The 10 Cards Everyone Wants From Emperors In The New World

We're just one week away from the release of the next One Piece booster set… you know, the one that's set to reshape the metagame entirely? Yeah, that one.

OP09 - Emperors In The New World is designed to be something special - and it absolutely crushes those expectations by every metric. The set marks both the second anniversary of the English trading card game and the arrival of the new four emperors onto the scene, complete with dramatic cuts from the original manga, various alt art promos for each of the four emperors and a brand new rarity that goes far beyond anything we've seen before.

Make no mistake; Emperors In The New World threatens to be both the most impactful and most valuable set of all time. It's not a release you can afford to miss if you're looking to flesh out a complete, robust collection.

There's an endless bounty of beautiful chase cards to hunt down in OP09 - but not all treasures are created equal. Shall we take a closer look at the most coveted cards you can find in booster packs of Emperors In The New World?

#10 Marshall.D.Teach (Alt Art - Wanted Poster)

First up, the return of the Wanted Poster treatment! 

We've not seen this card frame since OP03 and it was previously received with mixed opinions. Personally, I think the aesthetics of this art style have been dramatically improved since their last appearance and now they look spectacular. You can find a wanted poster variant of all four new emperors - but there's so many high-end cards in this set that Buggy (OP09-051 Alt Art Wanted Poster) didn't even make the list!

Marshall D. Teach slots neatly into the new Blackbeard leader of the same name as a potent top-end threat. It's expected to see a ton of play in the deck, leading to exceptionally high demand for the Wanted Poster version of the card.

#9 Shanks (Alt Art - Wanted Poster)

It's a similar story for Shanks, who looks exceptionally badass in this stoic pose. This 10-cost behemoth is a crippling character to stare down and fits perfectly into the new Shanks (OP09-001) leader to double-up on the backbreaking power reduction effect.

Both this card and the corresponding leader stand to perform well in the OP09 metagame - and who is more deserving of a wanted poster alt art than the chief of the Red Head Pirates?

#8 Boa Hancock (Alt Art - Special Rare)

It's time for our first dose of Waifu Tax. Please open your wallet for inspection.

Boa Hancock is a fan-favorite character who regularly drives up the demand of any card she features on. This particular Boa has already received a manga alt art treatment back in OP07 and sees frequent play alongside the incredibly popular Donquixote Doflamingo (OP01-060) leader. Another new alternative treatment might have been enough to score a place on this list…

…and then you actually look at thing.

The accented and personalized backgrounds on these Special Rares are absolutely stunning and will make me exceptional poor.

#7 Nami (Alt Art - Special Rare)

There's ANOTHER one?!

Nami and her Egghead outfit might have an even higher fanservice charge than Boa Hancock - and she didn't previously have a Manga rare to offset the demand. Sure, the alt art from OP08 looks very sleek but it doesn't hold a candle to this new Special Rare.

The background details really sell this one for me and I expect it to command a good chunk of change.

#6 Monkey.D. Luffy (Alt Art - Wanted Poster)

It shouldn't be a huge shock that the central protagonist carries the most coveted Wanted Poster in the set… but that's only number six on the list? Just how packed is this set?!

Well, OP05 Luffy was previously the most coveted card in the entire game, with the manga alt art commanding over $1000 at various points since release. It recently saw a reprint in PRB-01, but that hasn't unsettled the price dramatically; while this version is beautiful, it'll never be the "ultra-premium" one.

That said, it's Monkey.D.Luffy. The face of the franchise. Any high-end collectible featuring them is going to experience high demand regardless of how it looks.

#5 Buggy (Alt Art - Manga Rare)

Just because Buggy isn't as Wanted as the others doesn't mean they fail to make the list. As if this set wasn't stacked enough, all four new emperors also get the highly coveted Manga Rare treatment to really sell their importance.

With that reframing, it's clear that Buggy is the least popular emperor overall - but it's still a Manga Rare. The embossing and detailing are second-to-none and the background manga panels never become less breathtaking. These are the marquee collectible of the One Piece TCG and you should be ecstatic to open one.

#4 Marshall.D.Teach (Alt Art - Manga Rare)

Given how sweet the Wanted Poster variant looks, I admittedly kind of wish that the manga treatment had been reserved for the alt art of the highly playable leader instead of the same version of Marshall.D.Teach.

That'll change nothing about the price, though. Look. At. This. Thing.

It's a heavily played character and absolutely jaw-dropping to look at - a surefire recipe for a high end collectible.

#3 Shanks (Alt Art - Manga Rare)

Similar feelings with Shanks. Can you imagine if this kickass-looking card was allowed to be your leader in the middle of the table instead? Beautiful.

Make no mistake, these Manga Rare cards are the highest rarity you can obtain and are viewed with a much higher level of prestige than other alternative arts. Shanks ticks the three p's without question: popular, playable and powerful. I expect it to be worth a small bucket of cash

#2 Monkey.D.Luffy (Alt Art - Manga Rare)

Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about. A brand new version of the face of the franchise that's normally a Secret Rare also comes in the highest rarity ever? Sign me up.

It certainly doesn't hurt that the card has potential, either. It's seeing some amount of success in decks built around the new Monkey.D.Luffy (OP09 - 061) and offers a potent effect that could theoretically slot into any purple leader. There's really no box this card doesn't tick… so why isn't it the most coveted card in the set?

#1 Gol.D.Roger (Alt Art - Golden Super Parallel Manga Rare)

Oh. My. God.

The infamous king of the pirates is finally here. Gol.D.Roger represents the pinnacle of One Piece; singlehandedly motivating the majority of characters we've come to know and love. His treasure is the driving force behind a world full of adventurers praying to be the one to find it in the wake of his execution.

…and if you open this card, you'll become the one who found it.

This is a brand new treatment; the first ever golden manga rare in the history of One Piece. If the iconography and prestige wasn't enough, the card theoretically offers an alternative win condition to any yellow deck. There's no reference point for a treasure like this - it's in a league of its own and I cannot wait to finally see one in person.

Closing Thoughts

Emperors In The New World rightfully feels like a fresh beginning. The implied value and playability of this set is at an all-time high and I expect it to usher in a new age of One Piece players and collectors. Hopefully, this article has given you a small taste of what to expect when the booster pack finally drops in the west next week.

But what do you think? Have I missed a heavy hitter? Shoot me a message at @HowlingMines on Twitter/X or @howlingmines.com over on BlueSky. Alternatively, give my other content here on TCGplayer a peek for another slice of everything nice surrounding our beloved cardboard squares.

But until next time.

I've been HowlingMines, you've been amazing.

Best of luck with your booster packs!