10 most powerful enemies Luffy faced in One Piece based on power levels

Luffy is an excellent fighter in One Piece, but that's because he always fights the most significant threats.

Whether it was a mere skirmish or a long battle, Luffy struggled against these opponents. They are some of the strongest characters in the One Piece series. Even at Luffy's current strength, they would still give him major trouble. From Admirals to Emperors, their power levels are simply off the charts.

Admittedly, it can be challenging trying to power scale characters.Here are Luffy's most significant obstacles in the One Piece series.

Note: Keep in mind that this list is purely subjective and reflects the author's views. Anyone here could have equal matchups with each other.

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10 most dangerous threats that Luffy had to face in One Piece (so far), based on their power level

10) Bartholomew Kuma

Kuma once completely decimated the Straw Hats, which is a rare feat by One Piece standards. His Nikyu Nikyu no Mi can repel anything he touches, including concepts like pain and suffering. Sadly, he is no longer the man he once was, having lost his free will to the government.

At one point, Kuma was a subordinate of Monkey D. Dragon. He certainly has a history with that particular bloodline. Sadly, it's unknown how Luffy would currently fare against Kuma in his prime.

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9) Mihawk

In terms of combat prowess, Mihawk completely outmatched Luffy during the Marineford war. All the Straw Hat could do was try to dodge every single attack. Luckily for Luffy, the Whitebeard Pirates intervened on his behalf.

Nonetheless, the world's greatest swordsman admired Luffy's abilities. Unlike most One Piece antagonists, Mihawk never lets his ego get in his way.

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8) Aokiji

Kuzan is the first Admiral to showcase his power in the One Piece series, which he demonstrates firsthand in Long Ring Long Land.

The Straw Hats couldn't do anything to him at the time since they lacked the means to bypass his Logia fruit. The Hie Hie no Mi allows the Admiral to manipulate ice, letting him travel through water.

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7) Kizaru

Kizaru had previously laid waste to the Supernovas back in the Sabaody Archipelago. Luffy had a chance to fight the Admiral in Marineford, although he doesn't fare much better than Zoro did. Kizaru's lightspeed attacks were simply too much for Luffy.

All the Admirals would give Luffy a tough time. Kizaru just so happens to be the fastest one, which makes him a formidable fighter.

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6) Sengoku

Sengoku is a former Fleet Admiral, a title that carries prestige in one Piece. The legendary Pirate King also considered Sengoku worth his time, which is a very rare compliment.

When Luffy encountered Sengoku at Marineford, the former could barely hold back the latter's punch before going down. Sengoku uses a mythical Zoan fruit that turns him into a giant Buddha, making him even more powerful.

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5) Garp

The only reason Luffy was able to get past Garp in Marineford was that the grandfather let him. This is the same man who once rivaled Gol D. Roger in power, making him one of the strongest characters in One Piece.

Garp may be on the older side, yet his punches still carry a lot of power. If Garp were currently in his prime years, he would easily top this list.

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4) Blackbeard

Blackbeard would be higher on this list if it weren't for his naive tendencies. He always leaves himself open to attacks from his opponents.

Regardless, this treacherous pirate is so mighty that he once gave Shanks his famous scar. Keep in mind that Shanks wasn't being careless at the time, according to the man himself.

Blackbeard currently possesses two very strong Devil Fruits, the Yami Yami no Mi and the Gura Gura no Mi, respectively. Not only does he have the power to cancel out Devil Fruit abilities, but he can also destroy the entire world. The World Government believes there are very few people who can stop him.

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3) Akainu

Sakazuki's most dangerous trait isn't his offensively powerful Devil Fruit, the Magu Magu no Mi. Instead, it's his relentless determination to kill every single enemy he encounters. He never gives up in his pursuit of Absolute Justice.

According to Eiichiro Oda, if the Fleet Admiral was a protagonist, he could end the One Piece series within a year. This statement alone speaks volumes about his current power level.

This vicious man is the only person who broke Luffy's spirit in One Piece ever, simply by killing Ace. He also gave the Straw Hat his famous scar across the chest. Akainu is arguably an end-game opponent for Luffy, and for good reasons.

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2) Big Mom

Big Mom should be comparative in power level to Kaido, whom she fought evenly for a few days. Luffy had already fought her in both Whole Cake Island and Wano Country. Her sheer mastery of Armament Haki overpowered him during both instances.

She also happens to have a versatile Devil Fruit, the Soru Soru no Mi. Even by One Piece standards, it's a very broken fruit. Big Mom can do practically anything she wants as long as she has the lifespan.

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1) Kaido

Kaido has the highest known bounty of any pirate currently alive in One Piece. Worth over 4,611,100,000 belly, the World Government considers him the biggest threat in the New World.

Luffy found out first hand when he was easily defeated in a single blow. Although the Straw Hat has since trained himself to become a better fighter, Kaido is still a very dangerous threat. During the Onigashima Raid, Luffy was knocked out a few more times by the World's Strongest Creature.

The Straw Hat's current fight with Kaido is proving to be his most challenging yet. Keep in mind that Kaido has already taken several powerful attacks from other characters, such as Zoro and the Red Scabbards. This fight will completely define the One Piece series as a whole.