Summary
The Great Pirate Era inOne Piecestarted with the death of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and countless pirates took to the sea in search of the grand treasure known as the “One Piece.” Thanks to Roger’s last words, piracy became a lot more common, however, even before the Great Pirate Era began, some incredible pirates ruled the seas of theOne Pieceworld.
While some of them had their names jotted down in the history books, others were so powerful that the Government completely erased every record of them. The power they wielded, however, remains a testament to their legacy.
Updated on June 13, 2025, by Rei Penber:the world of One Piece has always had pirates sailing across its seas, regardless of the era. While it is true that pirates are now sailing to seas more than ever before, thanks to the words of people such as Roger and Whitebeard, that is not to say that pirates were non-existent before the Great Pirate Era. Even before this time, pirates took to the seas to obtain riches and other treasures, and of course, even to conquer the oceans such as the Grand Line. In fact, quite a lot of the strongest pirates known to fans in One Piece actually belonged to the old era. While this list already goes over the vast majority of the pirates from the old era, there are others who deserve a shout as well. Quite a lot of them have actually been revealed to the fans in the Final Saga, and as such, this list has been expanded upon.
29Oimo/Kashi
Pirate Crew: Giant Pirates
Oimo and Kashi are two members of the Giant Pirates. These two individuals were introduced to One Piece in the Enies Lobby arc, and given that they are a century old, it goes without saying that these are pirates from the old era. They used to be on the same pirate crew as Dorry and Brogy, as their underlings.
However, when Dorry and Brogy started fighting on Little Garden, they had to leave them behind. Eventually, they made it their goal to find Dorry and Brogy, however, that is when they were tricked by the World Government and, eventually, served as guardians of Enies Lobby. Once they learned of the truth, they left Enies Lobby once again to search for their captains. Given that they are Giants, there is absolutely no denying the monstrous strength that they possessed. They are also especially close to the captains, which means that they possessed strength that is rather noticeable in the pirate crew.
28Fisher Tiger
Pirate Crew: Sun Pirates
Fisher Tiger was quite a renowned figure in the world ofOne Piece, and an individual who went on several pirating journeys from Fishman Island. This was potentially before the Great Pirate Era, even though the Sun Pirates were created after Roger’s Death. Tiger lived quite a dangerous life, and, on one of his journeys, he was actually captured and made a slave. Thankfully, Fisher Tiger managed to escape from the Holy Land of Marijoa, however, later, he went back there and saved all those who were enslaved, human or Fishman.
He then established the Sun Pirates, and this incredible pirate crew saw to it that the Fishmankind was not discriminated against any longer. By taking the mark of the sun, no one could differentiate between a member of the Fishman and a slave. Fisher Tiger did as much as he could to save as many lives as he could. He even saved human lives, even though sometimes, his heart couldn’t bring itself to trust humans who had put him through so much misery. He died a very tragic death, when he was betrayed by the very humans that he saved. However, his death paved the way for a better future for the young generation of the Fishmen.
27Shimotsuki Kozaburo
Pirate Crew: N/A
Shimotsuki Kozaburo was a swordsmith from the land of Wano. 55 years ago, he departed from the land of Wano illegally, and then, he came to the East Blue. At some point, he ended up becoming a criminal, and it is believed that he, along with his group of people, were all then labeled pirates.
He established the Shimotsuki Village in the east blue. It is clearly mentioned and Zoro’s flashback that Shimotsuki Village was founded by pirates. The fact that Kozaburo was on the run from the Marines, and at the same time, the fact that the village was founded by pirates itself is proof of the fact that he was a powerful pirate. He was a strong samurai, and, in his prime days, he was able to forge a powerful blade such as Enma. At the same time, the incredible blade, Wado Ichimonji, which is currently being wielded by Zoro in the memory of Kuina, was also crafted by him.
26Brook
Pirate Crew: Rumbar Pirates (Formerly), Straw Hat Pirates
Brook is a part of the Straw Hat Pirates, who plays the role of their musician. While he’s a part of the current pirate era, Brook was also a pirate prior to that. In fact, he was actually a pirate even before the era of Roger. When Brook was an accomplished pirate, Roger was considered to be a rookie.
