The Best Decks in the One Piece TCG Right Now - January 2025

Alright, esteemed content creator person. You've had access to a brand new booster set for a little over three weeks now… surely you can tell us which decks will be dominating the metagame and the new cards we're supposed to be buying?

…Well, actually yes. Maybe. It's all a bit confusing.

You see, One Piece is a little bit different than the majority of other TCGs that I cover - it has two distinctly fractured metagames; the eastern format that operates six months in advance and a second format that's roughly one set behind over here in the west. That means we've always got some frame of reference as to what to expect from any new product, because it already found its footing in Japan!

Recently, it's been hard to rely on that foreshadowing as strongly as before, though. Back in September, a universal banlist rocked the game in a way we'd never seen before, removing both Trafalgar Law (ST10-001) and Enies Lobby (098) from both formats simultaneously. The biggest juggernaut of the format would be missing for the western version of the OP08 metagame, resulting in a completely different landscape. It was a new and exciting time for One Piece!

…But we've finally reached the stage where we've caught up to both cards leaving in Japan, which should result in a metagame that closely mirrors what came before. That said, the worldwide audience is often full of surprises and regularly finds hidden gems that we're never discovered further afield, so who knows where we'll end up?

With an eye to the eastern OP09 format and the first handful of events worldwide following the release of Emperors in The New World, let's take a closer look at the best decks in all of One Piece right now:

#5 Marshall.D.Teach (OP09-081)

One of the newest emperors of the block, Blackbeard carries both a hefty deckbuilding requirement and an ability that commands your respect. Marshall.D.Teach prevents any of your On Play effects throughout the course of the game, which is a huge drawback when you share a color with Gecko Moria (OP06-086). Why would you willingly subject yourself to that?!

Well, you're able to strategically share that downside with your opponent on pivotal turns - an unbelievable kick in the face for popular leaders like Monkey.D.Luffy (ST13-003) and Enel (OP05-098):

• 1 OP09-081 Marshall.D.Teach
• 4 OP09-089 Stronger
• 4 OP09-095 Laffitte
• 4 OP09-090 Doc Q
• 2 OP09-091 Vasco Shot
• 4 OP09-088 Shiryu
• 4 EB01-048 Laboon
• 4 OP09-086 Jesus Burgess
• 4 OP09-083 Van Augur
• 4 OP09-093 Marshall.D.Teach
• 2 OP02-117 Ice Age
• 4 OP09-096 My Era...Begins!!
• 4 EB01-051 Finger Pistol
• 3 OP09-098 Black Hole
• 3 OP09-099 Hachinosu

Unsurprisingly, the majority of support for the prison-style leader released alongside him in OP09. You'll be looking to churn through your deck with themed tutors like My Era…Begins!! (OP09-096), Laffitte (OP09-096) and Hachinosu (OP09-099) to find the pivotal lock pieces that prevent your opponent from effectively playing the game. Like it or not, it's a darn good plan.

The deck is stuffed with a variety of Activate abilities and a selection of efficient removal that clean up any threats that slip through the cracks. That way, there's no conflicts with the leader ability of Marshall.D.Teach and you'll easily reach an endgame full of Marshall.D.Teach (OP09-093), a gargantuan blocker that'll lock the opponent out by stripping away their leader ability over and over again.

This deck is nasty, and it has found a ton of success early in the format on both occasions. While the decklist is currently a little shoehorned in the way it must be built, I'd expect Marshall.D.Teach to become a real menace as additional support for the leader enters the card pool.

#4 Monkey.D.Luffy (OP05-060)

When one variation of Monkey.D.Luffy begins to fall, another will rise to take its place.

Purple Luffy has been floating around on the outskirts of the format for quite some time, but it's recently been heavily bolstered by a ton of new support in ST18 and OP09. The deck is the perfect choice for attrition-based metagames full of Yellow leaders and Nami (OP03-040) but has a rough time taking down Donquixote Doflamingo (OP01-060); a very real problem in the current metagame.

