20 strongest characters in One Piece Log – Fish-Man Island Saga, ranked

The conclusion of One Piece Log – Fish-Man Island Saga marks the return of the up-to-date One Piece anime. For about six months, the revamped version of the decade-old Fish-Man Island Saga has kept fans engaged, allowing Toei Animation to focus on the Egghead Arc’s climax and craft an adaptation that upholds the studio’s recent standards of breathtaking visual quality.

To help fans get through the six-month hiatus, Toei Animation dropped a remastered version of the Straw Hat crew’s first post-timeskip adventure. The renewed art, vibrant shading, and vivid color palette, complemented by a significantly shortened pacing, breathed new life into the Straw Hat Pirates’ exploration of the underwater world of Fish-Man Island.

After two years of training, Luffy and his comrades reunited at Sabaody Archipelago to finally enter the New World. As the Straw Hats ventured into the ocean’s depths to cross Fish-Man Island, however, they had to put a stop to the evil plot enacted by Hody Jones. Read on to find out the 20 most powerful characters who played an active role in One Piece’s first post-timeskip saga.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece series and reflects the opinion of the writer.

The 20 most powerful One Piece characters in Fish-Man Island Saga, ranked from weakest to strongest

20) Wadatsumi

Wadatsumi in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

A member of Vander Decken’s Flying Pirates, Wadatsumi is a giant-sized Fish-Man. He relies on his large body and Fish-Man features to smash or crush average opponents through brute force. While Wadatsumi’s physical strength is high enough to defeat creatures much larger than the Thousand Sunny, however, his overall combat effectiveness is hindered by the lack of finesse.

Against the duo formed by Jinbe and Sanji, Wadatsumi didn’t stand a chance. However, he demonstrated remarkable durability and endurance as he was able to withstand some powerful hits from the pair before succumbing.

19) Vander Decken IX

Decken in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Vander Decken IX is the captain of the Flying Pirates. Completely obsessed with Shirahoshi, he allied with Hody Jones, intending to get closer to the Mermaid Princess. As the user of the Mark-Mark Fruit, Vander Decken can send projectiles to chase a target until they strike it or an obstacle interposes.

Provided that Decken has touched the target before, the projectile will automatically pursue them everywhere. This ability has the magical effect to propel anything toward the target, including enormous objects like the gigantic ship Noah. Even with his Fish-Man features and dangerous Devil Fruit ability, however, Vander Decken remains a relatively unimpressive fighter.

18) Caribou

Caribou in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

As the owner of the Swamp-Swamp Fruit, Caribou is a Logia user who can create mud and turn himself into the same element. He can drown his targets in sludge, as well as suffocate or trap them with slime. He can also store weapons within his bottomless, muddy body and release them suddenly to perform surprise attacks.

That said, Caribou’s moves are only effective against the weak. Wicked and cowardly, he built his undeserved reputation as a “super rookie” by flexing his Logia powers on those who couldn’t oppose them. Against any decently strong fighter, Caribou stands no chance, as evidenced by his crushing defeat against Pekoms.

17) Nico Robin

Robin in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The archaeologist of the Straw Hat Pirates, Nico Robin, can use the Flower-Flower Fruit to sprout numerous duplicates of her body from any surface within range. During the two-year timeskip, Robin honed her Devil Fruit skills, learning to create sentient clones of herself to deceive her enemies or sprout giant-sized body parts to overpower them.

She also learned the basics of Fish-Man Karate, which she incorporated into her fighting style by using her enlarged limbs to perform devastating palm strikes. However, she didn’t use those abilities until she went all out against Black Maria in the Wano Arc. In Fish-Man Island, Robin’s opponent was Hammond, and she beat him with ease.

16) Brook

Brook in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Brook is the Straw Hat crew’s musician. Although he tends to fool around, he is a good swordsman who can even imbue his weapon, the cane sword Soul Solid, with his Devil Fruit powers. Brook ate the Revive-Revive Fruit, which allowed him to come back to life, although just with his skeleton, after dying once.

Over the timeskip, Brook rose to fame as a world-famous rock star, but also honed his Devil Fruit abilities. He can now use the cold aura of the underworld to freeze anyone or anything he cuts with Soul Solid’s blade, just like he did when he effortlessly defeated Zeo, one of Hody’s subordinates. Also, Brook learned to project his soul as a ghostly spirit that could move independently from his body.

15) Franky

Franky in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The Straw Hat crew’s shipwright, Franky, is a fighter not to be underestimated. He possesses superhuman strength, which he uses to perform unorthodox melee techniques, and he has also equipped his body with mechanical weapons and enhancements of all sorts. During the timeskip, Franky reconfigured and improved his bionic body, rebuilding himself in a cyborg stronger than ever before.

