While the Straw Hat pirates are at the center of One Piece, there are still plenty of awesome fights that don’t include them at all.

One Piece is famous for its epic, and often very long fights. As the main characters of the series, the Straw Hat Pirates are constantly at the center of action, with each character having at least one great fight to their name. However, One Piece is a sprawling world, with several other interesting character with unique abilities.

These characters have had plenty of great fights of their own, that don’t always get the proper attention they deserve, because they don’t follow a captain made out of rubber. These fights didn’t have any Straw Hats, but they’re among the best in the entire series.

10/10 Kaido & Oden Fight An Epic, But Short Battle

While there’s been a fair amount of critism surrounding One Piece‘s changes in animation style over the years, but the changes have led to some of the most visually spectacular moments in the franchise. Oden vs Kaido is an absolutely gorgeous piece of animation that fully highlights both Kaido’s dragon transformation and Oden’s skill as a samurai.

These are two of the strongest characters in the series, and the fight really sells both combatants power and speed. Oden should win on skill alone, but even after seemingly defeating Kaido, he is tricked into believing his son was taken hostage, leading to his execution.

9/10 Kaido Vs The Red Scabbards Is Visually & Emotionally Satisfying

In a similar vein as Oden’s fight with Kaido, his closest subordinates the Nine Red Scabbards, have their own confrontation with the Emperor. It’s one of the best displays of teamwork in a series where most fights tend to be one on one. The Scabbards manage to injure Kaido with each of them displaying impressive swords skills.

They’re ultimately defeated, but it’s very satisfying to see them get some semblance of revenge for the death of their leader. Their passion and anger fuels every single strike as they give Kaido a run for his money.

8/10 Pedro Duels Tamago Over The Past

Like virtually every aspect of the Whole Cake Island Arc, Pedro’s duel with Tamago is a little weird. How could a fight between a talking leopard and an egg man not be? However, it’s a fight with a lot of tension as both characters wrestle with events of Pedro’s previous visit to the island, which saw both character lose an eye.

They both have a score to settle, and it’s an entertaining duel, as both are fairly skilled swordsmen. Tomago’s multiple chicken based transformations adds humor to what’s otherwise a fairly dramatic confrontation, as tone of the fight can shift radically at times. The fight does end a little anticlimactically, but is otherwise a proud duel between rivals.

7/10 The Mink Protect Their Homes

One Piece had been alluding to a confrontation with Kaido since the Punk Hazard Arc, but it’s on Zou where the audience meets the beast pirates for the first. It’s an interesting confrontation as the muscular mammoth themed Jack takes on the anthropomorphic Mink tribe. It’s a good introduction to the powers of both groups.

The fight itself is pretty unique in One Piece as Dogstorm and Cat Viper switch places during the between day and night, as the two refuse to fight together. That’s not a mistake they’d make again as they choose to fight Jack together in Wano.

6/10 Doflamingo Is Too Much For Law

Lots of One Piece characters run around seeking vengeance, but no revenge tale is quite as entertaining as Law’s quest to destroy Doflamingo. The two clash on three occasions, but the only time they really fight each other without any interference is on the bridge between Dressrosa and Green Bit.

Both fighters make use of the bridge as the battle essentially tears it to pieces, which they proceed to hurl at each other. The Fighting Fish that attempt to interfere don’t fair any better than the bridge. Doflamingo’s just a bit more ruthless and manages to overwhelm his former subordinate.

5/10 Block B Provides The Best Gladiator Fight

Corrida Colosseum provides a fun series of battle royale gladiator fights. There are four separate fights shown to the audience in the arena, but the best one of all comes from Block B. Without Luffy, Rebbecca, or Sabo, it’s the only block that doesn’t have an obvious winner from the outset, allowing the audience to pick and hope that their favorite contender wins.

There are a lot of fun different fighting styles between Bellamy, King Riku, Hack and the eventual winner Bartolmeo. Bartolmeo’s frequent disinterest in the fight is a good source of humor, but the best moment has to be Elizabello’s King Punch, which blows away most of the competitors in a singe strike.

4/10 Smoker Takes On Vergo For The Pride Of The Navy

Smoker fights Vergo in what’s easily one of the bests fight in all of One Piece. The two characters provide an interesting contrast, as Smoker’s one of the few heroic Marines in the Navy, while Vergo is a traitor working for Doflamingo. Smoker’s devil fruit abilities, which appropriately turn him into to smoke, provides great visual as the two collide in hand-to-hand combat.

The choreography of this fight is One Piece at its best. Eventually Smoker is overwhelmed, but he’s smart enough to realize that. He sacrifices himself to save Law’s transported heart, which Vergo had possession of, giving Law the chance to step in and win the battle.

3/10 The Worst Generation Meets Their Match On Sabaody

Luffy punches a celestial dragon, and the entire Sabaody Archipelago descends into chaos. While the Straw Hats face their own problems, the rest of the Worst Generation has the deal with the full might of the navy descending on the island.

It’s a pretty chaotic scene that acts as a bit of preview for the Battle of Marineford, as Admiral Kizaru and Navy’s human weapons, the Pacifistas, overwhelm the pirates. Most of the Worst Generation gets the chance to display their abilities, previewing their own roles during One Piece‘s various New World arcs.

2/10 Akainu & White Beard Are The Stars Of Marineford

The Battle of Marineford is filled with non-stop action as the Navy and the White Beard Pirates clash over Ace’s execution. White Beard and Akainu represent the two strongest fighter on each side making their eventual head-to-head battle inevitable.

They exchange blows a couple, but it’s their final fight that’s the true standout. An enraged White Beard attacks Akainu, after the latter kills Ace, in one of the biggest displays power in the series. Akainu lands a couple good hits, but White Beard’s fury seems unstoppable as he literally buries Akainu into the ground.

1/10 Ace & Black Beard Change The World

Few fights in One Piece received as much pre-game hype as Black Beard and Ace. This is a fight that took over two hundred episodes to materialize, as Ace had been Marshall D. Teach since his introduction. The battle lives up to the hype, as Ace’s fire and Black Beard’s shadows are visually striking.

It’s pretty clear Ace is in over his head, as Teach is able to cancel out Ace’s powers. Still, Fire Fist manages to put up a good fight, in the closest thing One Piece has to a Dragon Ball styled beam battle. Ace’s defeat would set up several arcs, most notably the Battle of Marineford, and begins Black Beard’s rise to power.

Src: cbr.com