Throughout the 25 years of One Piece‘s serialisation, Luffy has had some unforgettable brawls. These fights have been the source of the series’ most thrilling and intense moments. Luffy’s straightforward attitude usually causes him to confront opponents more powerful than himself, leading to clashes that can be exceptionally strenuous and savage.
Often, these enemies become much more powerful in the later parts of the series. Here are the ten most demanding fights Luffy has had in One Piece.
Luffy’s Most Challenging Fights In One Piece
10. Luffy vs Arlong
One of the greatest adversaries of Luffy, Arlong, is a Fishman who forced Nami to work for him after killing her mother. Fans had been eagerly expecting Luffy to take down Arlong, the first central antagonist he had faced in the series. Their battle was indeed intense, with Arlong attacking Luffy with his sharp teeth and nose.
Eventually, Luffy was triumphant, obliterating Arlong and his base and liberating Nami from her sorrowful past. Even though this was a remarkable fight, the even greater battles Luffy experienced when he ventured into the Grand Line and confronted more powerful foes overshadowed it.
9. Luffy vs Enel
Enel was an almighty ruler of Skypiea, and his electric Devil Fruit gave him an enormous advantage in combat. He could electrocute his adversaries and transform himself into electricity to dodge most attacks. Nevertheless, Luffy’s rubbery body was the perfect defence against Enel’s ability, giving him the upper hand to eventually stop him.
Despite this, the conflict was very fierce, with Enel puncturing Luffy and making him battle with a heavy ball attached to him. Luffy could use this to his advantage, but this One Piece fight was still a difficult test for him.
8. Luffy vs Cracker
Luffy encountered Cracker as one of his earliest adversaries upon landing at Whole Cake Island. With a tremendous level of strength, it indicated the challenging battles that were in store. Cracker could manipulate cookies, which he employed to form both defensive barriers and offensive troops, making him a formidable combatant.
The struggle extended for over eleven hours, making it one of the lengthiest fights in One Piece. Although Luffy did not endure too much physical trauma, he had to consume Cracker’s soldiers to the point of near-bursting, which is why it can’t be placed higher on this list, despite its demanding nature.
7. Luffy vs Crocodile
Luffy’s first major challenge upon entering the Grand Line was the battle with the powerful Crocodile. The fight was certainly a difficult one for Luffy, as Crocodile managed to impale him with his hook and dehydrate him with sand. Fortunately, Luffy was able to overcome this obstacle by using water against his opponent, which allowed him to win after delivering a flurry of powerful punches. While this fight is one of Luffy’s most remarkable early One Piece encounters, it is nothing compared to the challenges he has faced since.
6. Luffy vs Magellan
One of the few fights Luffy lost completely in One Piece is also one of the shortest. Magellan, the jailer of Impel Down, had the Venom-Venom Devil fruit capability, which caused serious damage to opponents who contacted the poison globules he created and manipulated. Luffy tried to punch him into submission, but instead ingested a lethal dose of poison, knocking him out almost immediately. Despite this, he did struggle for a bit, making the battle a hard and taxing one while he was still awake.
5. Luffy vs Marineford
Luffy was present at the Summit War at Marineford and had to face off against a wide array of strong adversaries, including the Three Admirals of the Navy. Most of them were much more powerful than him and easily won. At one point, he was exhausted and had to be resuscitated by Ivankov’s devil fruit. Because of the scale of the combat and the continuous nature of his fight, it can be seen as one long and gruelling battle. Therefore, it is no surprise that Marineford is on this list.
4. Luffy vs Lucci
Luffy’s clash with Lucci is certainly one of the most renowned battles from before the time skip, and for a good reason. It is a long, gripping One Piece duel that sees Luffy using a new fighting technique, getting knocked down, and beaten repeatedly. Nevertheless, despite the adversity, he continues to persist and eventually triumphs over Lucci with a powerful Jet Gatling. This moment in One Piece is not only one of the greatest scenes in the series, but it ranks among the greatest fight scenes in the entire anime genre.
3. Luffy vs Doflamingo
Luffy’s ultimate battle against Doflamingo was an immensely rewarding experience, despite how taxing it was for both of them. Luffy was pushed to his limits with Doflamingo’s formidable String String Devil Fruit and even had to use his fourth-gear Snakeman form, which drained him of much of his energy. But fortunately, with the assistance of the citizens of Dressrosa, Luffy was able to reclaim his strength and successfully defeat Doflamingo, freeing them from his destructive rule.
2. Luffy vs Katakuri
The battle between Luffy and Katakuri was one of the toughest battles Luffy had ever faced in One Piece. Katakuri is the strongest member of Big Mom’s crew apart from Big Mom herself. Katakuri’s Mochi Mochi Devil Fruit powers enabled him to shape-shift to dodge attacks and his Observation Haki enabled him to predict his opponent’s next moves.
In order to compete, Luffy had to bring his own Observation Haki up to Katakuri’s level while enduring his powerful attacks. In the end, after a powerful showdown that left both fighters collapsed, Luffy was declared the victor as he was the first to get back up. The World Government was so impressed that they raised Luffy’s bounty to over a billion berries.
1. Luffy vs Kaido
Luffy’s battle against Kaido is the epitome of all that made his earlier conflicts so demanding and pushed them to an even more intense level. Right off the bat, Kaido knocks out Luffy, sending him flying down from the summit of Onigashima to the ocean below. After Luffy recuperates and returns to the peak, Kaido once again delivers a crushing blow, even when Luffy uses Gear Four.
It is only when Luffy unlocks his Devil Fruit potential and unleashes Gear Fifth that he can overpower Kaido. Their fight is extremely taxing even after Luffy has mastered his Devil Fruit’s new, broken powers. This One Piece bout is a testament to why Kaido is regarded as the strongest being in the world of One Piece.