That puts into perspective how long Brook has lived. He is a rare case of pirates who can be considered to be part of both the old and the new eras of piracy. Regardless, when it comes to strength, Brook is quite capable, and his bounty of 383 million berries speaks for itself.
25Gecko Moria
Pirate Crew: Thriller Bark Pirates
Gecko Moria is a character that fans know from the Thriller Bark arc ofOne Piece.Back then, he was introduced as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the captain of the Thriller Bark Pirates. However, what a lot of the fans do not know is that Gecko Moria had a pirate crew before the Thriller Bark Pirates. His original pirate crew was called the Gecko Pirates, and this pirate crew was supposedly active even when Roger was executed.
Moria was a rookie back then, and he continued to make waves years after. Years later, he clashed with Kaido in battle in the land of Wano, specifically in the Ringo region. This battle went on for days, and it is said that Moria was able to go toe to toe with Kaido. However, at the end of it, Kaido was victorious and Moria’s crew was utterly annihilated. This is precisely why Moria, who was a very bright and powerful individual, lost his will, and then, got significantly weaker in the upcoming years.
24Sanjuan Wolf
Pirate Crew: Blackbeard Pirates
Known as the Battleship, Sanjuan Wolf is the Seventh Ship Captain of the Blackbeard Pirates, and one of the most important characters in the Final Saga of One Piece. Sanjuan Wolf is a giant, and as a result, has lived almost a century, with his current age being around 98 years. Fans know him to be incredibly powerful, given that he was locked up and Impel Down Level 6.
He also has a Devil Fruit ability of Deka Deka no Mi, which allows him to gigantify himself even more. He’s one of the few characters who had their Devil Fruits even before Blackbeard started his hunt for powerful abilities. Fans have seen his skill in combat on many occasions, and it is safe to say that he is a monstrous pirate of the old era in his own right.
23Zeff
Pirate Crew: Cook Pirates
Also known as Red-Leg, Zeff was a famous pirate of the old era and one of the very few who have made a name for themselves in the East Blue. Zeff took to the seas to look for the ocean known as the All Blue. He voyaged across the Grand Line for a year and returned unharmed, which is quite a feat.
In his prime, Zeff’s strength was said to have been so incredible that whenever he fought, his foot was coated in the blood of his enemies, earning him the epithet of “Red-Leg” Zeff. Although Zeff has considerably weakened in the current time, he was one ofthe strongest pirates in One Piecein his prime.
22Crocus
Pirate Crew: Roger Pirates
Crocus was thedoctor of the Roger Piratesand an incredibly powerful fighter as well. Although he was a part of the Roger Pirates for quite a short while, joining only for the last voyage, Crocus managed to do the impossible and reached Laugh Tale with Roger.
As a fighter, he is likely to have been impressive as that’s expected of the Pirate King’s crew. Crocus engaged the likes of Whitebeard Pirates and also the Golden Lion Pirates in combat on several occasions and remained relatively unharmed over the years.
21Silver Axe
Pirate Crew: Rocks Pirates
Silver Axe was a member of the Rocks Pirates but, unfortunately, not much is known about him. However, from what little fans know, he was one of the strongest pirates of the old era. Not just anyone would be allowed to join the Rocks Crew and the fact that he managed this is a testament to his strength. Furthermore, he was also a legendary figure in the One Piece world, given that Sengoku speaks of him in high regard.
While fans have not seen much from this mysterious character, Silver Axe was certainly one of the strongest pirates of the old era. On the island of God Valley, 38 years ago, he took part in the God Valley Incident and fought against the World Government and the Marines. Somehow, this elite force was wiped out and the whereabouts of Silver Axe have been unknown since then.
20Captain John
Captain John was one of the members of Rocks Pirates around 50 years ago and together with his crewmates, he ruled the seas with absolute authority. After the God Valley Incident, Captain John became much stronger and earned great fame.
He’s known to have been a legendary pirate. He died at an unknown time, however, history still remembers him as a phenomenal pirate. His treasure is especially regarded to be unique and was sought by Buggy.
