The Best Decks in the One Piece TCG Right now - September 2025

Guys, gals and non-binary pals, we've finally reached the most interesting part of a new set release: proving you were right.

If you've been too busy catching up with the anime, you might have missed Legacy of the Master (OP12) entering the fray. One Piece TCG's latest set has overhauled the tournament metagame with a selection of fresh and exciting Leaders and provided support to previously fringe archetypes. It's a whole new world out there now. You just need to understand it.

While it's fine to lean into eastern results for foundational knowledge, the sparks truly start flying when the first set of Regional Championships get underway. There's an opportunity to put yourself on the map as an early innovator or overthrow expectations with your carefully refined curveball. It's pretty great. It's incredibly fun to watch and even more fun to play.

However, in order to achieve those results, you need a cohesive understanding of what's actually happening. There's a handful of decks you're going to see at each event, several of which are built on brand new synergies. Moreover, many of the juggernauts of the previous format have been invalidated by recent banlist updates or metagame shifts at the top. That's awesome — it's just difficult to win big events if you can't wrap your head around those changes quickly.

Thankfully, a Regional Championship in Auckland and an Online Treasure Cup have given us some early data to study. With the Championship Final in Dallas less than three weeks away, there's never been a better time to deep dive into the One Piece TCG metagame. Let's take a closer look at some of the best decks in the format right now. 

Green Zoro

Roronoa Zoro (OP12-020) was the main attraction from Legacy of the Master (OP12). He's a highly adaptable leader that can pivot between aggressively pressuring the opposing leader and playing deliberate board control. Green Zoro has become an incredibly popular choice off the back of a fan-favorite character and a straightforward, easy-to-comprehend game plan and stands to thrive throughout the Legacy of the Master metagame. 

Juraraw's Green Zoro - 1st Place at Carta Magica Online Treasure Cup (OP12)

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• Roronoa Zoro (OP12-020)
• 4 Kouzuki Hiyori (OP12-028)
• 4 Perona (OP12-034)
• 2 Koushirou (OP12-027)
• 4 Shimotsuki Kouzaburou (OP12-029)
• 3 Dracule Mihawk (ST12-003)
• 3 Tashigi (OP10-032)
• 3 Gyukimaru (OP12-024)
• 3 Roronoa Zoro (OP12-036)
• 4 Cavendish (EB01-012)
• 4 Tashigi (OP12-031)
• 4 Dracule Mihawk (OP12-030)
• 1 Because the Side of Justice Will Be Whichever Side Wins!! (OP05-037)
• 2 Paradise Waterfall (OP01-057)
• 2 Demon Aura Nine Sword Style Asura Blades Drawn Dead Man's Game (OP12-037)
• 4 Luffy Is the Man Who Will Become the King of Pirates!!! (OP12-039)
• 3 Electrical Luna (OP08-036)

The bread-and-butter plays revolve around resting an opposing character, slapping it with Zoro, then restanding your Leader to swing at the opponent. Tashigi (OP12-031) is the premier way to do that, but Demon Aura Nine Sword Style Asura Blades Drawn Dead Man's Game (OP12-037), Gyukimaru (OP12-024) and Shimotsuki Kouzaburou (OP12-029) can do the same thing in a pinch.

Kouzuki Hiyori (OP12-028) and Perona (OP12-034) provide the much-needed consistency tools for the deck, searching up everything from Cavendish (EB01-012) to Dracule Mihawk (OP12-030). Time and again, searchers are the signpost of a successful archetype and Zoro gets access to two of them from turn one onwards.

Speaking of Dracule Mihawk (OP12-030), the new top-end threat is a big reason to play a green Leader right now. A gigantic blocker that refunds half its cost immediately is beyond impressive, especially when it lines up perfectly with Paradise Waterfall (OP01-057).  Pressure the opponent while simultaneously defending you? Don't mind if I do. 

I'm also in love with the flexibility of Luffy Is the Man Who Will Become the King of Pirates!!! (OP12-039). Restanding your Leader a third time leads to some horrific blowouts, but there's no restriction on attacking Leader applied here. Once the opponent has fallen to two life, feel free to strap seven DON!! to your Leader and full-send to face. 