• 1 OP05-060 Monkey.D.Luffy
• 4 OP09-069 Trafalgar Law
• 2 OP09-071 Nico Robin
• 4 ST18-001 Uso-Hachi
• 2 EB01-061 Mr.2.Bon.Kurei(Bentham)
• 3 ST18-002 O-Nami
• 4 OP06-076 Hitokiri Kamazo
• 4 ST18-004 Zoro-Juurou
• 4 OP05-074 Eustass"Captain"Kid
• 4 ST18-003 San-Gorou
• 4 OP07-064 Sanji
• 2 OP09-065 Sanji
• 4 ST18-005 Luffy-Tarou
• 2 OP08-069 Charlotte Linlin
• 3 OP09-119 Monkey.D.Luffy
• 4 OP09-078 Gum-Gum Giant

Acceleration is the name of the game with Luffy, using your in-built leader ability to churn out four or five-cost cards as early as the second turn of the game. That's also the reason why the deck contains such a high density of odd-number costed cards; once a Mr.2.Bon.Kurei(Bentham) follows your Luffy activation, every single turn is way ahead of the curve.

From there, you'll begin the infamous DON!!! manipulation that Purple does so well, with Monkey.D.Luffy (OP09-119) and Luffy-Tarou (ST18-005) creating huge power spikes and keeping the likes of San-Gorou (ST18-003) and Uso-Hachi (ST18-001) active and online each and every turn. You can even choose to go wide or tall depending on your matchup, with Luffy cheating out free Straw Hat characters or Charlotte Linlin (OP08-069) eliminating the biggest opposing threat.

I really enjoy the powerful starts and flexibility of Purple Luffy, I just don't see a great way to make the Donquixote Doflamingo matchup slightly less terrible. As a result, I'm a little lower on the deck that I was during OP08.

#3 Shanks (OP09-001)

Shanks isn't quite as flashy as the other OP09 leaders, but that makes the deck much easier to build fresh out of the gate. The leader is more defensively minded that the average red deck, leaning on removal characters like Benn.Beckman (OP09-009) and Silvers Rayleigh (OP08-118) to punish opponents aggressively challenging Shanks.

• 1 OP09-001 Shanks
• 4 OP01-006 Otama
• 4 OP01-013 Sanji
• 4 OP09-011 Hongo
• 4 OP09-014 Limejuice
• 2 OP03-013 Marco
• 4 OP09-005 Silvers Rayleigh
• 4 ST15-005 Portgas.D.Ace
• 4 OP09-009 Benn.Beckman
• 4 OP08-118 Silvers Rayleigh
• 4 OP07-015 Monkey.D.Dragon
• 4 OP09-004 Shanks
• 2 OP09-118 Gol.D.Roger
• 2 OP04-016 Bad Manners Kick Course
• 4 OP01-026 Gum-Gum Fire-Fist Pistol Red Hawk

That certainly doesn't mean the deck can't tangle, though. Portgas.D.Ace (ST15-005) and Shanks (OP09-004) both sport Rush and a level of resiliency that'll allow them to swing into opposing characters and leaders over and over again. Speaking of Rush, I'm overjoyed to see the iconic Gol.D.Roger (OP09-118) making the cut as the top-end threat of choice. His 13,000 power is absolutely massive and completely shuts down opposing blockers should you carefully control either life total.

Shanks feels like a leader with a lot of ways to grow; their unique leader ability could theoretically be beneficial to both an aggressive and controlling deck, so I'm very excited to see how it evolves going forward. For now, raw power alone is pulling the deck towards the top of the metagame.

#2 Rob Lucci (OP07-079)

Rob Lucci has been a steadfast figurehead of the metagame since he was released in OP07 and serves as the litmus test to any up-and-coming leader. The deck remains the premium control option in the format, and the best home for Gecko Moria (OP06-086) - one of the strongest cards in the game.

Many expected Lucci to slip out of the spotlight after losing Enies Lobby (098), but a favorable matchup into other heavy hitters like Monkey.D.Luffy (OP05-060) and Donquixote Doflamingo (OP01-060) have allowed the terrifying leader to solidify his place atop the mountain.

