Ultimate One Piece Strongest Families Guide 2026

Five legendary bloodlines in One Piece possess the power, influence, and legacy to genuinely challenge the Monkey D. family’s dominance. After following One Piece for over two decades, I’ve witnessed the Monkey D. family’s incredible legacy through Garp, Dragon, and Luffy. But through my extensive analysis of the manga and anime, I’ve identified five powerhouse families that possess the strength, influence, and legacy to stand toe-to-toe with them.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share everything I’ve discovered about these legendary bloodlines from my years of studying One Piece lore, including their hidden powers, family dynamics, and why they’re genuine threats to the Monkey D. supremacy. As someone who’s analyzed every chapter and followed Oda’s storytelling patterns, I can tell you these families aren’t just strong—they’re game-changers in the One Piece world.
| Family Name | Key Strength | Threat Level |
|---|---|---|
| Figarland Family | World Government Authority | Supreme |
| Charlotte Family | Military Force & Numbers | Extreme |
| Gol D. Family | Will of D. Legacy | Legendary |
| Rocks D. Family | Chaos & Destruction | Catastrophic |
| Nerona Family | Absolute World Control | God-Tier |
The Figarland Family: World Nobles With Supreme Authority
When I first discovered the Figarland family’s true power during the Film Red revelations and recent manga chapters, my entire perspective on One Piece’s power structure changed. This isn’t just another World Noble family—they’re the enforcement arm of the Celestial Dragons, and their influence runs deeper than most fans realize.
Saint Figarland Garling: The Supreme Commander
Garling Figarland stands as the Supreme Commander of the God’s Knights, making him one of the most politically powerful figures in the entire One Piece world. From my analysis of chapters 1086 onwards, I’ve noticed how Oda positions him as someone even the Five Elders respect. His participation in the God Valley incident 38 years ago, where he was credited as a “champion,” tells me this man has combat prowess that rivals the strongest marines and pirates.
What makes Garling especially dangerous is his judicial authority. As the judge who can execute even Celestial Dragons, he wields power that transcends typical World Noble privileges. In my experience analyzing One Piece’s political structure, this combination of combat strength and governmental authority creates a threat level that even Dragon’s Revolutionary Army must carefully consider.
Shanks: The Anomaly
Here’s where things get fascinating—Shanks being a Figarland completely redefines his character. After rewatching his meeting with the Five Elders in episode 907, I realized his unique position: he’s simultaneously a Yonko and has World Government connections through his bloodline. This dual identity gives the Figarland family reach into both the pirate world and the highest echelons of power.
My theory, supported by Film Red’s canon elements, suggests Shanks represents the family’s “wild card.” While Garling enforces order from within the system, Shanks influences the pirate world. It’s a strategic positioning that would make any strongest One Piece characters list incomplete without considering this family’s influence.
Saint Shamrock: The Next Generation
The newest addition to our knowledge, Saint Shamrock (potentially Shanks’s brother), adds another layer to this family’s threat level. While we’re still learning about him in recent chapters, his position among the God’s Knights suggests combat abilities that shouldn’t be underestimated. I’ve noticed Oda rarely introduces characters at this level without significant power to back their positions.
The Charlotte Family: Big Mom’s Overwhelming Military Force
Through my complete viewing of the Whole Cake Island arc and subsequent appearances, I can confidently say the Charlotte family represents the largest coordinated military force among pirate crews. With 85 children, each possessing unique abilities, they create a versatility that even the Monkey D. family’s individual excellence struggles to match.
Big Mom’s Strategic Breeding Program
What I find most impressive about Charlotte Linlin’s approach is her calculated breeding program. She didn’t just have children randomly—she systematically created alliances and acquired powerful genetics from various races and backgrounds. After analyzing her children’s abilities, I’ve identified patterns: she pursued specific Devil Fruits, unique racial traits, and combat specializations to create a perfectly balanced military force.
The diversity is staggering. From Katakuri’s advanced Observation Haki that surpasses most characters I’ve seen, to Smoothie’s liquid manipulation, to Cracker’s biscuit armies—each child fills a specific strategic role. In my playthrough of One Piece games, teams built around Charlotte family synergies often outperform traditional single-powerhouse strategies, making them one of the crews with most Devil Fruit users.
