The Straw Hat Pirates are the main characters in Eiichiro Odas One Piece series, and they've gone from strength to strength over the years, officially rising to the position of Yonko i One Piece Chapter 1053, which was released in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump issue #19 on June 20, 2022. Ever since then, this crew has been highly respected around the world, and they continue to increase their dominance on the seas.
That said, the Straw Hat Pirates still have one major flaw at the moment, and that is the significant power disparity between the strongest and weakest members of the group. While the Monster Trio of the Straw Hat Pirates are incredibly overpowered, some other members are notably weaker compared to other Yonko teams. This is one of the biggest flaws that Eiichiro Oda finally fixes with the Elbaf arc by giving power ups to the lesser known combatants in the crew.
One Piece's Elbaf Arc fixes the power level bug of Straw Hat Pirates by making the crew stronger
One Piece's Straw Hat Pirates have different power levels. The captain of the crew, Monkey D Luffy, is an official Yonko, as confirmed in Chapter 1053 on June 20, 2022, and is thus the strongest of them all. Luffy also has his Wings, Zoro and Sanji, both of which are incredibly powerful and still growing in strength. Wings is not on the same level as Luffy right now, but in the Elbaf arc, specifically in One Piece Chapter 1182, released on May 10, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #24, Eiichiro Oda set up big battles for them, setting them up to achieve a major power-up in the form of mastered Color of the Supreme King so they can take down the likes of the Holy Knights.
Zoro: Hey, get the job done right!
Sanji: Right back at you!
— Zoro and Sanji go into battle, One Piece Chapter #1182
Following the likes of The Wings of the Pirate King is Jinbe. Eiichiro Oda has done a decent job in Elbaf to push him to the next level. In the case of Jinbe, we know that he is incredibly powerful even though he was bitterly defeated by Gunko of the Holy Knights in One Piece Chapter 1146 on April 21, 2025 in WSJ Issue #21. That said, he made a quick comeback in Chapter 1176, where he fired a powerful Vagabond Drill against one of the powerful MMAs produced by Saint Killingham. Jinbe's full strength hasn't been shown in Elbaf yet, but he will surely get an upgrade in terms of power as well.
Franky, Chopper and Robin have already received major power-ups
In Nico Robin's case, she was seen fighting Saint Sommers in One Piece chapter 1148 on May 12, 2025 in WSJ issue 24. In this chapter, Nico Robin was able to outwit and overpower Sommers, but unfortunately his immortality meant that he kept coming back and eventually defeated her. But the fact that she was able to fight him and even hurt him by cracking his body, despite not going all out, is proof that Robin has grown stronger since Wano.
“I know very well that you are immortal and a thorn man. If we can get you out of here, we can finally free the children!” — Nico Robin fights Sommers, One Piece Chapter #1148
Franky, on the other hand, is one of the Straw Hats who has directly received a power-up from Oda already through Super Vega Cola in One Piece Chapter 1176 on March 9, 2026. This new power has pushed him to the same level as Jinbe, and we can't wait to see what he is capable of doing in a real 1v1. The same goes for Chopper as well.
Immediately after Nerona Imu used the power of Domi Reversi in Elbaf to turn the vast majority of the giants into her puppet soldiers, Chopper was able to use the power of his Devil Fruit to purify them. This could potentially hint at a Devil Fruit Awakening by Hito Hito no Mi and would thus be a significant power-up for the Doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates.
“This is Super Vega Cola! Your insides are impeccably designed, as advanced as a Pacifista. That's why I was surprised to learn that you only use cola to fuel yourself! You see, Franky, fuel is passion! Use this new stuff, and your raw power will explode!!!” — Vegapunk Lilith gives a power to Franky, One Piece Chapter #1176
More power-ups will officially make the Straw Hat Pirates the Strongest Crew
With the vast majority of the crew upgraded, we're left with Nami, Brook, and Usopp, all of whom have either received small buffs or are about to receive major upgrades. Brook was seen absorbing attacks from Nerona Imu into Gunko's body One Piece Chapter 1173 on February 9, 2026, and these attacks were coated with the Supreme King's color. If nothing else, Brook has received a significant upgrade to his overall defensive abilities. For him to tank attacks from someone as strong as Gunko-Imu suggests that he is now much more powerful than ever before.
Gunko: Brook, run!
Brook: Who are you? Why did you tell me to run? I came here to solve this matter!
Imu through Gunko: Shut up! Who are you to Gunko?
— Imu attacks Brook with Color of the Supreme King, One Piece Chapter #1173
Nami hasn't gotten a chance to show off her upgraded skills yet, but when it comes to her and Usopp, both will get their moment of glory before Elbaf finishes. Overall, the Straw Hat Pirates are already much stronger than before, and by giving each member of the crew a significant moment of glory, Eiichiro Oda has done wonders for this crew, finally making them worthy of being called the crew of an Emperor of the Sea.
It must be remembered that after Elbaf, the biggest war in One Piece will officially unfold. According to Eiichiro Oda's announcement during Jump Festa 2026, which was revealed on December 21, 2025, the next arc will take the crew to the island that only the Pirate King has set foot on. This means that the race for One Piece will heat up tremendously, and Luffy needs his crew more than ever before.
“We're headed to 'that island' that only the Pirate King could ever reach!!? The man with the burn scar will also appear. Characters who never had the chance to meet will finally meet. The two will meet, and the two will meet too.” – One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, Jump Festa 2026 Message
It also means that all members of the crew have a great responsibility on their shoulders to step up like never before and show a higher strength. All Straw Hat Pirates fans are in for a ride as their favorite characters will officially unlock higher levels of power and make a big goal for themselves to be the strongest crew in the world.
All the latest One Piece manga chapters by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