• 1 OP07-079 Rob Lucci
• 3 OP02-106 Tsuru
• 3 OP03-086 Spandam
• 1 ST06-010 Helmeppo
• 2 EB01-043 Spandine
• 4 EB01-046 Brook
• 4 OP05-091 Rebecca
• 4 OP03-081 Kalifa
• 4 OP05-093 Rob Lucci
• 2 OP08-091 Who's.Who
• 2 OP04-083 Sabo
• 1 OP06-092 Brook
• 3 OP08-084 Jack
• 4 OP06-086 Gecko Moria
• 2 OP08-079 Kaido
• 1 OP03-097 Six King Pistol
• 4 OP02-117 Ice Age
• 4 OP07-096 Tempest Kick
• 2 EB01-051 Finger Pistol

You know what they say - if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

The average Rob Lucci decklist hasn't changed much since OP08, with the majority of minor updates coming as a response to the popularity of certain leaders more than a need to adapt. If you'd like a more in-depth breakdown of everything to expect from Rob Lucci, consider checking out our dedicated article here:

#1 Donquixote Doflamingo (OP01-060)

How cool is it that the most dominant leader in the OP09 metagame is both a forgotten gem from OP01 and the focus of one of the most recent starter decks? I can't think of a better way to help new players get on board!

Doflamingo focuses on using his incredibly powerful leader ability to snowball board states that nobody could control. The most powerful of these starts involves Jinbe (OP07-045), who'll happily dump even more pressure into play on your behalf.

• 1 OP01-060 Donquixote Doflamingo
• 3 OP01-077 Perona
• 4 OP07-046 Sengoku
• 4 ST17-003 Buggy
• 3 ST17-005 Marshall.D.Teach
• 3 OP06-047 Charlotte Pudding
• 1 OP07-047 Trafalgar Law
• 3 OP07-040 Crocodile
• 4 OP07-045 Jinbe
• 2 ST03-004 Gecko Moria
• 4 ST03-005 Dracule Mihawk
• 4 ST17-002 Trafalgar Law
• 4 EB01-023 Edward Weevil
• 4 ST17-004 Boa Hancock
• 3 OP08-047 Jozu
• 1 OP05-118 Kaido
• 1 OP07-057 Perfume Femur
• 2 OP06-058 Gravity Blade Raging Tiger

Thankfully, the deck is far from a linear aggro deck. Trafalgar Law (ST17-002) and Jozu (OP08-047) allow you to play a frightening tempo game once your primary board has been established, and the likes of Boa Hancock (ST17-004) and Buggy (ST17-003) can control the top of your deck to create consistent power spikes in games where you need to recover from interaction. Sometimes, the deck climbs all the way up to Kaido (OP05-118) as a method of refilling your gas. Altogether, you're more than capable of playing a longer game.

The biggest selling point? Your game plan is so powerful and proactive that there's very few poor matchups. I'd be willing to argue that Doflamingo offers something close to a 50/50 win rate (or better) into every popular leader not named Enel - who is thankfully being kept in check by Purple Luffy and Blackbeard.

Donquixote Doflamingo isn't going anywhere. The deck is fast, powerful and resilient; the perfect mix for any deck looking to take names at the tournament tables.

Closing Thoughts

OP09 is very exciting to me. The early metagame is a blend of powerful new leaders, recently bolstered standouts and a long-term powerhouse, which seems like a phenomenal place to be immediately following a release. I can't wait to see if the format follows the same growth and learning as the eastern metagame, or if the masterminds of the west can discover a hidden gem.

But what do you think? Is Black/Yellow Luffy a deck we should still be watching? Let me know what you're thinking over at @HowlingMines on Twitter/X or @howlingmines.com on BlueSky. Alternatively, check out my other work here on TCGplayer for another slice of everything nice surrounding your favorite card game.

But until next time. 

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

Stay safe out there!