Battle shōnen series are the most popular genre in anime, delivering non-stop action with epic fights and stunning animation. One of the most popular series in this regard is One Piece, a long-running anime about a boy looking to be the King of the pirates by finding the titular treasure. While powerscaling is always inconsistent, most anime use some sort of metric to gauge strength, and in One Piece, it is bounties.

While bounties correlate to danger/threat level and not strength, it is still a practical guide to see who is generally strong. The Navy posts bounties to warn the public about dangerous criminals and entice bounty hunters to defeat these notorious figures. However, no one is touching the strongest characters in the series with the highest bounties. This list will rank the highest confirmed bounties in the anime.

15

Queen

Bounty: 1,320,000,000

While captains will naturally be stronger and have higher bounties, their crewmates must be strong enough to match them; just ask Zoro and Sanji. But while they aren’t strong enough to make this list yet, many of the Emperor’s crewmates are, including Queen, one of Kaido’s top three subordinates.

One Piece is for all ages, but Queen’s methods will have fans questioning that. With an ancient zoan, they can turn into a brachiosaurus. However, his science background allowed him to modify his Devil Fruit, creating a cyborg dinosaur that would make Franky proud. He can also create deadly poisons, making him a lethal threat who deserves his high-ranking bounty.

14

Marco

Bounty: 1,374,000,000

Following Queen is the right-hand man to the strongest pirate in One Piece, Marco the Phoenix. Fans can probably figure out what his Devil Fruit is through his name. Possessing a mythical zoan, he can turn into a phoenix, which has greatly helped him survive while aiding in fights and healing others.

Fans know Marco is an incredibly powerful character, but he has earned his bounty for many reasons. From serving as the vice-captain of the most well-known pirate crew to his overpowered Devil Fruit, Marco is a recognizable figure in the world of One Piece. If anything, this bounty is less than expected, with him deserving a much higher amount because of his influence on this world.

13

King

Bounty: 1,390,000,000

Like Queen, King is also a member of Kaido’s crew, serving as his right-hand man. After being rescued from Punk Hazard, one of the best arcs in anime, the duo formed a pirate group, making King the first member of the Beast Pirates. He was a powerful character, but ultimately lost in his battle against Zoro in Wano.

King earned his bounty through reputation and strength, since any member of the Beast Pirates will be notorious. But he is also one of the last remaining Lunarians, known for their dark skin, white hair, and fiery backs. This also resulted in his higher bounty, but it is so high because of his unyielding strength, which put Zoro against the wall.

12

Boa Hancock

Bounty: 1,659,000,000

Female characters don’t get the most recognition in terms of strength, and while there is one other woman on this list, Boa Hancock is one of the strongest. Leader of the Amazonians and Kuja pirates, she was a former slave and warlord who established power through her might and conqueror haki.

One Piece is one of the best anime of all time, and Boa Hancock plays a big part in that, as one of the few strong female characters. Anyone with conqueror’s haki is bound to be strong and earn a high bounty, but Boa Hancock goes even further, amassing a mighty crew and an overpowered Devil Fruit.

11

Crocodile

Bounty: 1,965,000,000

There are many things fans want to see in One Piece before it ends, and one of those is Luffy’s mom, spurring the ridiculous theory that Crocodile is said figure. Whether true or not, fans will have to wait and see, but what they do know about Crocodile is his strength, legacy, power, and bounty of 1,965,000,000 berries.

He may have the lowest bounty of the main members of Cross Guild, but that shouldn’t fool fans into thinking Crocodile is weak. It has been ages since Luffy beat him, and he has gotten much more powerful enough to earn this high bounty. He is also a prominent leader and businessman, able to create a large following and network that puts the Navy at risk.

10

Trafalgar D. Water Law and Eustass Kid

Bounty: 3,000,000,000

While this list ranks the ten highest bounties, two characters are tied for the tenth slot: Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid. They are both members of the Worst Generation, regarded as two of the top three. While they both aim for the titular treasure, Law and Kid temporarily align with the protagonist in Wano, one of the best arcs in One Piece, to take down Big Mom and Kaido.

While fans have seen much more of Law than Kid, they both displayed their immense power together when they fought Big Mom. Having awakened their Devil Fruit, they took down the Emperor of the Sea, making them well-known around the world. This earned them their 3,000,000,000 bounty, notching them up a class. However, Blackbeard and Shanks quickly put them in their place, with fans unsure of their fate.

9

Monkey D. Luffy

Bounty: 3,000,000,000

While Luffy has the same bounty as the previous entry, he deserves a spot of his own as the protagonist. Based on what fans witnessed, he also deserves a higher bounty than Law and Kid. Luffy is the main character of One Piece, who creates a crew to find the elusive treasure and have a fun time while doing so. Fans have been on Luffy’s journey for decades, watching every slight or major improvement.

While fans may see a bump after the events in Egghead, the anime currently has Luffy’s bounty at 3,000,000,000. It may be the same as Law and Kid, but fans know he is much stronger and notorious. Regardless, Luffy has earned every belly (the currency in One Piece) throughout his journey. He has taken on some of the most notorious pirates and challenged the government, making 3,000,000,000, a lower bounty than he deserves.

8

Buggy

Bounty: 3,189,000,000

Speaking of characters who deserve a higher bounty, Buggy deserves a lower bounty but has somehow found himself in a position of success. Initially the main villain in one of the first arcs, Buggy returned in Impel Down and Marineford where he made a name for himself. Constantly falling upwards, Buggy has built a crime empire as a leader of Cross Guild, where he aims to become King of the Pirates.

This is the perfect example to highlight how the bounty system doesn’t measure strength, as he is one of the weakest characters in the show. Despite this, Buggy somehow conned his way to the top, earning countless followers and an alliance with Crocodile and Mihawk. Buggy is one of the best villains in One Piece and a fan-favorite character, making this bounty not enough for everyone’s favorite clown.

7

Dracule Mihawk

Bounty: 3,590,000,000

On the topic of Cross Guild, Dracule Mihawk is one of the founding members and strong, unlike his clown partner. He was originally a revered member of the Seven Warlords in One Piece, but after its abolition, Dracule formed the Marine hunting business, making him an even bigger target. He will indeed have a larger part in the story in the future, with fans anticipating his eventual duel with Zoro.

As the strongest swordsman in One Piece, Mihawk is more than deserving of his 3,590,000,000 bounty. While fans think it should be higher to match his rival, Shanks, this number is nothing to laugh at. For years, Mihawk was never a threat, potentially explaining his lower-than-expected bounty, but now he presents an open threat to all Marines. Viewers can expect it to go up, but it is still a ridiculously high number for now.

6

Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard)

Bounty: 3,996,000,000

The Emperors of the Sea are the most notorious and strongest pirates in the series, so it is only right that all of them would make this list. While old age has passed, the new age is looking promising, with Marshall D. Teach, also known as Blackbeard, leading the charge. He is one of the main antagonists in the show, and his nasty reputation has made him one of the most hated characters in One Piece.

It is hard to gauge the strength of the recent emperors, mainly because fans aren’t sure if they are on the level of the previous ones. Their bounty may give some insight, as all the new-gen emperors have lower bounties than the old-gen. Despite this, Blackbeard’s 3,996,000,000 bounty is still a massive amount. His opportunistic nature and schemes continue to threaten the world, meaning his current bounty is only a shell of what it will be in the future.