One Piece: Who is The Strongest Among the Current Four Emperors of the Sea (Yonko)

The landscape of the One Piece world shifted permanently following the Raid on Onigashima. With the defeat of Kaido and Big Mom, the World Government recognized a new generation of the Four Emperors (Yonko). These four captains now hold the precarious balance of power in the New World.

The Emperors at a Glance

• Shanks: Wields no Devil Fruit, possesses Supreme Haki mastery (all 3 types), and his key subordinates are Benn Beckman and Lucky Roux
• Monkey D. Luffy: Wields the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, possesses Master Haki (all 3 advanced types), and his key subordinates are Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji
• Marshall D. Teach: Wields both the Yami Yami & Gura Gura Devil Fruits, possesses Proficient Haki, and his key subordinates are Shiryu and Kuzan
• Buggy: Wields the Bara Bara no Mi Devil Fruit, possesses no Haki mastery, and his key subordinates are Dracule Mihawk and Crocodile

Individual Strength Ranking

When stripped of their fleets and forced into a one-on-one fight, the hierarchy among the Yonko becomes clear.

1. "Red-Haired" Shanks

Shanks is the only current Emperor without a Devil Fruit, relying entirely on his overwhelming Haki. His Conqueror's Haki is potent enough to force Marine Admiral Ryokugyu into a panicked retreat from miles away. In terms of raw attack power, he single-handedly obliterated Eustass Kid and his crew in one devastating strike. With Kaido gone, Shanks currently stands at the absolute pinnacle of individual combat.

2. Monkey D. Luffy

The youngest Emperor earned his title by defeating Kaido, the "Strongest Creature in the World". Luffy's awakening of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika (Gear 5) grants him absurd "toon force" reality-bending powers, allowing him to fight with total physical freedom. Combined with his mastery of Advanced Conqueror's Haki, his peak power rivals or even surpasses Shanks. However, Gear 5 comes with a severe stamina drain, which keeps him in the number two spot in a prolonged fight.

3. Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard)

Teach is an immensely powerful anomaly, being the only person in history to wield two Devil Fruits simultaneously. The Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit) allows him to completely nullify other Devil Fruit abilities on contact, while the Gura Gura no Mi (Tremor-Tremor Fruit) grants him world-destroying offensive capabilities. Despite this apocalyptic arsenal, Blackbeard takes amplified pain from attacks and struggled against Trafalgar Law's awakening before securing his victory.

4. Buggy the Star Clown

Buggy failing upwards into an Emperor position is one of the greatest running gags in the series. Individually, Buggy is arguably the weakest major pirate in the New World. His Bara Bara no Mi (Chop-Chop Fruit) gives him a handy immunity to slashing attacks, but he possesses no Haki and minimal combat prowess. He holds the Emperor title entirely due to his charismatic luck and the terrifying subordinates operating beneath his banner.

Crew & Fleet Strength Ranking

A Yonko is only as formidable as the empire backing them. Here is how their crews and military might stack up.

1. The Red Hair Pirates

The Marines have explicitly noted that the Red Hair Pirates are the most well-balanced and impenetrable crew in the world. While they do not have a massive armada of thousands of ships, their core officer cadre—led by Benn Beckman, Lucky Roux, and Yasopp—is legendary. They rely on unmatched Haki and precision rather than Devil Fruit gimmicks, making them a disciplined and lethal military force with no apparent weak links.

2. The Blackbeard Pirates

Teach has spent the time-skip actively hunting down powerful Devil Fruits for his Ten Titanic Captains. With ruthless commanders like Shiryu of the Rain, Jesus Burgess, and the former Marine Admiral Kuzan (Aokiji) acting as an ally, their raw destructive potential is staggering. They possess a massive fleet and control Pirate Island (Hachinosu), but they lack the tightly-knit, ride-or-die loyalty seen in Shanks' or Luffy's crews.

3. The Straw Hat Pirates & Grand Fleet

Luffy's core crew of ten is relatively small but incredibly elite, featuring heavy hitters like Roronoa Zoro, Vinsmoke Sanji, and Jinbe. What officially elevates them to a Yonko-tier military threat is the Straw Hat Grand Fleet—a loyal armada of 5,600 powerful pirates ready to mobilize at a moment's notice. They are rapidly approaching the top but are still cementing their newfound global influence.

4. Cross Guild

On paper, Cross Guild is a massive threat because they turned the tables by issuing bounties on Marines, flipping the world's power dynamic. However, the organization's combat strength is incredibly top-heavy. It is essentially carried by Dracule Mihawk (the World's Strongest Swordsman) and the strategic mind of Sir Crocodile. The rest of the organization consists largely of Buggy's incompetent loyalists, making their overall crew depth the weakest of the four.