As one of the Three Great Powers, the Marines are tasked with the heavy responsibility of maintaining peace and order across the seas.
While they enjoy an unchallenged monopoly over the vast oceans, not every cadet is blessed with a cushy life.
Popular heavy-hitters may casually cruise about their missions, but regular navy normies have it tough.
Not only do they make great punching bags for our beloved Straw Hats (or any moderately troublesome pirate crew), they’re also constantly up-staged by every Devil Fruit-wielding Marine officer, no matter the absurdity of their abilities.
However, there are a few rare gems who refuse to be outshined and purely rely on their brute strength coupled with exceptional skills to get their jobs done.
So, I’ve compiled a list of the top 12 strongest marines without Devil Fruits, alive and deceased in the One Piece universe.
12Doberman
Kicking off the list, we have Vice Admiral Doberman. Most notably known for leading the Buster Call in the Enies Lobby Arc, he has performed pretty formidable feats for a Non-Devil Fruit user throughout the show.
He withstood Luffy’s blast of Conquerors Haki during the Paramount War and even survived the whole ordeal completely unscathed, courtesy of his indomitable will and great strength.
Besides granting authority over low-ranking marines, his naval status is a clear indication he’s skilled in swordplay as well as the use of Armament and Observation Haki.
Although we see him duel Whitebeard’s anime-only ally McGuy and his electrically charged sword to a stalemate in the Marineford Arc, the full extent of his abilities hasn’t been shown yet.
It’s also unclear if he can use advanced forms of his Haki.
11Tashigi
Although it’s strange for a Marine Captain to one-up a Vice Admiral, Tashigi has plenty of feathers in her cap to do just that.
Subordinate to Vice Admiral Smoker in the G-5 unit of the Navy, Tashigi’s an adept, ambidextrous Gentle Blade swordswoman, bolstered by superb strength, agility, and speed that can down multiple adversaries within seconds and even deflect cannonballs.
Besides having a library worth of knowledge on swords and a dream to reclaim all the popular ones from pirates, she’s also a competent user of Observation and Armament Haki as well as the Rokushiki technique, Soru.
While she used the latter effectively against Logia user Monet, her overall aptitude is still lacking.
10Koby
Koby is the epitome of peak glow-up energy. From cowardly wimp to Marine Captain hunk, he now boasts a rep of incredible skills.
As a member of Marine special unit SWORD and ward of Vice-Admiral Garp, Koby has incredible strength and speed, evidenced by his insane feats like catching and redirecting a torpedo barehanded and shattering a metal disk in a single punch.
In addition to mastering three Rokushiki techniques after the time-skip – Soru, Geppo, and Rankyaku, he’s also honed his Observation Haki to the point of sensing incoming projectiles and the power levels of opponents.
While his sparring sessions with Helmeppo and Bogard indicate his working knowledge of swordplay, his ability to use Armament Haki isn’t explored yet.
9Momonga
Vice-Admiral Momonga represents a seasoned professional with impressive physical and mental capabilities.
He possesses stellar strength, agility, and masterful swordsmanship, as seen with his one-slice Sea King takedown and Panz Fry’s single slash defeat.
He’s also highly proficient in Rokushiki techniques, Soru and Geppo, as evidenced by their usage against Luffy in the Marineford Arc.
And to top it off, he boosts incredible pain tolerance as he readily stabs his hand with his tanto to prevent his petrification at the hands of Hancock’s Mero Mero beam.
Like marine officers of his rank, he can issue a Buster Call, command low-ranking naval soldiers, and effectively use Armament and Observation Haki. However, it’s unclear if he has access to advanced forms.
8John Giant
Vice Admiral John Giant broke records when he joined the Navy. As the Great Power’s first giant, he towers over his subordinates and fellow Vice Admirals in height and authority.
It’s likened he has a special position, as he received the Buster Call from Enies Lobby before anyone else and apparently held command over dispatching the Vice Admirals.
Besides the obvious use of Observation and Armament Haki by virtue of his rank, his enormous sword hints at swordplay of devastating slash magnitude.
Additionally, he possesses superhuman strength and pain tolerance as he managed to survive his bitter defeat at the hands of Whitebeard’s incredibly deadly quake punch.
7Vergo
Although Vergo was a mole for the Donquixte Pirates, he was a reputed Vice-Admiral of immense skill and power.
Besides having strength that brought the entire G-5 unit to its knees, Tashigi included, he was exceptionally agile and insanely well versed in four Rokushiki techniques – Shigan, Geppo, Soru, and Tekkai.
He could go toe-to-toe with Sanji and Law, withstanding the former’s Diable Jambe and the latter’s Counter Shock, thanks to his incredible endurance and resistance.
But the highlight of his abilities was his proficiency in Armament and Observation Haki – especially the former. He could harden his bamboo staff, select body parts, and even his entire body for maximum damage to his opponents.
Nicknamed “Demon Bamboo” Vergo, his hardening was tough as iron, even breaking one of Sanji’s legs and Smoker’s Seastone jitte.
