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
Biggest Achievement:The New Giant Warrior Pirates have yet to do anything major that will cement their status as one of the most fearsome pirate crews in the series. In the future, fans might get to see them in action.
Current Status:The New Giant Warrior Pirates are still active and will likely be involved in the Elbaf arc.
11The Thriller Bark Pirates
Captain: Gecko Moria
Luffy managed to beatGecko Moriapretty early on in the story, but the guy and his crew are still pretty powerful. Before Moria decided to leave everything to his subordinates, he was a pretty good fighter in his own right, even managing to make it to Kaido’s domain rather quickly. Sadly, Kaido and his crew defeated the Gecko Pirates with relative ease, and most of Moria’s crew was killed in the process.
This completely changed Moria’s outlook on life, deciding to make a new crew of zombies he controlled rather than humans he trusted, which becameThe Thriller Bark Pirates. Moria has the largest pirate ship in existence, can “make” a new crew in almost no time flat, and has the power of a very strong Devil Fruit on his side. Sadly, Absalom is no longer with him, but with Perona running back to his side, and Hogback making him an endless supply of Zombies (called “Marios”), Gecko Moria usually has a pretty fearsome crew at his side. Currently, this crew doesn’t seem very strong, which is why it’s so low on the list, but given enough time it could easily ascend the ranks.
Biggest Achievement:Gecko Moria is often treated as a weakling because of his defeat to the Straw Hat Pirates in the Thriller Bark arc. However, in his heyday, Moria and his crew were able to compete with Kaido’s Beasts Pirates, which is nothing short of remarkable.
Current Status:While Gecko Moria is still alive, the crew hasn’t done anything significant since the Thriller Bark arc.
10The Fire Tank Pirates
Captain: Capone Bege
Up now areThe Fire Tank Pirates, a crew led byCapone Bege, one of the most memorable members of the Worst Generation. Bege has the Castle-Castle Devil Fruit, allowing him to keep all his crew, weapons, and treasure inside his very own body which is literally a fortress. This, combined with the sheer number of crew members he has, his willingness to do anything to win, and their villainous nature, makes them one of the most fearsome crews out there. Think about it, this one man might be hiding hundreds of pirates inside his very own belly at any moment.
Biggest Achievement:Capone Bege and his crew have been out of the limelight ever since the events of the whole Cake Island arc, where they managed to ruin Big Mom’s tea party. They escaped with their lives, which is nothing short of incredible.
Current Status: The Fire Tank Pirates are still active, but have not made any big moves in recent arcs.
9The Heart Pirates
Captain: Trafalgar Law
Captained by Trafalgar Law, the Heart Pirates are among themost powerful crewsin the world. The crew made their debut in the Sabaody Archipelago, where they had a minor tussle with the Marines. The Heart Pirates would reappear at the Marineford to save Luffy and Jimbei from death. Without their efforts, both characters would have probably died. Sometime during the time skip, Law was promoted to the status of a Shichibukai, which gave him certain amnesties, and it also enabled him to machinateagainst Donquixote Doflamingo.
For a long time, the Heart Pirates had allied themselves with the Straw Hat Pirates. Together, the two crews took down the Donquixote Pirates, and then they collaborated with the Kid Pirates to take down Kaido and Big Mom. Due to their actions in Wano, the World Government increased the bounty of Trafalgar Law, but it is unknown if the other members have received a raise or not. In the last few arcs, the Heart Pirates have been heavily involved in the story, but with the conclusion of the Wano Country arc, it will be a while before they come into the spotlight again.
Biggest Achievement:The Heart Pirates' biggest accomplishment is taking down Big Mom. Their captain, Law, helped Kid take down the Yonko while the rest of the crew fought the Beasts Pirates.
Current Status:Trafalgar Law suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Blackbeard Pirates and ended up losing his Road Poneglphs. While he escaped with his life, his return seems unlikely.
