15 Weakest Devil Fruit Matchups That Still Won (How?!)

Many battles in ‘One Piece’ feature fighters who appear to be at a disadvantage based on their abilities. Their powers might seem poorly suited for the fight or the surroundings, but they still manage to win. This often happens through smart planning, sheer determination, or a sudden improvement in their skills. These victories turn what looked like losing matchups into inspiring comebacks.

Luffy vs Crocodile

Crocodile’s Devil Fruit allowed him to dry anything he touched, turning it into sand, which meant Luffy’s punches would simply pass through him. Their battle took place in the desert of Alabasta, giving Crocodile a huge advantage with his ability to control sand and cause dehydration. Luffy discovered he could make Crocodile solid by soaking him with water, and later with his own blood. This allowed Luffy to finally land hits and ultimately win the fight.

Luffy vs Foxy

Foxy’s Devil Fruit power drastically slowed down opponents, intending to make Luffy’s speed work against him. The unique conditions of their fight, with its tricky terrain and rules, seemed to favor slow, deceptive attacks. However, Luffy cleverly countered by reflecting Foxy’s attacks back at him, using techniques like a mirror shield. He capitalized on brief openings to get close and ultimately won with precisely timed blows.

Luffy vs Hody Jones Underwater

Devil Fruit users become weak in seawater, and Luffy faced this challenge while battling underwater near the Noah ship. Hody, however, was incredibly strong in the water thanks to special pills, allowing him to move easily. Luffy created an air bubble to breathe and used it to launch powerful air blasts. Even with the sea hindering him, Luffy managed to overcome Hody’s defenses and win the fight.

Luffy vs Donquixote Doflamingo

Characters with string-based powers can attack, bind, and control opponents using thread-like abilities, posing a danger to close-combat fighters. Doflamingo could float using strings and even repair damage by reshaping the environment with his powers. Luffy countered this by moving quickly with his Gear Fourth form to avoid being trapped and then relentlessly attacking to overwhelm the repairs. He ultimately delivered a powerful finishing blow after his allies created an opening, allowing him to transform again.

Luffy vs Charlotte Katakuri

Katakuri’s body was incredibly flexible, like rubber, and he could predict attacks before they happened. This made it hard for Luffy to fight his usual way. During a long and difficult battle, Luffy pushed himself to improve his own ability to predict attacks, allowing him to anticipate Katakuri’s moves. He finally found a way to win by taking advantage of brief moments when Katakuri lost concentration, after fighting for hours.

Usopp vs Perona

Perona’s Ghost-Ghost Fruit creates negative energy that overwhelms opponents and manifests as explosive, miniature ghosts. Usopp was unusual because his already low self-esteem meant the negative energy had no effect on him. He tricked Perona into projecting her spirit far from her physical body, allowing him to find her real location. A direct attack on her actual body ended the fight, even though her Devil Fruit gave her a powerful mental advantage.

Usopp vs Sugar

Sugar’s Devil Fruit ability could turn people into toys with just a touch, and completely erase them from everyone’s memory, resulting in an immediate defeat. Usopp avoided her touching him by staying at a distance and using his friends to distract her. He also surprised her with a frightening face, which caused her to faint. This single moment reversed the situation and saved everyone who had been turned into toys.

Nami vs Kalifa

Kalifa’s Devil Fruit power made opponents weak and created extremely slippery surfaces, making most attacks ineffective. Nami fought back by manipulating the weather inside the room with her Clima-Tact. She used illusions to confuse Kalifa and directed lightning strikes to avoid the slippery floor. A perfectly timed and powerful Thunder Lance Tempo finished the battle before Kalifa could recover her abilities.

Nami vs Miss Doublefinger

Miss Doublefinger’s Devil Fruit power turned her body into sharp spikes, making it dangerous to get close. Nami, who had just gotten the Clima-Tact, was still figuring out how to use it. She used changes in temperature and air currents to confuse her opponent and create opportunities to attack. Ultimately, she finished the fight with a powerful, swirling attack that broke through Miss Doublefinger’s spiky defenses.

Sanji vs Absalom

Absalom’s Devil Fruit allowed him to become completely invisible, making it easy to launch surprise attacks. However, Sanji didn’t rely on sight to find Absalom. Instead, he used clues like footprints, sounds, and even changes in the air to pinpoint his location. Sanji was able to anticipate Absalom’s movements and strike as soon as the invisibility flickered during attacks. By carefully observing and timing his actions, Sanji defeated an opponent whose power was based on stealth.

Franky vs Señor Pink

The Sui Sui no Mi allowed Señor Pink to swim through solid objects, making him incredibly difficult to catch or hold. Franky countered this ability by using long-range attacks and his strong, armored body – both from the General Franky and his own cyborg enhancements. He tricked Pink into surfacing in predictable locations, then overwhelmed him with powerful punches and cannon fire. Franky finally defeated Pink by forcing him into a direct, head-on fight.

Trafalgar Law vs Vergo

Vergo heavily reinforced his body with Armament Haki, protecting him from powerful attacks and pushing Law into a close-range fight. Law quickly regained control of his own heart, allowing him to focus, and then dramatically expanded his ROOM ability. He then sliced through Vergo and the entire building in a single, overwhelming attack, breaking through Vergo’s defenses. By controlling the space around them, Law turned a difficult fight into a clear victory.

Boa Hancock vs Smoker

As a huge fan of One Piece, I’ve always found the clash between Smoker and Hancock fascinating. Smoker’s Logia-type Devil Fruit lets him become smoke, so normally physical attacks just pass right through him, and his Jitte is specifically designed to take down other Devil Fruit users. But Hancock’s power is different – it turns people to stone based on their desire. The really clever thing is, it didn’t matter that Smoker could become intangible smoke; Hancock’s ability bypassed that completely. She exploited a weakness – desire – that Smoker couldn’t defend against, and instantly froze him in stone during their fight. That momentary paralysis was all she needed to win the battle – a really smart use of her Devil Fruit!

Zoro and Tashigi vs Monet

Monet’s Devil Fruit allowed her to transform into and control snow, trapping opponents in icy conditions. Zoro sliced through her snow body, breaking her resolve, but deliberately held back from delivering a fatal blow because he didn’t want to kill her. Tashigi then used Armament Haki to land the powerful, solid attacks needed to defeat her. Working together, they managed to overcome Monet’s powerful abilities and win the fight inside the building.

Luffy vs Caesar Clown

Caesar’s Devil Fruit allowed him to control oxygen and poisonous gases, creating a dangerous environment that could either suffocate or explode anyone close by. Luffy quickly closed in, using attacks that cut through the gas and focused on Caesar’s reliance on maintaining a specific air mixture. He destroyed Caesar’s gas mask and threw off his control of the oxygen, forcing him to defend himself. A final, powerful attack ended the fight before Caesar could recreate the deadly field.

Share your favorite bad matchups that still turned into clutch wins in the comments.

2025-12-05 12:16