The higher-ups in the Marines are powerful people who can even face off against Yonko. However, only one can be truly considered the best.
In the world of One Piece, Marines are the highest authority after the World Government. They are known for having some of the world’s most exceptional fighters in their ranks. The Marines are tasked with maintaining peace on all the world’s known seas, which they try to accomplish through countless branch offices. The high-ranking Marines such as admirals and fleet admirals are strong enough to go toe-to-toe even with the likes of Yonko. However, due to their actions, they are considered one of the main antagonists in the series.
The Marines, the Yonko and the Seven Warlords of the Sea collectively comprise the Three Great Powers that maintain the order of the world — or at least, that was the case before the Warlords were replaced by the SSG. Among the several strong Marines, the ones that truly stand out are Garp, Akainu, Sengoku, Kizaru and former Admiral Aokiji. There are also the newly appointed admirals Fujitora and Green Bull, all of whom are contenders for the title of strongest Marine.
How Strong Are the Marines in One Piece Overall?
Each admiral and fleet admiral has strong Devil Fruit powers. Akainu has the ability to create, control and transform into magma at will. Kizaru can create, control and transform his body into light. Fujitora can manipulate gravitational forces and even bring down meteors. Sengoku, on the other hand, has the power of a mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit that allows its user to transform into a Daibutsu, a giant gold Buddha.
Even without these Devil Fruit powers, each one of them is exceptionally strong with great control over their Haki. However, Garp has no Devil Fruit but is exceptionally talented in Haki.
Garp Is the Strongest Marine in the Series
Although he is only a vice-admiral, Garp is the strongest Marine in the series, surpassing even the likes of Sengoku and Akainu. It’s a common misconception that Sengoku is stronger than Garp because the former is able to hold him down during the Summit War and stop him from attacking Akainu. However, the truth behind it was that Garp intentionally let Sengoku do this so he wouldn’t end up killing the man who killed his grandson. Had it not been for Sengoku, Garp would have easily overpowered Akainu.
Garp’s physical strength is so immense that he could easily defeat Marco, a mythical Zoan user, with a single blow. The only reason Garp refuses to become an Admiral is that he despises the Celestial Dragons — a fact that he never hides from anyone. Although showing disrespect toward the Celestial Dragons is a serious offense, Garp is always pardoned because of his unparalleled accomplishments. He is the only Marine capable of going against the Pirate King himself and holds the title of “hero.”
Src: cbr.com
