Summary
Among theStraw Hat PiratesinOne Piece, Usopp is considered one of the weakest in terms of physical strength. He is something of a coward, and is known not to do well with head-on confrontation. His infamous tendency to lie also serves as a way for him to cover up his feelings of inadequacy.
That said, it is incorrect to view Usopp as useless. His tactical skills, mechanical know-how, and ability to utilize a variety of resources to improve his already solid sniping acumen all make him a valuable member of the team. Usopp’s particular set of skills tend to position him as a supporting combatant, often acting alongside another. However, he has also shown himself to be capable of defeating foes on his own. Often, these foes are similar to himself, utilizing a mixture of deceit and strategy to come out ahead. Nonetheless, Usopp proves himself to be a better pirate than any of them.
5Jango
Interim Captain of the Black Cat Pirates
Jango was a hypnotist who acted as Captain for the Black Cat Pirates, with its true leader, Kuro, attempting to pull a long con to retire from the game for good. He was considered capable enough to run the crew, but far less skilled in combat than its previous captain. Jango’s main skill was in his hypnosis, which worked so well, he even ended up knocking himself out occasionally. Despite some level of recognition, it took a single gunpowder star from Usopp to take the hypnotist out of commission.
It is worth noting that, despite being a fairly powerful pirate byEast Bluestandards, those on the Grand Line would likely scoff at his bounty. Jango has since left piracy for the marines, befriending Lt. Commander Fullbody, who vacated his position in exchange for the hypnotist’s pardon. The pair have since worked together as recruits, with both working their way back up to the rank of Lt. Commander.
4Chew
An Officer of the Arlong Pirates
This smelt-whiting fish-man is distinguished by his large lips. He wasonce part of the Sun Pirates, before leaving with some of his former crewmates to form the Arlong Pirates. Along with Arlong, Hatchan, and Kuroobi, he was considered one of the crew’s strongest members. Fish-men are, on average, far stronger than humans, meaning the crew’s reign went largely unopposed for a while.
Like Usopp, Chew is something of a sniper, blasting out jets of water to wipe out foes from a distance. Usopp was afraid of Chew’s superior ability, but managed to overcome his fear to attack him anyway. Usopp defeated Chew by dousing him in alcohol, setting him on fire, and then beating him with his hammer until he passed out. This fight showcases Usopp’s knack for strategic combat, taking down a tougher foe with his superior wit.
3Perona
An Officer of the Thriller Bark Pirates
This crew of the Thriller Bark Pirates mostly consists of zombies, with Perona being one of three (formerly four) humans controlling the operation. Her main asset is the Horo Horo no Mi, which allows her to rid her victims of morale, hollowing out their spirits. She can also disembody her own spirit, projecting herself as invincible (provided she hides her actual body). Although the spirits she summons can be dangerous, a lot of her true aptitude rests in an ability to mentally manipulate her foes.
She attempted to use her negative hollows onmultiple Straw Hats, including Usopp. Although many of them were robbed of their will to live, Usopp remained unaffected, declaring he was already negative. Perona became depressed as her hollows failed to work. Nonetheless, she tried to damage Usopp emotionally by disembodying her spirit to invoke fear. Usopp eventually discovers her actual body, and traps it. He further made her afraid by coating her with fake cockroaches and finishing her off with a fake ten-ton hammer. Although Usopp ultimately managed to be the more frightening foe, this fight also proves that he deals with a consistent internal battle during each fight he participates in, where he has to avoid giving into his inadequacy.
2Daruma
An Officer of the New Fish-Man Pirates
This cookie-cutter shark fish-man is known for his sharp fangs and fiery temperament. He was one of the children who bought into Arlong’s anti-human ideology, despite seeming to have no direct experiences with humans and their discrimination. Along with Hody Jones and their other like-minded childhood friends, they formed theNew Fish-Man Pirates, a crew dedicated to fish-man supremacy. Although rank in the crew seemed somewhat dictated by nepotism, Daruma was one of the crew’s top fighters. His physical strength was further enhanced by energy steroids.
Nonetheless, Usopp made a bold claim that he would take out the fish-man in just three shots. Since the time skip, Usopp managed to make use of pop greens, seeds that could quickly grow into many hostile plants. With his Impact Wolf, he was able to land the fabled third shot that put Daruma out of commission. Adding insult to injury, Daruma was aged by his energy steroid consumption, making him far weaker than he was before.
1Sugar
An Officer of the Donquixote Pirates
Sugar is an essential member ofthe Donquixote Pirates. Her Devil Fruit, the Hobi Hobi no Mi, was key to their operation in Dressrosa. She was able to use the Devil Fruit to turn living beings into toy slaves, to whom she then gave instructions that made them subservient. This also led them to be forgotten by everyone (possibly even including Sugar herself). She used this ability over the course of several years to turn would-be dissidents into a workforce that would be made to improve the infrastructure. Kyros, a lone toy soldier, remained the only toy who could plot against Doflamingo and his cronies.
Leo, a dwarf combatant who opposed the Donquixote Pirates, had the idea of knocking out Sugar with Tatabasco disguised as a grape, her favorite snack. Usopp was to deliver the false grape, but he had it shoved down his throat instead. However, his painful visage frightened Sugar enough to knock her out anyway, leading all the toys under her control to be restored to living form. This caused her to develop a grudge against Usopp, as well as a fear of him.
After being revived by Mansherry, Sugar attempts to take her revenge. To this end, she creates gigantic Headcracker Dolls, which appear to be nutcrackers made from 8 victims combined into one. However, before she could enact anything major against the Straw Hats, Usopp targeted her from afar with his Observation Haki. Using a long-range Pop Green containing a recreation of his pained face (courtesy of Kanjuro), Usopp was able to knock Sugar out, and revert her victims once again.
For his efforts, Usopp gained his moniker “God” Usopp, which even division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates appeared to use. Although defeating Sugar remains perhaps Usopp’s most impressive solo feat to date, it is possible that the teasedElbaf Arc could give Usopp more accolades.