Notable Powerhouses
Let me break down why certain Charlotte children pose exceptional threats:
Katakuri: His billion-berry bounty and undefeated record (before Luffy) speak volumes. I’ve rewatched his fight with Luffy multiple times, and his future sight combined with awakened Devil Fruit abilities creates a combat package that rivals admiral-level threats. His influence extends beyond strength—he’s the family’s pillar of reliability.
Smoothie: As a Sweet Commander with a 932 million berry bounty, she represents the family’s second tier of power. Her ability to wring out liquids from anything, including abstract concepts, shows the creative potential within this bloodline.
Perospero: Often underestimated, but his candy manipulation nearly killed both Chopper and Brook. His tactical mind and 700 million bounty make him a strategic asset matching Revolutionary Army commanders.
The Gol D. Family: Pirates Who Defined An Era?
In my years following One Piece, no family has shaped the narrative more profoundly than the Gol D. lineage. Roger didn’t just find the One Piece—he created the entire Great Pirate Era. This family’s influence on most important characters in One Piece cannot be overstated.
Gol D. Roger: The Pirate King’s Eternal Shadow
Even in death, Roger’s influence surpasses most living characters. Through my analysis of flashbacks and character motivations, I’ve tracked how his final words continue driving the entire plot. Every major player—from Blackbeard to Luffy to the World Government—operates in response to the era he created.
What many fans miss is Roger’s combat prowess. Without a Devil Fruit, he matched Whitebeard’s Gura Gura no Mi and defeated the Rocks Pirates alongside Garp. In terms of pure Haki mastery, I’d argue only a handful of characters in the series have matched his level.
Portgas D. Ace: The Bloodline’s Continuation
Ace’s story profoundly demonstrates this family’s burden and potential. Achieving a 550 million bounty and Whitebeard Pirates’ Second Division Commander position before age 21 shows inherited excellence. His death’s impact, as explored in Ace’s death and its impact, reshaped the entire world’s power balance.
From my perspective, Ace represented untapped potential. His Mera Mera no Mi mastery and Conqueror’s Haki at such a young age suggested he could have surpassed even Roger given time. The World Government’s desperation to execute him validates this family’s threat level.
The Rocks D. Family: Chaos Incarnate
Through careful analysis of scattered information about Rocks D. Xebec, I’ve pieced together why this family represents One Piece’s most chaotic force. The God Valley incident required both Roger and Garp’s combined might to stop them—a feat unmatched in the series’ history.
Rocks D. Xebec: The Deleted Legend
The World Government’s complete erasure of Rocks from history tells me everything about his threat level. My research into chapter 957’s revelations shows he commanded a crew including Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, Shiki, and others who became Yonko-level threats. No other pirate has assembled such overwhelming power.
What intrigues me most is Rocks’s ambition to become “King of the World”—not Pirate King, but absolute ruler. This ideology, completely different from Roger’s freedom-seeking philosophy, threatened the World Government’s existence more directly than any other pirate.
Marshall D. Teach: Rocks’s Spiritual Successor
Blackbeard naming his ship after Rocks and establishing his base at Hachinosu (Rocks’s former territory) isn’t coincidence. Through my viewing of his actions, Teach follows Rocks’s playbook: collecting powerful subordinates, pursuing multiple Devil Fruits, and showing willingness to break every taboo.
His dual Devil Fruit ability—something I’ve never seen replicated in any One Piece game or media—creates combat potential that theoretically has no ceiling. If he’s indeed connected to Rocks by blood, as many clues suggest, this family’s chaos could resurface stronger than ever.
The Nerona Family: The Hidden Rulers of the World
Here’s where my analysis ventures into One Piece’s deepest mysteries. The Nerona family, through Saint Imu, represents power beyond conventional understanding. After studying chapters 1084-1086, I’m convinced this family has controlled the world for 800 years while remaining completely hidden.
Saint Imu: The Immortal Sovereign
Imu’s existence breaks every rule we thought we knew about One Piece’s world. Sitting on the Empty Throne that supposedly no one can occupy, commanding the Five Elders who themselves command admirals—this is apex predator territory. My analysis of Imu’s Devil Fruit abilities suggests powers that transcend normal Devil Fruit limitations.
What terrifies me most about Imu is the casual destruction of Lulusia Kingdom. Using what appears to be an ancient weapon, they erased an entire nation from existence and history. This isn’t just military might—it’s reality-altering power that makes even the Monkey D. family’s achievements seem limited in scope.
