Among the strongest characters in One Piece, the name of Monkey D. Garp prevails at the top list. Father of Monkey D. Dragon, the grandfather of Monkey D. Luffy, and the adoptive grandfather of Portgas D. Ace, Garp has proved his tremendous strength many times since the series started.
Thanks to his heroics in the God Valley Incident, he was dubbed the “Hero of the Marines” and his achievements as a soldier won him a great deal of prestige and notoriety. He was one of the very few people who could go to the same level as the Pirate King, and during his prime, he was well-known for repeatedly cornering Gol D. Roger.
However, there are still some characters in the series who are believed to be stronger than Garp and may even be capable of defeating him in a fight.
1. Gol D. Roger
As the captain of the Roger Pirates, Gol D. Roger was a renowned pirate who was also the owner of the fabled One Piece treasure and went by the title of Pirate King. Roger was renowned for having accomplished what nobody else could have – he successfully crossed the Grand Line and accumulated an enormous wealth.
Roger was regarded as one of the greatest pirates of all time, if not the greatest, and was thought to be practically unstoppable in combat. It’s known that very few people have ever matched Roger in combat, and Garp was one of them. However, if seen properly, Garp was never able to catch Roger until his surrender which automatically puts Roger above Garp.
2. Rocks D. Xebec
Rocks D. Xebec was the captain of Rocks Pirates. Forty years ago, before Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, came to power, he was a well-known figure. Garp gained the moniker “Hero of the Marines” after he and Roger formed an alliance that ultimately defeated him. Some people believe that Xebec was the Pirate King’s first and most powerful opponent.
Even though it’s unknown what strength and abilities exactly Rocks possesses, he is already superior to all of them because he was well-known for leading a group of extremely strong pirates. When they fought, Garp was assisted by Roger to defeat Rocks. This proves that in one fight, Rocks would destroy Roger.
3. Whitebeard
Known for being the “Strongest Man in the World,” Whitebeard led the Whitebeard Pirates. He was a well-known member of the fabled Rocks Pirates during his time as a pirate, and one of the Four Emperors who ruled the New World at a later time in life. During his peak years, Newgate was a formidable opponent of Gol D. Roger.
After Roger’s demise, Newgate gained worldwide recognition as the strongest man alive, an accolade that was reinforced by the fact that he held the second-highest bounty of any pirate in history in addition to the highest active bounty while alive. As he and Roger were rivals it would be safe to say that he would also be able to defeat Garp.
4. Shanks
One of the Four Emperors who rule the New World is “Red-Haired” Shanks, the leader of the Red Hair Pirates. Shanks is regarded as one of the world’s four most formidable pirates. He engaged in daily, supposedly legendary duelings with Dracule Mihawk, the “Strongest Swordsman in the World” during this time.
Despite losing one arm and lacking any devil fruit abilities, Shanks managed to rise to the position of Emperor. Merely a handful of individuals worldwide possess the ability to utilize all three forms of Haki, including Shanks. Shanks could defeat Garp in a one-on-one fight and would emerge victorious with a slight difficulty.
5. Blackbeard
One of the Four Emperors, Marshall D. Teach is the captain of the Blackbeard Pirates. He is most known by his alias, “Blackbeard”. Furthermore, he is the only historical figure known to have combined the abilities of two Devil Fruits. Teach is one of the world’s four most formidable pirates, having been one of the Four Emperors.
The fact that Blackbeard can employ Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku Haki along with two devil fruits only serves to increase his incredible strength. It is not surprising that he is a serious contender to defeat Garp considering his formidable abilities and strength.
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