Early doors, it seems like the verdict is in. Roronoa Zoro (OP12-020) stands as the new deck-to-beat atop the format. If you're not picking it up, you'll need a plan to engage with it.

Green Bonney

That's right. My favorite deck in all of One Piece is back in the spotlight — equipped with some shiny new toys!

Jewelry Bonney (OP07-019) didn't get bad overnight, she just didn't line up particularly well into the previous metagame. Monkey.D.Luffy (OP11-040) was a horrifically difficult matchup, and Marshall.D.Teach (OP09-081) didn't make it easy. Thankfully, the most recent ban list update has massively decreased the popularity of the former big cheese, leaving you with a consistent, powerful archetype naturally favored into the likes of Green Zoro and Silvers Rayleigh (OP12-001).

Dylan Mao's Green Bonney - 1st Place at Auckland Regional (OP12)

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• Jewelry Bonney (OP07-019)
• 4 Jewelry Bonney (ST02-007)
• 2 Scratchmen Apoo (EB01-015)
• 3 Donquixote Rosinante (OP05-030)
• 3 Koushirou (OP12-027)
• 2 Capone"Gang"Bege (ST24-001)
• 4 Tashigi (OP10-032)
• 3 Urouge (OP07-021)
• 4 Cavendish (EB01-012)
• 4 Carrot (OP08-023)
• 3 Smoker (OP10-030)
• 3 X.Drake (ST24-005)
• 2 Jewelry Bonney (OP12-118)
• 3 Hody Jones (OP06-035)
• 4 Dracule Mihawk (OP12-030)
• 2 Eustass"Captain"Kid (OP01-051)
• 3 Donquixote Doflamingo (OP04-031)
• 1 Because the Side of Justice Will Be Whichever Side Wins!! (OP05-037)

Bonney is still the best Leader to help a generic green "good stuff" pile. The core gameplan of the deck hasn't changed much: it's just gained a handful of new tools to bolster up the power level. Jewelry Bonney (OP07-019) thrives by generating tempo across the game by controlling how and when the opponent can attack you. By leaning into characters like Cavendish (EB01-012) and Smoker (OP10-030), you can stun lock opposing threats with your Leader ability without having to play off-curve at all.

If you thought Dracule Mihawk (OP12-030) was good elsewhere, it's disgusting here. On nine DON!!, it's not uncommon to jam Mihawk + Cavendish/X.Drake for unbelievable amounts of power and a readied resource. If you're lucky enough to have a Jewelry Bonney (OP12-118) to slide in instead, you'll even draw some cards in the process. I'm not sure I could design a better piece of top-end if I tried! 

Koushirou (OP12-027) is also a surprisingly impressive upgrade for the deck. While you don't quite have the same abundance of {Slash} characters as Roronoa Zoro (OP12-020), all your most important characters sport the trait. Protecting Cavendish (EB01-012) or Smoker (OP10-030) can be the difference between winning and losing a game, so I'm not surprised to see a defensive measure for them finding some success.

I'm also overjoyed to see Donquixote Doflamingo (OP04-031) finding a place amongst the metagame once again. Stabilization is the name of the game against the slew of aggressive opponents. While a ten-cost character seems like a counterintuitive choice in that situation, I've been shocked by the breathing room it provides once you get there. Throw in the ability to lock down blockers or other gigantic threats and you're onto a winner. 

Overall, Bonney is thriving off a friendly metagame right now. Zoro, Rayleigh and Monkey.D.Luffy (EB02-010) are all favorable matchups: three of the most prevalent decks in the format. If you pray to Bandai Tournament Software hard enough, there's no reason you can't dodge those pesky Blackbeard players! 

Green Purple Luffy

Where one version of Monkey.D.Luffy falls, another must rise to take its place. Those are the rules, I'm afraid. We're just not allowed to have a format without our titular protagonist on top. 

