Charlotte Linlin, better known as Big Mom, held a Yonko position for more than two decades and still ranks as the strongest female pirate captain in One Piece. Her advanced Haki and the Soul-Soul Fruit, which brings objects to life and hits with the force of a natural disaster, set the bar every other woman is measured against. Several characters already have the tools, or the raw potential, to clear it.
Quick answer: Saint Gunko, Shirahoshi, Charlotte Smoothie, Nico Robin, Jewelry Bonney, Yamato, and Boa Hancock each have a defined path to surpassing Big Mom. Some may already match her; others need a specific unlock or years of growth.
The seven contenders at a comparison
Each candidate reaches for the top through a different combination of Devil Fruit, Haki, and inherited power. The table below lays out what drives each one and what still stands in the way.
| Character | Core power | What holds her back |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Gunko | Arrow-Arrow Fruit, Covenant with Imu, advanced Haki | Already near Big Mom’s level |
| Shirahoshi | Poseidon, commands the Sea Kings | Needs courage and full control |
| Charlotte Smoothie | Wring-Wring Fruit, Armament and Observation Haki | No Conqueror’s Haki yet |
| Nico Robin | Flower-Flower Fruit, Fish-Man Karate | Has not shown Haki in battle |
| Jewelry Bonney | Age-Age Fruit, Armament Haki | Only 12; needs time to mature |
| Yamato | Mythical Zoan (Okuchi-no-Makami), all three Haki | Still growing into her prime |
| Boa Hancock | Love-Love Fruit, all three Haki | Devil Fruit not yet awakened |
Already a threat on Big Mom’s tier
Saint Gunko may have passed her already
Saint Gunko of the Manmeyer Family belongs to the Knights of God, the elite force guarding the Celestial Dragons of Mary Geoise. Her Covenant with Imu grants superhuman strength, instant teleportation through an Abyss, and immortality. She wields advanced Observation Haki and was trained in swordsmanship by Brook.
The Arrow-Arrow Fruit lets her create and control bandage-like strips tipped with arrowheads. She can detach and levitate them, redirect an opponent’s attacks, and force enemies along a path she chooses. Gunko has dealt near-critical damage to Yonko-level fighters such as Loki and Scopper Gaban, which makes a strong case that she is already on Big Mom’s level.
Shirahoshi can destroy the entire world
Shirahoshi has no Devil Fruit, uses only Observation Haki, and is easily frightened, which leads many to write her off. Yet as the princess of the Ryugu Kingdom and the current incarnation of the Ancient Weapon Poseidon, she outclasses Big Mom in sheer scale of destruction.
As Poseidon, she commands the Sea Kings, carnivorous giants that tear through ships and can sink whole islands. She can now direct that power, meaning she could level every landmass on the map if she chose to. Big Mom can wipe out a kingdom; Shirahoshi can threaten the world. The one thing missing is the bravery to use it.
Charlotte Smoothie can inherit her mother’s role
Smoothie is the only woman among the Sweet Commanders and Big Mom’s 35th child. With Big Mom seemingly out of commission, she stands as the crew’s strongest fighter after Katakuri. She already commands Armament and Observation Haki, and unlocking Conqueror’s Haki would make her a true successor, without the food-driven rampages.
Her durability lets her shrug off superhuman kicks from the Vinsmoke siblings. The Wring-Wring Fruit drains liquid from living and non-living things by twisting them like a wet cloth, and drinking that liquid boosts her size and strength. Her sword drains from anyone it cuts, so as long as she has targets nearby, her power keeps climbing.
One unlock away from the top
Nico Robin needs Armament Haki
Robin, the Straw Hats’ archaeologist, is one of the most wanted people in the world for her ability to read Poneglyphs. Since the time skip her strength has grown to the point where she can defeat a high-ranking Yonko officer one-on-one, helped by her grasp of Fish-Man Karate.
The Flower-Flower Fruit sprouts duplicated body parts on any surface. She snaps backs and necks by sprouting arms on enemies, or crushes groups with giant limbs, and she can form a demonic upper-body clone with multiple arms strong enough to break an Ancient Zoan user in half. The only missing piece is Haki. Learn Armament specifically, and she can do serious damage.
Boa Hancock needs to awaken her Devil Fruit
The Pirate Empress was the only woman among the Seven Warlords of the Sea. She uses all three types of Haki, though she has not yet shown advanced Observation or Conqueror’s Haki. The Love-Love Fruit turns anyone who feels lust or love toward her to stone, and she can also petrify targets with strikes and projectiles.
The Love-Love Fruit is one of the few Devil Fruits able to kill in a single shot, and its petrification already stops Yonko Commanders with above-average Haki. As the most beautiful woman in the world, she is expected to awaken the fruit eventually, likely gaining the power to petrify non-living matter. Should that happen, only certain advanced Conqueror’s Haki users could stand against her, placing her above Big Mom.
Growth will carry them past her
Jewelry Bonney gets stronger with age
Bonney is the youngest of the Supernovas and, given her parentage, one of the strongest characters with Celestial Dragon blood. At just 12 years old she can turn nearly anything into a weapon, and her Armament Haki is already potent enough to beat Marine Vice Admirals on her own.
The Age-Age Fruit changes the age of anything she touches, so she could reduce someone like Big Mom to a defenseless toddler. Its true power lets her become any possible future version of herself, including Luffy’s Gear 5, which means she can theoretically wield any ability in the series. It may take another two decades, but she can already deal significant damage to the Five Elders when serious.
Yamato is on track to become the next Kaido
Raised to be Kaido’s heir, Yamato despises him but clearly inherited his power. She is one of the few people who can use all three types of Haki and can infuse her attacks with advanced Conqueror’s Haki. She also ate the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami, letting her transform into Wano’s ancient wolf guardian deity.
Her Mythical Zoan produces ice blasts that clash evenly with Kaido’s fire, and she is one of the few fighters who can actually wound his near-indestructible body. Those feats already place her on the cusp of Yonko-level power. Once she enters her prime, she is likely to surpass Big Mom and take Kaido’s place as a new Emperor.
Big Mom set the ceiling for female power in One Piece, but that ceiling is no longer fixed. A few of these women may already have matched it, while others sit one Haki unlock, one awakening, or a few years of growth away. As the Final Saga unfolds, the title of the world’s strongest woman looks ready to change hands.
