Since its debut in 1999, One Piece has become one of the most beloved anime series in the world. Created by Eiichiro Oda, the story follows Monkey D. Luffy, a straw hat-wearing pirate with dreams of becoming the King of the Pirates. Boasting over 1,100 episodes under its belt, One Piece isn’t just a show — it’s a sprawling, treasure-hunting, world-building epic filled with friendship, adventure, and yes, some truly wild powers.
As Luffy and his crew sail across the Grand Line, they encounter a wide range of enemies and allies, many of whom possess extraordinary abilities. From elemental transformations to mind-bending martial arts, One Piece powers are as varied and imaginative as the characters who wield them. With the Elbaph Arc just around the corner, what better time to delve into the lore of One Piece and get excited for the next instalment of this anime’s 22nd season?
In this guide, we’re unpacking the most prominent power systems in One Piece — their origins, how they work, and what makes them so iconic in the anime world.
Note: We’re focusing on the major power categories used across the series. Some lesser-known or one-off abilities may not be included.
The Who’s Who of One Piece Powers
An anime loved for its numerous characters and their even more numerous abilities, One Piece has quite a complex system of powers to say the least. So let’s break things down.
The different power systems in One Piece are deeply interconnected and work together to create the story, rather than existing in isolation. Here are the core One Piece powers that define the series:
- The Devil Fruits are at the core of most of One Piece’s battles, offering whoever eats them unique supernatural abilities that can completely shift the outcome of battle — from bodily transformations to control of the elements (more on this later).
- Haki is a power that allows users to enhance their combat abilities through the sheer power of their wills.
- Martial arts like Fish-Man Karate and Rokushiki are specialist fighting styles employed by some characters in battle and can be seen rivaling the dominant powers in the anime.
- Weapons and Technology: From cursed swords to cyborg clones, One Piece doesn’t shy away from arming its characters with inventive, often ancient tools of power.
- Race-Based Powers: Some species, like the Minks and Giants, are naturally gifted with special abilities unique to their kind.
Be it physical prowess, supernatural abilities, or technological enhancements, the powers in One Piece ensure that no one force reigns supreme. And, while this does make things a little complicated for first-time viewers wondering why people are eating fruits and transforming, it also makes for incredibly varied battles with infinite clash combinations.
Let’s take a closer look at the distinct power types in turn below.
Devil Fruit Powers
An impressive power in a not-so-delicious vessel, The Devil Fruits allow whoever eats them (“Devil Fruit Users”) to gain supernatural powers based on the type of fruit eaten. Once consumed, the user permanently gains the properties of the fruit for life, allowing them to harness those properties for improved combat.
But, for all their advantages, The Devil Fruits are ultimately flawed since, when consumed, they remove the user’s ability to swim — a critical skill in a world where all action happens at sea. The different types of Devil Fruits are as follows.
1. Paramecia
This type of Devil Fruit allows users to change their bodies, manipulate their environments, or produce substances. The most common type of Devil Fruit, Paramecia is used by our very own Luffy, eating a Gum-Gum Fruit in order to make his body rubber-like.
Another prime example is the Op-Op Fruit (or “Ope Ope no Mi”) which allows whoever eats it to perform surgery-like “rearrangements” of people and things within a sphere zone.
2. Zoan
Zoan-type Devil Fruits are the transformative kind, allowing users to become a specific animal species or a hybrid mixture of their original and animal forms. Depending on the animal the user becomes, they will gain its physical abilities and traits, too. There are numerous Zoan subcategories, covering the complete breadth of the animal Kingdom — real and fantastical alike.
- Ancient Zoans allow users to transform into prehistoric creatures
- Mythical Zoans enable users to become mythical beings (like phoenixes)
3. Logia
The rarest and most powerful of the Devil Fruits, Logia-type allow users to transform themselves into natural elements such as ice, fire, or even light, making them utterly formidable in combat (not to mention practically intangible!)
One thing to note with Devil Fruits is that every fruit is unique, but users can only consume one in their lifetime (unless they want to be blown to smithereens, that is).
Haki
While not as flashy as Devil Fruits, Haki is a subtle yet essential One Piece power. It taps into a person’s spiritual force, allowing them to sense threats, protect themselves, or even exert willpower over others.
There are three main types:
- Observation Haki: Senses opponents’ presence and intentions.
- Armament Haki: Forms invisible armor and can hit Logia users.
- Conqueror’s Haki: A rare type that overwhelms others with sheer force of will.
One of the most proficient Haki users in One Piece is Zoro, whose mastery of both Armament and Observation Haki makes him a formidable force.
His Armament Haki strengthens his swords, enabling him to strike with immense power and even damage Logia users, who are usually invulnerable to most attacks. At the same time, his Observation Haki allows him to sense and anticipate his opponents’ movements, enhancing his reaction time and providing a tactical edge in battle.
Martial Arts and Combat Techniques
Moving slightly further away from the realm of the supernatural, we have to mention the physical fighting powers that color the battles in One Piece. Beyond Devil Fruits and Haki styles, One Piece characters also employ a number of specialized fighting styles to give them power over their opponents — the most prominent of which we’ve covered below.