But what made him a compelling and hard-to-beat villain was that his ruthlessness and flawless deceit only matched his strength –
Known for mercilessly killing his subordinates and tricking an entire regiment for a long time, he was undoubtedly a terrifying adversary.
6Tokikake
Vice Admiral Tokikake, aka Chaton, debuted in One Piece Film: Gold. Although he’s scarcely present afterward, it’s worth noting one worthy accomplishment to justify his sixth spot.
He was nominated for a promotion to Admiral during the time-skip. Although he didn’t make the cut, the fact that he is a potential candidate for a position dubbed the Government’s “Greatest Military Powers”, is very telling of his incredible abilities.
Like other Vice Admirals, it goes without saying that he’s a proficient user of Armament and Observation Haki.
5Momousagi
Vice Admiral Momousagi or Gion also made her debut in One Piece Film: Gold and was considered for the Admiral position during the time-skip.
Although she wasn’t selected, her nomination indicates her caliber as a potential Admiral.
Besides having the ability to use the basic Haki types of Vice Admirals, she’s also an excellent swordswoman with an assertive attitude and stellar morale.
4Sentomaru
“World-Class Guard,” aka Vice Admiral Sentomaru, is a force to be reckoned with, especially during the Sabaody Archipelago Arc.
With a sumo-wrestler build and technique similar to Bartholomew Kuma, his attacks fortified with Armament Haki can grievously injure Devil Fruit users and regular people alike.
Using Haki to enhance his strikes, he can easily bypass an enemy’s defenses, while one couldn’t land a single punch on him.
And to top it off, he can even emit the Haki for a short distance, thus unleashing a volley of strikes without even touching an opponent. Although he has Observation Haki, it hasn’t been explored to its full extent.
While his enlarged physique may throw off any signs of agility, he can easily outpace Luffy’s average speed.
In addition to boosting scientific expertise and a Pacifista army, courtesy of his position as head of the Marine’s Science Unit, he’s also incredibly skilled at wielding an insanely huge executioner ax.
3Zephyr
Former Admiral “Black Arm” Zephyr was the main antagonist of One Piece Film: Z. As a literal tank of unbeatable power, Zephyr was an all-rounder warrior who dreamed of a pirate-free world.
He had exceptional leadership skills that resulted in the foundation of the Neo Marines – An armada of warships and Pacifistas as well as a whole new generation of marines, with the notable mentions of Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru.
He also possessed tremendous strength rivaling Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru’s. With his speed and agility, he efficiently countered and smoothly dodged Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji’s attacks.
Additionally, he was also incredibly sharp and strategic – expertly discerning the mechanism of Luffy’s Gear 2 and tracing Kizaru’s moves despite having breathing issues.
Besides being skilled in hand-to-hand combat, Rokushiki techniques, and expertly using Armament Haki, he also had immense durability and resistance, withstanding the pain of being blasted by a Dyna Stone.
And to top it off, his mechanical arm, Battle Smasher, was an absolute monster equipped with a ballistic cannon, a machine gun, and made of Seastone to specifically counter Devil Fruit users.
2Kong
Former Marine Fleet Admiral Kong takes the second spot thanks to his position as the World Government’s Commander-in-Chief.
While he had complete control over the Navy as Fleet Admiral, it was always under the World Government’s direct rule. But the fact that he rose to such a prominent position indicates the immense level of strength he possesses.
Furthermore, his muscular build and numerous scars suggest a combat-intensive life during his tenure as the highest-ranking official of the Marines.
Now that he holds a seat of power that is second only to the Five Elders and Im, he has authority over the Navy, the World Government’s spies, the Seven Warlords, Enies Lobby and Cipher Pols.
With these powerful assets at his fingertips, he can initiate a Buster Call regardless of the threat level of the situation and even revoke a Warlord status if anyone falls out of line.
1Garp
It’s no surprise that “Hero of the Marines” Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp tops this list as the strongest member of the Navy.
Besides having a lifelong rivalry with the notorious Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, he was instrumental in the takedown of the Rocks Pirates and their Captain, Rocks D. Xebec.
He also boasts monumental strength that he’s displayed on multiple occasions.
Whether crushing eight mountains as a warm-up for his battle against famous pirate, Chinjoa (who he took out with a single punch), turning down the Admiral position numerous times, or even throwing cannonballs as massive as the Thousand Sunny like softballs.
It’s also hilarious that his main fight style isn’t a complicated choreography of intricate moves; instead, it’s his simple yet monstrous punches that really put the hurt on his opponents, thus earning him the name “Garp the Fist.”
Luffy’s gramps even has extraordinary mastery over Armament Haki. He’s knocked his grandson senseless, even inflicting severe injuries on his flexible rubber body.
But it isn’t just Luffy; even Marco took a beating when Garp easily took him out at Marineford, despite the former being in his Phoenix form.
In short, he’s a pinnacle of strength no one can mess with – Devil Fruit user or not.
About One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.
The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!
Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.
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