Summary
One Pieceis filled with many great adventures on the Grand Line, andpirates who aspire tobecome some of the greatest also need some of the best pirate ships to traverse the vast world. Each ship’s design often reflects its captain’s traits, boasting unique Jolly Rogers with a signature style. From the legendary Oro Jackson to the Queen Mama Chanter, there are a ton of iconic vessels that sail the treacherous seas.
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Some of these ships have special qualities that make them stand out, and some are more traditional and iconic due to the caliber of pirates that sailed on them. Here are some of the best pirate ships to grace Eiichiro Oda’s legendary tale and what makes them unique.
10Perfume Yuda
The Perfume Yuda is the ship of the Amazonian-like Kuja Pirates. This giant red ship has two Yuda in front, harnessing their strength and their ability to swim to move across the Calm belt with ease. This is an essential feature, as regular ships cannot move across the Calm Belt due to a lack of wind and water currents and their inabilityto scare off the Sea Kingsthat often parade it.
The ship dons paddle wheels, which further aids movement, a cabin that imitates ancient Chinese architecture, and a sail that proudly flies the Jolly Roger of Empress Boa Hancock and her crew that resembles a skull with snakes for hair.
9Nostra Castello
The ship of Capone Bege is designed like a fortress with a rook figurehead spotting two huge cannons on it, reminiscent of Bege’sdevil fruit whichturns him into a fortress. It also has retractable tank threads on both sides, allowing it to move without sails and travel swiftly on land, presenting a wildcard for the Fire Tank Pirates.
Before it was destroyed by Big Mom and Prometheus in Totto Land, it was one of the most maneuverable ships, which belonged to a member of the dreaded Worst Generation, earning it a spot on this list.
8Going Merry
The Going Merry is a legendary pirate ship that holds a special place in the heart of the Straw Hat Pirates and One Piece fans at large. It was the first big ship Luffy’s crew owned, and it was their transportation from East Blue to the Grand Line until the Ennies Lobby arc. It was gifted to the crew by Kaya for protecting Syrup Village from the Black Cat Pirates.
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The ship became their home, their friend, and eventually developed her personality, which she used to help the crew through tough times and unbelievable situations. She received a Viking Funeral at the end when she could no longer continue due to her accumulated damage.
7Red Force
This ship replaced the Red Hair Pirates’ former ship, which first appears in East Blue. The ship bears a resemblance to their previous one, albeit on a larger scale with detailed embellishments. It also has more sails than its predecessor and a collection of palm trees on board reminiscent of how the Thousand Sunny accommodatesNami’s tangerine trees.
Its figurehead resembles a dragon, and the whole ship was designed with a red theme reflecting its captain. Red Force was first sighted when it approached Moby Dick to enable Shanks to meet with Whitebeard.
6Thriller Bark
Thriller Bark was based on an island located in West Blue, which was converted into a pirate ship under the command of the former Warlord Geko Moria. This is the largest ship inOne Piece,and it served as the location for the Thriller Bark arc, which birthed one of the most iconic Zoro scenes in the entire series.
Its ominous design exudes an atmosphere of darkness and mystery that accurately reflects the personality and abilities of its captain. It was once situated in the mysterious Florian Triangle, but after being reclaimed by Moria followinghis loss to the Straw Hat Pirates, he uses it to travel to Pirate Island.
5Polar Tang
The pirate ship of Trafalgar D. Waterlaw is not a pirate ship but a pirate submarine that doubles as one. It mainly runs on engines, and because of that, the sails were made to be retractable so they can be used when the engines are turned off. It is mainly made of metal, unlike other pirate ships which are made of wood.
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This sneaky pirate ship offers many advantages in battle as it is used to move around undetected by the Heart Pirates. As befitting the ship of the Surgeon of Death, it also houses a surgical room where Law carries out medical procedures on patients.
4Thousand Sunny
The successor to the Going Merry does not have a lot of emotional importance to the crew, but its machinations are more than enough to solidify it as one of the best pirate ships in the series. It was built from Adam Tree wood, the strongest type of wood there is.
Forged by Franky and some of the best shipwrights in the world,the Sunny is at least twicethe size of the Going Merry, donning various features like a Gaon Cannon for frontal attacks and the all-important Coup De Burst, a giant cannon that shoots the ship into the air for one kilometer when it is fired. This has saved the Straw Hat Pirates countless times, making for great escapes. Like its maker, it runs on barrels of Cola as an energy source.
3Queen Mama Chanter
This colossal ship belongs to the equally hugeBig Mom and her crew. It is several times larger than the Thousand Sunny and was designed with a confectionery theme in mind. The ship was brought to life with the power of Big Mom’s Soul Soul fruit, and as a result, it has a personality of its own.
The figurehead, which resembles a clown wearing a pirate hat, constantly sings the word for ship. Various parts of the ship, like doors, are Big Mom’s homies, allowing them to open and close automatically and operate with sentience.
2Moby Dick
Moby Dick is named after the famous white sperm whale from Herman Melville’s novel, which acts as its figurehead. It is the main flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates and the biggest of the four ships in his fleet. The ship’s design features a rugged, battle-hardened exterior adorned with massive cannons.
It had also seen its fair share of battle and adventures as it sailed for decades before eventually burning and sinking after an attack from Vice-Admiral Akainu during the Marineford battle. A few iconic names like Oden, Whitebeard, and Blackbeard have sailed on this ship.
1Oro Jackson
It is only fitting that the shipof the Pirate Kingis the best ship inOne Piece.The Oro Jackson was built with wood derived from the treasure tree Adam, and this wood was said to be the most durable in the world. This beauty is the only ship to have sailed to the end of the Grand Line, transporting Gol D. Roger on his adventures since it was built in Water 7 by Tom, Franky’s shipwright master.
The Oro Jackson traversed the New World and reached Laugh Tale, becoming the only ship to do so since the Void Century. However, since Roger’s death, the ship’s whereabouts are unknown.
