6 characters who could be the pirate king instead of Luffy

Become a pirate king in One piece is a major liability for any aspirant at sea, including Luffy himself. Simply proclaiming that they want to claim Gol D. Roger's former title won't do wonders, especially if they lack the power, resources and influence necessary to be recognized as a proper contender.

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While many fans are ready to meet the next pirate king One pieceEiichiro Oda is not yet ready to introduce another in the series. Luffy is the frontrunner to receive such a respected title, but there are some characters from One Piece who could still become the Pirate King instead of Luffy before the story reaches its grand finale.

Buggy

It's pretty hard to take Buggy seriously One piecemostly thanks to his hilarious antics, laziness and never-ending happiness that took him to incredible heights. It's almost as if he was destined for greatness from the very beginning, much like Monkey D. Luffy himself, as he was given several opportunities to rise through the ranks, although he rarely achieved them through his own efforts.

However, all this does not stop fans from supporting Buggy as its resident clown One piece he is the main candidate to be the next Pirate King instead of Luffy. He may not have a very strong devil fruit power, but the number of people who support him, combined with his ridiculous luck, pride, and knack for stumbling his way to success make him a legitimate contender for Gol D. Roger's throne.

Blackbeard

For those with big dreams like Luffy and Blackbeard, no island is too dangerous to conquer and no enemy is too strong to overcome if they continue to chase their dreams without fear. Their dream only ends when they die, so nothing stops these two characters from realizing their ambitions, no matter how difficult the journey.

While Blackbeard's ultimate goal remains unclear, he undoubtedly has the qualities needed to claim the title of Pirate King before anyone else does. With two devil fruit powers, a formidable pirate crew, and in addition to being a weapon and observation haki user, Blackbeard has the power and influence to do the impossible by claiming the elusive pirate king recognition that many, including Luffy, long to associate with their names.

Shanks

Finding One piece he's now part of Red-Haired Shanks' bucket list in the series, technically making him Luffy's wildest contender. In fact, Shanks and his crew are now on the move, hoping to catch the treasure before anyone else does. It's clearly become one of their top priorities, and it looks like Shanks won't hold back in his pursuit of the legendary treasure.

Shanks has always been a mysterious character in the series since the beginning. Even the authorities refuse to mess with him, and powerful figures like Whitebeard and Mihawk recognize his monstrous abilities. Even though he has a friendly face for a powerful pirate, when he wants to do something, nothing and no one can stop him.

Usopp

A brave warrior who hails from Syrup Village, Usopp is also getting nominations from fans as one of Luffy's rivals to become the next Pirate King. Even though Usopp doesn't have the power that Luffy and all the other characters on this list have, his bravery, unwavering determination, and ambitious dream prove that even the weakest can become icons.

The best thing about Usopp is that he never stops having fun, constantly comparing himself to Luffy and the others, determined to show that even a sniper from a small island can keep up with the big shots. Even though he doesn't have the same ambitions as Luffy, that doesn't mean he's out of the running to become a true Pirate King candidate.

Eustace Kid

It's a shame how Eustass Kid went from being defeated by Big Mom in Wano to being badly defeated by Shanks on the coast of Elbaph. As a result, Kid's status remains unconfirmed, whether he is dead or alive, but given Oda's habit of writing fake deaths, it is highly likely that Kidd somehow survived Shanks' Divine Departure despite the wreckage that left the area in ruins.

On that note, those who still believe that the Kid is alive continue to hope that he will get back on track and strive to become the next Pirate King. Even though he lost to Shanks, he remains a formidable pirate who can use three types of Haki. His abilities alone suggest that his return to the series is not impossible.

Crocodile

Who will ever forget the Crocodile and his plans in Alabasta? Sandman himself once dreamed of becoming the next Pirate King, but his defeat at the hands of Whitebeard and Luffy knocked some sense into him, leading to his decision to temper his ambitions and choose a gentler and more stable path to power.

However, Crocodile is still the charismatic man he's always been, so vying for the title of Pirate King seems like a challenge he could take on again, especially now that Buggy has revealed his intention to stake his claim as well.

Release date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

directors

Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imayomura, Yashiôhiro Mayuū Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

Writers

Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda

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  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

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  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)