One Pieceis known for its incredibly detailed world-building and storytelling. There is hardly any mangaka, who can match Eiichiro Oda’s craft. As a shonen series, the manga is also packed with several powerful characters who possess very interesting powers.
Most of these characters rely on their physical and devil fruit abilities to get the better of their opponents. Such characters never fail to capture the attention of the fans, but sometimes physical strength alone isn’t enough to win a fight or get out of a tricky situation. In such cases, the smartness of a character comes into play. Needless to say, there are many knowledgeable characters inOne Piece, but not all of them are smart.
Updated on June 25, 2025, by Suzail Ahmad:One Piece is currently focused on Elbaf, the land of giants. For years, viewers speculated that the Straw Hat Pirates would end up in Elbaf and how they would uncover some of the biggest secrets in the world.
All the new characters who have featured in the first two arcs of the Final Saga have proved that strength alone isn’t enough to achieve one’s goals. Aside from having ridiculous physical strength, they are highly intelligent. The combination of the two things makes them extremely dangerous. With that in mind, the list has been updated to include thesmartest characters in One Piece.
26Dr. Hogback
One Of The Best Surgeons In The World
Dr. Hogback was introduced in the Thriller Bark arc as one of Moria’s henchmen. Dr. Hogback used to be a famous surgeon who was known throughout the world. Ultimately, he ended up in Moria’s service and began creating zombies for him.
Dr. Hogback was not adept at fighting, but he could still do a decent job against a bunch of nobodies. Hogback’s true skill lay in surgery. As a renowned surgeon, Hogback had extensive medical knowledge, which allowed him to perform the most precarious operations without any problems. In fact, his skill was compared to the user of the Ope Ope no Mi.
25Clou D. Clover
Managed To Decipher The Poneglyphs
Clou D. Clover was the leader of the Ohara scholars. As the head of research, Clover was arguably the smartest person among them. He oversaw the research involving the Poneglyphs, and he also learned to decipher them.
When he was young, Clover was an adventurer who traveled around the world. He was fascinated by the Void Century and wanted to learn about it. This led to him dabbling into information that was considered forbidden by the World Government. In fact, he was caught several times by the Marines but managed to escape every single time. Ultimately, Clover was successful in his mission, and he learned about the Void Century.
24Perospero
Perospero was the eldest son of Big Mom. He was the Minister of Candy, so he oversaw everything related to it. Like most members of the Big Mom Pirates, Perospero was a strong fighter, capable of fighting against skilled combatants. Perospero ate Pero Pero no Mi, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to turn anything into candy.
While most people would consider the Devil Fruit useless for combat, Perospero proved that it could be used as a lethal weapon. Using the Devil Fruit, Perospero trapped the Thousand Sunny, thus preventing the Straw Hats from escaping. When he lost his right arm, he used the Devil Fruit to create another. Another instance where Perospero proved his smartness was when he prevented the Vinsmokes from escaping using his candy.
23Kuro
Made A Nearly Immaculate Plan
Kuro was a major antagonist in the East Blue Saga that the Straw Hats encountered in Syrup Village, the hometown of Usopp. At the time of introduction, Kuro came off as a normal butler who was in the service of Kaya, the sole heir to a massive fortune.
The truth, however, was significantly different. Kuro had concocted a plan to stay hidden until he was ready to steal Kaya’s fortune and resume his journey as a pirate. Kuro’s plan was nearly flawless, and nobody would have suspected a thing if Luffy and his friends hadn’t stopped in Syrup Village. While he lost the fight, Kuro proved that intelligence was a valuable skill.
22Akainu
Extremely Manipulative
Akainu may be the most hated Marine in the series, but it is hard to deny that he stands among the strongestOne Piececharacters. He is the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines, a position that he obtained after defeating his fellow Admiral, Aokiji, in a brawl in Punk Hazard.
Akainu is considered a brute, but the reality is that he is a cunning individual. During the Summit War, Akainu manipulated Squard and turned him against Whitebeard. He stopped Ace from escaping by badmouthing Whitebeard. Akainu is shrewd, and he can sow seeds of discontent among people, causing them to make foolish decisions.
21Rob Lucci
One Of The Greatest Assassins In The World
Rob Lucci was originally a member of CP9, but he waspromoted to CP0 sometimeduring the time skip. Due to his upbringing, Lucci is nearly perfect in every department. He has very few weaknesses, which makes it almost impossible to overwhelm him.
Lucci is a smart person, as evidenced by his ability to figure out the mechanism behind Luffy’s Gear 2nd in next to no time. In order to fulfill his mission in Water 7, Lucci took up carpentry and became a master carpenter in five years. Furthermore, he managed to send a report to the Marines while being surrounded by the Straw Hats and the satellites of Vegapunk. All these things prove that he is a cunning man.
20Kuzan
Former Admiral With A Great Deal Of Experience
Kuzan used to be a Marine Admiral before he left the organization. He departed after losing the fight against Akainu on Punk Hazard. Not long afterward, Kuzan joined the Blackbeard Pirates and became one of the Ten Titanic Captains.
At the moment, there is very little reason to doubt Kuzan’s loyalty towards the Blackbeard Pirates, but it is unwise to rule out the possibility entirely. He also seems to have ties with the Underworld, which makes his decision to leave the Marines even more interesting. A person of his stature would normally have no connection with the Underworld, unless there was something that he was specifically looking for. There is a chance that he joined a Yonko’s crew because he wanted to bolster his chances of achieving that specific goal, in which case he would be using Blackbeard.
19Clover
Clover was the leader of the scholars of Ohara. He headed the research on the Poneglyphs, which enabled the scholars to learn about the true nature of the World Government. Considering he was able to decipher the language used on Poneglyphs, it is safe to assume that Clover was an extremely intelligent man. Furthermore, the fact that the other scholars trusted him completely is another testament to his skills. Clover’s life came to an abrupt end when he disclosed his findings to the Five Elders, who ordered him to be shot immediately.
18Enel
Came Up With The Idea To Create Ark Maxim
Enel was the main antagonist of the Skypiea arc. He came to the island after razing his homeland to the ground. He possesses the Goro Goro no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that has enough power to kill a person almost instantly. Enel combined his Devil Fruit power with Kenbunshoku Haki, which made him seem omnipresent.
Enel was also a skilled engineer, as he managed to design the Ark Maxim, a massive ship with intricate machinery. Enel was even able to fix any damage done to it. He was also smart enough to see through Nico Robin, a former assassin who survived by deceiving others.
17Nico Robin
Has Great Knowledge Of The World
Nico Robin is thearchaeologist of the Straw Hat Pirates.She is by far the most knowledgeable member of the crew, thanks to the time she spends reading books.
Robin is able to apply her intelligence in battle, which helps her overwhelm physically superior foes. She is also extremely perceptive and can quickly figure out her opponent’s abilities. Robin would have never survived her brutal childhood without her intellect.
