3 Legendary One Piece Characters Who Never Needed a Devil Fruit to Be Among the Strongest

Many in One Piece could benefit from having a Devil Fruit that bolsters their strengths. However, there are a select few characters who are legendary enough without a Devil Fruit, and it would make little sense to give them one in the present timeline. They have made a name for themselves in One Piece's lore and fan community because their strength doesn't rely on some overpowered Devil Fruit.

Silvers Rayleigh

Silvers Rayleigh was fully introduced in the Sabaody Archipelago Arc, and his entrance was nothing less than impressive. One Piece has its stylish and dramatic ways of revealing characters, but Rayleigh's made a massive impact. Pretending to be an odd old man seeking free food, the audience was stunned when he knocked out nearly everyone in the auction house with a burst of Haki. Although now Haki is more commonly used and there are quite a few epic moments from many characters, Rayleigh's moments are amongst the best.

Dubbed as the ‘Dark King’ and the ‘Right Hand of the Pirate King’, Silvers Rayleigh is a force to be reckoned with. He makes One Piece villains, such as Blackbeard or Kizaru, cower in fear or act with immense caution. It's because of Rayleigh's training and experience that Luffy is a powerful Haki user. Despite his old age, his physical strength is nearly superhuman, as proven when he swam across the Calm Belt unscathed. Evidently, Silvers Rayleigh doesn't need any Devil Fruit.

Shanks

The captain of the Red Hair Pirates is one of the most powerful One Piece characters and Haki users. Shanks' advanced mastery of Haki and elite combat experience make him immensely strong. He's one of the few characters who can imbue his weapon with Conqueror's Haki and deal devastating attacks, such as Divine Departure, and has Future Sight. Shanks had Gol D. Roger as his mentor, and potentially the other Roger Pirates, who are famously powerful non-Devil Fruit users.

For years, before Shanks' left arm was bitten off, he was Mihawk's only match and fought legendary duels against the swordsman. Although it was off-screen, Shanks faced off against Kaido and survived. Several moments in One Piece prove that even the World Government is terrified of or respects him. Shanks' Haki shut down Ryokugyu's Devil Fruit powers and made him flee. Moreover, Sengoku ended the Summit War of Marineford when the Red Hair Pirates arrived.

Shanks possesses impressive physical strength, swordsmanship, and Haki, but he is also a great influence on One Piece's political environment. Arguably, Shanks might even be the strongest Emperor, or at least, in the Top 3.

Monkey D. Garp

The legendary Hero of the Marines is another character often hailed as one of One Piece 's strongest. Monkey D. Garp's strength lies in his relentless brute force and advanced forms of Haki. Unless he is throwing canon balls, Garp mainly uses his fists against opponents. He is another rare character who can infuse Conqueror's Haki into his attack, but to make it more unique, it's his punch that unleashes a power burst. Galaxy Impact might be one of the most devastating non-Devil Fruit moves.

Monkey D. Garp has survived all these decades, fighting the most powerful pirates with just his fists. During his prime, he was on par with the likes of Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, and their respective crew members. Garp can also easily fling canon balls without any assistance. His harsh training, which he often subjected Ace, Sabo, and Luffy to during their childhood, clearly paid off. He easily subdued One Piece characters who are physically superior to him, such as Don Chinjao. Overall, Monkey D. Garp never needed a Devil Fruit and certainly shouldn't in the future.