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Since Rayleigh's first appearance in Sabaody Archipelago, One Piece fans knew he was an exceptional fighter.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views and contains manga spoilers up to One Piece Chapter 1059.
Rayleigh made a very prominent return in the aforementioned chapter, which is why fans are hyped for him. He is strong enough to send Blackbeard away from Amazon Lily.
Rayleigh doesn't need a Devil Fruit to earn a fearsome reputation. Keep in mind that Luffy only learned Haki through his teaching methods. Rayleigh has mastered all the advanced techniques within that fighting system. Despite his old age, he can take on most One Piece characters without a problem.
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Rayleigh shouldn't face troubles with these One Piece characters
4) Marco the Phoenix
Marco met Rayleigh during his youth, back when the Whitebeard Pirates and Roger Pirates were rivals. They were both first mates of their respective crews in the One Piece series.
Rayleigh has proven to be mighty while using basic Haki techniques. He can fight Logia Devil Fruit users like Kizaru. This will be useful against Marco's Devil Fruit, which lets him conjure up phoenix flames. Marco can even change his body composition like a Logia user.
Rayleigh is fast enough to keep up with Marco and his regenerative abilities. Roger's first mate could deal with major damages through the advanced form of Busoshoku Haki. Not only can he attack Marco without directly touching him, but Rayleigh can also avoid the phoenix flames.
3) Boa Hancock
One Piece Chapter 1059 is an excellent showcase for Boa Hancock. She is strong enough to fend off several Blackbeard Pirates by herself. Hancock even turned several of them into stone with her Devil Fruit.
Rayleigh must be careful since a single kick by her may turn him to stone. With that said, he never displays any romantic feelings, which gives him extra resistance to her Mero Mero no Mi. Rayleigh can also use Kenbunshoku Haki to predict her attacks.
Hancock would put up a good fight, but in the end, Rayleigh has several years of combat experience to carry him.
2) Crocodile
Logia Devil Fruits are considered a significant power-up in the One Piece series. Crocodile is a powerful villain with the ability to create and control sand. He can even change his body composition to resist hits.
However, there is a specific counter to Logia users in One Piece. With the right amount of Haki, Rayleigh can easily get through Crocodile's defenses. It should also be noted that Crocodile has yet to use Haki in the One Piece series. Rayleigh can achieve far superior feats with his skills.
1) Roronoa Zoro
Zoro is well on his way to becoming the world's best swordsman. He recently learned how to apply Haoshoku Haki to his most potent attacks. Zoro can even permanently scar Kaido, a creature who rarely suffers injuries.
Rayleigh and Zoro would be the perfect matchup. However, there is an apparent discrepancy between their Kenbunshoku Haki. Rayleigh is fully aware of his future abilities, while Zoro is not. He can likely use those advanced techniques since he taught Luffy himself.
At some point, Zoro will have to surpass Rayleigh. He first needs to master his Kenbunshoku Haki since it currently needs work. Of course, this won't happen until the end of the One Piece series.
Only a select few One Piece fighters can defeat Rayleigh in combat
4) Edward Newgate - Whitebeard
Rayleigh should be aware of what Roger's former rival can do. Whitebeard has total field control with the Gura Gura no Mi. He can unleash powerful quakes from any position on the battlefield.
Even in old age, Whitebeard still held the prestigious title of the "strongest man in the world." He fought many Admirals in the Summit War and withstood several attacks that would've killed an average person. Rayleigh has yet to show this endurance level in the One Piece series.
During his prime years, he could fight Roger with equal footing. At the very least, Whitebeard should be slightly above the first mate. Rayleigh is strong, but he doesn't have the same physical stats.
3) Monkey D. Garp
The Vice Admiral has already seen what Rayleigh is capable of. Garp used to chase down his captain several decades ago.
One Piece fans should note that Roger considers Garp a worthy rival. Their power levels should be comparable to each other. For that reason, Garp should be able to fight Rayleigh.
It will be a grueling match, but Garp will likely emerge as the winner. He combines his sheer physical strength with Busoshoku Haki. Garp also demonstrated tremendous feats with his muscle power. He can destroy several mountains and lift gigantic iron balls without any stamina issues.
2) Gol D. Roger
This matchup should be reasonably apparent to One Piece fans. Roger is the captain, while Rayleigh is the first mate. Based on their respective titles, the Pirate King should be strong enough to defeat his crewmates.
Of course, that is not to say that Rayleigh would go down easily. He is a master of Haki and is considered a legend. Regardless, he would go up against Roger, who leaves behind ample trails of Haki just by moving his weapon. The Pirate King also uses a Supreme Grade Sword.
Roger and Rayleigh are some of the strongest One Piece characters. However, if they were to battle each other, it only makes sense for Roger to claim victory. Otherwise, he wouldn't be the captain of his ship.
1) Rocks D. Xebec
Rocks is Roger's first and most formidable rival in the One Piece series. This speaks volumes about his power level. Even Whitebeard was not considered Roger's biggest competitor, which says a lot.
Rocks used to rule him on his ship, along with the likes of Kaido and Big Mom. He commanded an entire crew full of future Emperors.
Even if Rayleigh were in his prime, Rocks is a far stronger opponent. This is all based on the latter's portrayal in flashbacks. Roger had to work alongside Garp to defeat his most powerful enemy.
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