The 800-Year Dynasty
If Imu has truly lived since the Void Century, as evidence suggests, the Nerona family has shaped eight centuries of history. Every war, every political movement, every pirate era—all potentially orchestrated by this single bloodline. In my experience studying One Piece’s lore, no other family approaches this level of temporal influence.
Comparing These Families to the Monkey D. Legacy
After analyzing these five families, I need to address how they genuinely rival the Monkey D. family’s combined might of Garp, Dragon, and Luffy:
The Figarland family matches them through institutional power. While the Monkey D. family operates outside or against the system, the Figarlands control it from within. Garling’s authority potentially exceeds even Garp’s marine influence.
The Charlotte family overwhelms through numbers. Against the Monkey D. family’s three legendary individuals, they field 85+ capable fighters with coordinated abilities. In a full family war, their numerical advantage could prove decisive.
The Gol D. family rivals them in narrative importance. Roger’s legacy arguably exceeds even Dragon’s revolutionary impact, and Ace’s potential matched young Luffy’s growth trajectory.
The Rocks D. family surpasses them in raw destructive potential. If Blackbeard is indeed connected and continues collecting powers, he could individually match all three Monkey D. members.
The Nerona family transcends conventional comparison. With possible immortality and ancient weapons, they operate on a different scale entirely.
Strategic Implications for One Piece’s Future
Understanding these family dynamics has completely changed how I predict One Piece’s endgame. The final war won’t just be pirates versus marines—it’s these bloodlines settling centuries of accumulated karma. Each family represents different ideologies: freedom (Monkey D.), order (Figarland), dominance (Charlotte), legacy (Gol D.), chaos (Rocks D.), and control (Nerona).
For fans following the current March 2026 chapters, watching how these families position themselves around Elbaf arc power-ups and emerging threats becomes crucial. The alliance patterns I’m observing suggest these five families will play pivotal roles in the series’ climax, creating the most epic confrontations in greatest pirate-marine rivalries we’ve ever seen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which family is actually strongest overall?
From my comprehensive analysis, the Nerona family holds the strongest position due to Imu’s world control and ancient weapon access. However, in direct combat, the Rocks D. family (especially with Blackbeard’s growth) might prove most dangerous. The Monkey D. family excels in individual excellence and narrative importance, making them protagonists rather than necessarily the strongest.
Could these families form alliances against each other?
Based on patterns I’ve observed, certain alliances seem inevitable. The Figarland and Nerona families already work together through the World Government. The Monkey D. and Gol D. families share the Will of D. connection. The Charlotte family’s pragmatic nature makes them potential wild cards who could ally with whoever serves their interests.
How do Devil Fruits factor into family power rankings?
Through my study of Devil Fruit tier rankings, I’ve noticed that families with multiple fruit users (Charlotte, potentially Rocks D.) gain tactical versatility, while families relying on Haki and physical prowess (Monkey D., Gol D.) show more consistent high-level performance. The Nerona family’s possible ancient Devil Fruit breaks conventional scaling entirely.
Will we see more powerful families introduced?
Given Oda’s pattern of late-series revelations, I expect at least one more major family connected to the Void Century. The emphasis on character progression in One Piece suggests existing families will also reveal hidden members or powers as we approach the finale.
What role do adopted families play in these rankings?
While I focused on blood families, adopted families like the Whitebeard Pirates show comparable strength through bonds of choice rather than blood. However, the inherited traits and Will of D. connections give blood families unique advantages in One Piece’s world where lineage carries mystical significance.
Conclusion: The Real Rivalry
After this deep dive into One Piece’s strongest families, I’ve reached a crucial realization: the Monkey D. family’s true strength isn’t just their individual power—it’s their ability to inspire others and create change. While families like the Nerona control through fear and the Charlotte family dominates through numbers, the Monkey D. legacy spreads through inspiration.
These five families each possess unique advantages that genuinely rival the Monkey D. bloodline. Whether through institutional power, military might, historical legacy, chaotic potential, or absolute control, they’ve proven capable of shaping One Piece’s world just as profoundly. As we head toward the series’ climax in 2026, watching these bloodlines clash will define the story’s resolution.
For fellow One Piece enthusiasts wanting to dive deeper into power scaling, I recommend exploring our guides on strongest non-Devil Fruit users to understand how raw strength factors into these family dynamics. The beauty of One Piece lies in how these different power systems—bloodlines, Devil Fruits, Haki, and will—interweave to create matchups that defy simple comparison.