Most notably, he upgraded his previous Coup de Vent into the Radical Beam, a highly destructive laser beam. He also crafted the General, a massive mecha designed for both offensive and defensive purposes, thanks to the super-durable Wapometal material.

Franky showed off by easily defeating Ikaros Much from Hody’s New Fish-Man Pirates, and he could likely hold his own against adversaries far beyond that level, as his feats in the subsequent arcs will confirm.

14) Hyouzou

Hyouzou in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

A mercenary hired by the New Fish-Man Pirates, the octopus merman Hyouzou was the arc’s second strongest villain after Hody Jones. In a straight comparison of their base forms, Hyouzou even surpassed Hody, given the former’s better performance in the respective skirmishes with Luffy.

Unlike Hody, Hyouzou was good enough to react to Gear 2 Luffy’s speed, blocking his attack and even striking back with a countermove so swift that Luffy didn’t even notice it. Due to these feats, Luffy himself acknowledged Hyouzou as a strong individual.

A swordsman who can wield eight venom-coated blades with deadly precision, Hyouzou skyrocketed his power after overdosing on Energy Steroids, which transformed his body much like Hody’s. In this state, he targeted Nico Robin, and Roronoa Zoro had to protect her from his onslaught. Against Zoro, however, Hyouzou suffered a brutal, humiliating defeat.

13) Pekoms

Pekoms in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Pekoms is a natural-born Mink, which gives him decent physical skills as well as the natural ability to use Electro and enter the Sulong transformation when exposed to the full moon. He also ate the Turtle-Turtle Fruit, a Zoan Devil Fruit that boosts his defense by granting him a diamond-tough protective shell.

An officer of the Big Mom Pirates, Pekoms, arrived on Fish-Man Island to collect a payment alongside his companion Tamago. Challenged by Caribou, he proved his combat prowess by crushing the vicious pirate, easily dodging and blocking his frantic attacks before knocking him out with a single Armament Haki-infused strike.

12) Tamago

Tamago in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

A seasoned officer of the Big Mom Pirates dispatched to Fish-Man Island with his partner Pekoms, Tamago hails from the Longleg Tribe. As such, he can use his lower limbs to deliver rapid and powerful kicks, an innate ability he can combine with his masterful swordsmanship to perform relentless attacks.

Thanks to the Egg-Egg Fruit, Tamago’s body evolves whenever he is struck with a blow strong enough to kill him. From a cracked open egg, Tamago transforms into a chicken, then into a full-grown rooster, each evolution boosting his power. Tamago can only be harmed during the evolution process, being nearly invulnerable otherwise.

11) Hody Jones

Hody in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Hody Jones plotted to overtake Ryugu Kingdom and crown Fish-Men as the supreme race, but his scheme crumbled under the opposition of the Straw Hat Pirates. A Fish-Man much stronger than Arlong, described as nothing next to him, Hody amplified his power exponentially by overdosing on Energy Steroids.

Each pill doubled his might, and he took dozens, dramatically enhancing his body and Fish-Man Karate techniques. Also, as a Fish-Man fighting in his natural habitat, the sea, his combat effectiveness was boosted even further. On the other hand, the same environment would reduce a human’s power by half.

For all his strength, however, Hody faltered when pitted against true powerhouses. Hody battled Zoro underwater, where his advantage should have peaked, yet he was outclassed by the "Pirate Hunter", who defeated him with one overwhelming blow. Hody was forced to take many Energy Steroids to survive the injury and later, even at a distance of time, to cope with the pain.

The doping overdose caused Hody to undergo a physical transformation, which increased his power yet again. In this state, he could withstand some of Luffy’s attacks, including the Armament Haki-imbued Red Hawk. He even injured Luffy, piercing through his Haki defense with enough strength to wound his shoulder. Despite Hody’s remarkable endurance, however, Luffy won the battle without even needing to activate his Gear 4.

10) Sanji

Sanji in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Sanji, the cook and third-strongest member of the Straw Hat Pirates, spent the two-year timeskip on Kamabakka Kingdom, where he fought and defeated the 99 masters of Newkama Kenpo. These constant challenges redefined Sanji’s fighting skills, allowing him to learn Blue Walk to move underwater like a natural-born Fish-Man and Sky Walk for mid-air movement.

He also learned the basics of Observation and Armament Haki. When the Straw Hats faced the New Fish-Man Pirates, Sanji teamed up with Jinbe to take down Wadatsumi. Together, Jinbe and Sanji easily overwhelmed the foe. After Jinbe sent Wadatsumi flying, Sanji finished him off with Hell Memories, a devastating fiery move that unleashed the Diable Jambe’s full power.

In the following arcs, however, Sanji’s disappointing struggles against Vergo and Doflamingo revealed his vulnerabilities, underscoring the need for a further power boost, which materialized only much later, in Wano, when Sanji awakened his genetic potential as a Vinsmoke.