Fish-Man Karate
If, at this point, you’ve read “karate” and assumed that this is your regular dojo-based sport, you’d be incredibly wrong. Despite being far less supernatural than Devil Fruits, there are definitely superhuman feats involved in Fish-Man Karate — most notably, the manipulation of the element of water.
This fighting style is used by the elite members of the Fish-Man race and involves mastering nearby water sources to amplify one’s combative prowess. One of the most powerful practitioners of this art is Jinbe, a former Warlord of the Sea and helmsman of the Straw Hat Pirates, who uses Fish-Man Karate with deadly precision in both land and sea battles.
While the sea itself is the obvious go-to water source, users of Fish-Man karate can also harness the power of water in the air and, eerily, the water inside other people’s bodies. Talk about turning hydration into a weapon.
Rokushiki
The other defining martial art power in the One Piece universe is Rokushiki. First introduced by the CP9 agents, Rokushiki consists of six superhuman techniques that allow their users to gain impressive abilities when in action. Let’s run through them each in turn:
Soru
Soru or “Shave” is the Rokushiki power that lets users move at lightning-fast speeds, making it seem like they can vanish and reappear somewhere else instantly. Kicking the ground in quick succession (all in the space of a single blink), Soru users can propel themselves rapidly towards their opponents — or away from them if dodging an attack.
Geppo
Geppo, also known as “Moonwalk” is a visually impressive power that lets users launch themselves off of air into a flight-like maneuver. By forcefully kicking the air over and over, users are able to ascend and attack their opponents from a position above them.
Tekkai
Tekkai (also referred to as “Iron Body” in English) is a power that allows users to tense their muscles up so tightly that their bodies become hardened against attacks. With bodies as hard as iron, Tekkai users can enjoy significant defensive benefits. However, this power typically freezes or immobilizes the user while in action, so they can’t flee.
Shigan
Next, we have Shigan or “Finger Pistol”. Shigan is a power that allows users to point their fingers into opponents’ bodies so forcefully that it feels like a bullet. Shigan really does pierce victims’ bodies and is both ultra quick and ultra lethal as a technique.
Rankyaku
Known as the “Tempest Kick”, the Rankyaku is a viciously powerful kick that compresses air into blades sharp enough to cut through solid matter. You can only imagine the damage one of these kicks can do to an opponent’s defensive weapons and armor.
Kami-e
To complete the list, we have Kami-e or “Paper Art”. This powerful technique allows users’ bodies to take on the flexible properties of paper — ideal for evading attacks with swift, flowing movements.
But Wait, There’s More…
Ok, we lied about there being six… There’s actually a seventh Rokushiki technique: Rokuogan (or “Six King Gun”). If those who practice Rokushiki have mastered all of the six main techniques, they can unlock the secret, advanced seventh skill. This skill involves constructing an intense shockwave with one’s fists powerful enough to inflict severe damage to your opponents.
Weapons and Technology
Now we’ve covered the main powers that make One Piece’s hand-to-hand combat so enthralling, how about we take a look at some of the more supplementary powers? Humans, humanoids, and sentient beings aren’t the only things that enjoy the benefits of great power in One Piece.
Cursed Swords:
These blades literally have a will of their own — a will to kill. Crafted by skillful swordsmiths (like the Kitetsu family), cursed swords are highly powerful and dangerous too. Not only are they excellent weapons for drawing blood, but they are blood thirsty in their own right and will turn against their wielder if not properly controlled. Talk about a double-edged sword.
Dials
Another collection of objects with mysterious powers, Dials (often known as Sky Island Dials) are shells that can hold energy and release it again on command. When combined with other weapons, the Dials can become extremely powerful due to their energy storage potential.
Pacifista
We couldn’t leave out the human “powers”. Pacifista are living human weapons developed by the World Government as a clone of the Warlord Bartholomew Kuma. Made of metal even stronger than steel, these guys are incredibly strong and have powerful fighting abilities of their own — namely the “Ursus Shock” which is a powerful energy blast.
P.S. Not all great weapons are swords or cannons. Enter the humble slingshot — or rather, its One Piece glow-up. Reinvented through craftsmanship, trick ammo, and the occasional Sky Island upgrade, God Usopp’s signature weapon has earned its spot in the One Piece lore. Proof that when used creatively, even a kid’s toy can make you a legend.
Racial Powers
The different races within the One Piece world also have their own unique powers and abilities. The Minks, for example, can generate their own electricity with a power known as “Electro”. These humanoid animals harness the power of self-generated electricity (by creating a current of static electricity from their fur) and channeling it into their bodies for power or into weapons and objects.
Another inhabitant of the One Piece world with powers specific to its race is the Giant. The Giants of Elbaf have the power of super size and super strength on their side. They don’t need to eat a fruit to power up, instead they just use their massive bodies as weapons to overpower humans in combat.
And, of course, we’ve covered the unique powers of races such as the Fish-Men above. On this, there is a sub-type known as Merman Combat which can only be performed by (you guessed it) Mermen like King Neptune and Prince Fukaboshi.
One Piece Decor at Displate
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While you’re waiting for that long-anticipated episode 1,156, kit out your TV room, bedroom, or other living spaces with your favorite One Piece battle scenes and action moments.
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