It's easy to forget, but this Leader caused an unbelievable amount of dooming when it arrived in EB02. Monkey.D.Luffy (EB02-010) offers an unparalleled amount of acceleration and explosiveness in exchange for a strict restriction to {Straw Hat Crew} characters. Thankfully, there's plenty of strong options in that department, allowing you to enjoy your additional Leader power and shockingly wide boards for minimal drawback. 

Manny's Green Purple Luffy - 3rd Place at Carta Magica Online Treasure Cup (OP12)

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• Monkey.D.Luffy (EB02-010)
• 4 Nami (EB02-017)
• 4 Uso-Hachi (ST18-001)
• 4 Franky (EB02-037)
• 2 Uso-Hachi (OP05-061)
• 4 Zoro-Juurou (ST18-004)
• 4 Sanji & Pudding (EB02-035)
• 1 Fra-Nosuke (OP05-070)
• 4 Sanji (OP07-064)
• 3 Monkey.D.Luffy (EB02-061)
• 2 Luffy-Tarou (ST18-005)
• 4 When You're at Sea You Fight against Pirates!! (OP05-076)
• 4 Gum-Gum Giant (OP09-078)
• 4 Demon Aura Nine Sword Style Asura Blades Drawn Dead Man's Game (OP12-037)
• 1 Two-Sword Style Rashomon (OP12-038)
• 1 Brochette Blow (OP12-078)
• 4 Merry Go (EB02-041)

Let's be honest. Gum Gum Giant (OP09-078) is far too powerful to just go away. I'm still utterly shocked that it's legal.

Green Purple Luffy remains the master of consistency. Between When You're at Sea You Fight against Pirates!! (OP05-076), Nami (EB02-017) and Zoro-Juurou (ST18-004), you'll be able to find just about any tool with a startling level of consistency. This makes situational one-of cards like Fra-Nosuke (OP05-070), Two-Sword Style Rashomon (OP12-038) and Brochette Blow (OP12-078) far more appealing: you can easily find them when they're needed, but you're not stuck drawing them in the matchups where you don't.

The early turns often revolve around accelerating your DON!! to free up aggressive activations of your DON!!-hungry abilities. Manny's list relies on Franky (EB02-037) for this, but Sanji & Pudding (EB02-035) counts when you're constantly activating Leader. Once you're set up, you'll have all the fuel you need to play and activate powerful top-end threats like Monkey.D.Luffy (EB02-061) and Luffy-Tarou (ST18-005).

Unsurprisingly, Dead Man's Game (OP12-037) is an incredible pickup for this deck too. +3000 counter is already kind of nuts, but Luffy wants to force through opposing blockers and counters once a wide board has been established. Against decks like Jewelry Bonney (OP07-019), it's important to rest the DON!! being held for a Leader activation before you start attacking. Dead Man's Game carries that all-important {Straw Hat Crew} type line too, so it's easy enough to find when you need it. Seems like a 10/10 upgrade to me. 

Monkey.D.Luffy (EB02-010) offers both an aggressive approach and gigantic characters. That's not a mix that comes naturally to any other Leader, nor is it an easy one to counter. Unfortunately, the setup time required leaves you a little soft to the unrelenting aggression of Green Zoro and Red Rayleigh, leaving the deck at the bottom of the top tier for now. Silver bullets like Two-Sword Style Rashomon (OP12-038) certainly help to push back against these matchups, so I'm eager to see exactly where our protagonist lands in the end. 

Closing Thoughts

It seems like One Piece is in a much better place post-ban. Sure, Roronoa Zoro is gobbling up a ridiculous metagame share straight out of the gate, but players were always going to gravitate towards the hot new thing. There were nine different Leaders in the Top 16 in Auckland, after all. For now, I'm more excited than worried.

But what do you think? Let me know over at @HowlingMines on X (formerly Twitter) or @howlingmines.com over on Bluesky! Alternatively, give my other work here on TCGplayer a peek if you'd like another slice of everything nice about your favorite game.

But until next time. I've been HowlingMines, you've been amazing!

Stay safe out there — and happy gaming!