9) Momonga

Momonga in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

As the commander of the Navy’s G-1 base, Vice Admiral Momonga was immediately alerted when the impostor Straw Hats stirred chaos in Sabaody. One Piece has yet to unveil the extent of Momonga’s capabilities, but his status as a powerful Marine officer is clear, evidenced by how he fearlessly confronted Boa Hancock of the Seven Warlords.

Momonga was shown to be a swift, battle-hardened fighter who seamlessly combines lethal swordsmanship with mastery of the Rokushiki martial arts. As a Vice Admiral, he is also presumed to use Armament and Observation Haki. His appointment as the commander of the G-1 base, the former Marineford, further suggests his uncommon prowess.

8) Sentomaru

Sentomaru in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Sentomaru’s combat skills earned him the role of personal bodyguard to Dr Vegapunk, the most brilliant scientist in the One Piece world. A particularly proficient Armament Haki user, Sentomaru can emit his Busoshoku outward via sumo-style palm thrusts to damage his opponents without direct physical contact.

Sentomaru can also use the Color of Armament to create defensive barriers. He claimed to have the “greatest defense in the world,” while this claim sounds exaggeratedly boastful, his blend of sumo techniques and Haki mastery is undeniably impressive. By the time the Straw Hats reunited in Sabaody, Sentomaru had risen to Commander of the Navy’s Science Unit.

7) Bartholomew Kuma (mindless)

Kuma in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

A former pirate, Seven Warlords member, and Revolutionary officer, Bartholomew Kuma allowed himself to be turned into a mindless cyborg in exchange for the life of his adoptive daughter, Jewelry Bonney. Before losing his free will, however, Kuma committed to a final mission: protecting the Thousand Sunny from Marines and pirates alike until the Straw Hat crew’s return.

In the two-year-long conflict, Kuma received many injuries while stopping anyone who tried to approach the ship. During these fights, he likely employed his Paw-Paw Fruit, allowing him to repel anything he touched with his paw pads, including incorporeal things or himself.

With this Devil Fruit, Kuma could repel incoming attacks, extract physical pain, create tremendous shockwaves, and move at high speed. His mighty body – a blend of the Buccaneer Race’s strength and the Pacifista’s bionic enhancements – was also of help. Kuma’s mission only stopped as soon as he saw Franky approaching the Thousand Sunny.

6) Jinbe

Jinbe in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Before officially joining the Straw Hat Pirates in the Wano Arc, Jinbe met and befriended them on Fish-Man Island as they joined forces to stop Hody’s scheme. Jinbe is a skilled fighter, likely the strongest known Fish-Man in One Piece.

Once a member of the Seven Warlords, as well as a trusted subordinate of two different Emperors, Edward Newgate “Whitebeard” and Charlotte Linlin “Big Mom”, Jinbe is a masterful practitioner of Fish-Man Karate, which he can use to manipulate any surrounding water, turning it into an extension of his martial art moves.

Jinbe also stands out for his outstanding Armament Haki prowess, impressive endurance, and overall fighting experience. Before the timeskip, Jinbe could match Portgas D. Ace and easily overpower Gecko Moria. In Fish-Man Island Saga, he stopped Hody’s attack aimed at Shirahoshi, and later teamed up with Sanji to beat up Wadatsumi.

5) Roronoa Zoro

Zoro in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The Straw Hat crew’s second-in-command, Roronoa Zoro, spent the timeskip training with Dracule Mihawk, who taught him to use Haki. Mihawk’s brutal training cost Zoro his left eye, but the sacrifice paid off, as direct mentorship from the World’s Strongest Swordsman greatly increased Zoro’s fighting prowess.

A testament to his power surge, Zoro steamrolled any New World challenge without needing another upgrade until Wano, where he ascended to new heights by tapping into his Conqueror’s Haki. Fish-Man Island Saga saw Zoro dominating the arc’s main villain, Hody Jones, in a stunning show of might. Zoro cut Hody in a flash, defeating him with a single blow.

Zoro outclassed Hody even underwater, where Fish-Men had the advantage over humans, even if the villain had also boosted himself with Energy Steroids. Hody was only revived by his henchmen, who fed him further Energy Steroids, and later had to overdose on additional doping pills to survive the excruciating pain from Zoro’s previous attack.

Zoro also wrecked Hyouzou, beating him easily even though Hyouzou had amped himself with Energy Steroids and undergone the same white-haired transformation as Hody. Notably, Hyouzou’s base form alone was strong enough to earn Luffy’s praise for successfully defending from Gear 2.

In the immediately following arcs, Zoro obliterated Pica’s mountain-sized stone golem and full-body Armament Haki, and even pushed back Admiral Fujitora after blocking his attack. These feats cement that the early post-timeskip, Zoro, especially considering his full power with Asura, was already entering Commander-level, just like Luffy.

4) Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy, trained under Silvers Rayleigh to learn the secrets of Haki. He became a decent user of Armament and Observation Haki, and gained control over his natural-born Conqueror’s Haki to dominate designed targets or overwhelm thousands of people at once. Luffy also developed Gear 4, a new transformation blending Haki with the rubber-like elasticity of his body.

This new form offers three distinct variations, each focused on optimizing different aspects. Gear 4 Boundman balances attack, defense, and speed, while Gear 4 Snakeman prioritizes speed and attack, and Gear 4 Tankman only focuses on defense. Although powerful, Gear 4 has a cost, as it greatly drains Luffy’s stamina.

That said, Luffy also mastered his previous Gear forms, learning to use Gear 2 without drawbacks even in selected parts of his body and learning Gear 3 without shrinking afterward. With this increased mastery and the additions of Gear 4 and Haki, Luffy’s fighting skills grew formidable, his overall might soaring into Commander-level already.

Luffy inflicted a crushing defeat on Hody Jones even without using Gear 4, making his newfound prowess manifest. Since the beginning of the post-timeskip narration, Luffy’s limits were only tested when he faced Doflamingo, and later fought Cracker and Katakuri.

3) Boa Hancock

Boa in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The ruler of Amazon Lily and captain of the Kuja Pirates, Boa Hancock, became one of Luffy’s greatest allies after falling head over heels for the young pirate. Boa’s beauty is breathtaking, but her combat prowess is not far behind, considering she was chosen as one of the Seven Warlords.

A skilled martial artist, she can infuse her blows with the Love-Love Fruit to petrify anything she strikes. The same Devil Fruit allows Boa to petrify her targets even with long-range attacks. She has the innate ability to unleash Conqueror’s Haki, although she has never demonstrated the ability to use its advanced version, much like her fellow Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo.

During Fish-Man Island Saga, Boa aided Luffy by holding the Marines. Boa’s real capabilities will be shown later in the series when she easily defeated Yamakaji, a Vice Admiral, as well as Devon and Shot, two officers of the Blackbeard Pirates. Yet, she proved overly reliant on her Devil Fruit, as she was helpless against Marshall D. Teach, who could disable it.

2) Silvers Rayleigh (old)

The 78-year-old Rayleigh in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Silvers Rayleigh is a living testament to the notion that Haki surpasses any other force in One Piece. The former second-in-command of Gol D. Roger, Rayleigh, was the late Pirate King’s right-hand man and strongest comrade, as emphasized by his moniker of “Dark King”. Monkey D. Garp hyped Rayleigh as a legend of the same caliber as Whitebeard.

Rayleigh is a formidable swordsman who has mastered all three Haki types. As confirmed by One Piece author Eiichiro Oda, the power of his Conqueror’s Haki is in the same league as Shanks. During the timeskip, Rayleigh became Luffy’s mentor. He then stood in front of the Marines to cover Luffy’s escape, and no one dared to challenge him.

Though long retired, inactive, and nearing his eighties, Rayleigh remains strong enough to match Admiral Kizaru. He could fend off Kizaru flawlessly, a feat that grows even more impressive considering the Admiral’s recent showdown with a Yonko-level Luffy, where he pushed Luffy’s Gear 5 to exhaustion.

Blackbeard, now a Yonko, preferred to retreat from Amazon Lily empty-handed rather than fight a 78-year-old Rayleigh. In his prime incarnation, Rayleigh can be considered one of the strongest characters in the series, surpassing the Admirals and most of the Yonkos. Needless to say, a prime Rayleigh would easily claim the top spot in this ranking.

1) Big Mom

Big Mom in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

By the time of Fish-Man Island Saga, Charlotte Linlin “Big Mom” still held her title as one of the Four Emperors. When Fish-Man Island failed to supply its monthly candy tribute, Big Mom entered a dispute with Luffy, who openly challenged her. Luffy’s audacious defiance infuriated Big Mom, setting the stage for their future confrontation in Whole Cake Island.

Big Mom was a living force of nature, possessing immense physical strength and an abnormally tough body since childhood. A testament to this, she could easily block Luffy’s Gear 4 and even match Kaido in a direct clash, a feat more staggering as both unleashed their Advanced Conqueror’s Haki with enough power to split the skies.

The Soul-Soul Fruit added versatility to Big Mom’s innate might, allowing her to manipulate human souls to animate lifeless things into Homies, special creatures that could be used to perform a variety of techniques, from unleashing thunderbolts and firestorms to healing herself.

Admittedly, for a top-tier fighter, Big Mom had her flaws, but her resilience was unquestionable. wasn’t one of these. During the Onigashima Raid, she could endure Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid’s best attacks. She faced them in numerical inferiority, yet they couldn’t knock her out, but only hurl her into the void, another testament to her near-unbreakable body.