'One Piece' makes Boa Hancock the strongest pirate in the series as she battles Blackbeard

The subject of women in One Piece has always been controversial. On the one hand, we have exorbitant breasts, tiny waists, and shots that look like something out of an eighties porn movie. The sexualization has bordered on the embarrassment on dozens of occasions. On the other hand, we find some of the best female characters in contemporary Shonen. Nami, the “weakest” of the Straw Hats, has more history and is more capable and independent than most of the ninjas in Konoha. The series usually navigates between these two waters, and at this point, you have to love Oda, even if he sometimes seems to have escaped from the horny jail. The thing is, these days social media has been going crazy again on the occasion of “One Piece” chapter 1087, which saw the return of characters like Coby, Blackbeard and... Boa Hancock.

Last week’s episode preview teased a battle between Boa and Coby that many feared would end with the Marine emerging victorious. Because no matter how much he’s grown and trained, and no matter how much he’s changed in the live-action, to most of us Coby will always be that whiny, pathetic kid Luffy abandoned on the first island in the manga (we still thank God for that). This means that the possibility of seeing Amazon Empress Lily lose to a brat who should faint at the mere presence of her haki has been raised. (A brat who, by the way, seems to be the only character who ages in this series).

You can imagine the heated war that was waged on the Internet. Marineford and Onigashima are nothing compared to the defenders of Boa and Coby gouging each other’s eyes out. Some argued that if Hancock lost, Oda would be committing an act as sexist as taking the pirate’s last name from the hand-cock pun. On the other hand, Coby’s fans felt that the young man with the pink glasses had such a character arc and development that he was actually the true protagonist of One Piece. Luckily, what usually happens in such cases happened, and the author did not satisfy either of them.

In chapter 1087, we saw Boa lose, yes, but because he was facing two enemies at once: the Marine and Kurohige. One could argue that it was technically a draw since he wreaked enough havoc on the rival ranks that he is allowed to leave in exchange for releasing her Petrificus Totalus curse on those affected. It is possible that the Empress was not even aware of Coby’s presence in the battle. Had it not been for Blackbeard, the only buffed ‘One Piece’ with the power of two Akuma no Mi buffed, and had it not been for the new and fearsome Pacifists, Hancock would have come out of the situation with flying colors. Oda did justice. He let them fall, but with their heads held high, and even announced their reward poster: 1,659,000,000 berries. This puts her in the top 10 of living pirates and makes her the woman with the highest current bounty. Two titles previously held by Big Mom.

Although many are attracted to her for her voluptuous figure and her relationship with Luffy, with whom she behaves like Sanji with any woman, Hancock is a perennially underrated and sexualized character. Sichibukai and Captain of the Kuja Pirates, she was indispensable in Impel Down and Marineford, where even the Admiral of the Sengok Fleet recognized her abilities. Bearer of the Mero Mero fruit, she is capable of turning her enemies to stone as if she was Medusa. She can turn into stone anyone who is in love with her, and considering that she is the most beautiful woman in One Piece, few men - and even women - are immune. She possesses Conqueror Haki and fights alongside Salome, a large white snake with red markings. She was a slave of the Celestial Dragons during her traumatic childhood, her history goes back to Fisher Tiger and she is connected to Rayleigh and Shakuyaku. In other words, an eternally underrated character that Oda has finally put where she deserves to be.

The strongest women in One Piece.

With Boa Hancock’s bounty, the list of the strongest women and pirates in One Piece looks like this:

Will Bonney climb the ladder on Egghead Island? Will we see Charlotte Smoothie again? Will Belo Betty be key when we get to the Revolutionary Army arc? Aren’t there too few women? Only three in the top 20 bounty earners? Maybe the answer to all of these is yes, but for now, let’s just say that the series’ new strongest female pirate is finally getting her due.