One Piece Grudge Matches Fans Have Waited Years For, Ranked
One Piece’s fiercest duels aren’t done—Eiichiro Oda is teasing rematches that could flip fan expectations and reshape the saga. The biggest scores are still unsettled, and the next clashes promise payoffs the original battles didn’t deliver.
One Piece loves a grudge. For every fight that blew the doors off, there are a few that ended messy, off-screen, or just plain unfinished. Oda knows it, fans know it, and a bunch of these matchups are practically begging for a round two. Here are the rematches that feel inevitable, why they matter, and what they would change if (when) Oda finally lets them rip.
The ones that need to happen
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Law vs Blackbeard
We already got the appetizer in the Final Saga: Blackbeard hunted Trafalgar Law for the Road Poneglyph rubbings, they threw down, and Law lost but lived to tell the tale. That was never the ending; it was the cold open. A second fight between them would have massive stakes and could tip the power balance across the seas. It would also be Law's best shot to prove he belongs on Emperor-tier, not just smart-surgeon-with-a-hax-fruit tier.
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Akainu vs Luffy
Marineford still stings. Akainu killed Ace while Luffy was helpless to stop it. Technically they only had a brief scuffle there, but that was enough to set the stage for a real fight later. A rematch would be brutal, ugly, and loaded. Beating Akainu would not undo what happened to Ace, but it would be the catharsis Luffy (and honestly, the audience) has been carrying around since that arc.
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Zoro vs Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro
Fans were calling this one long before the Elders got active on Egghead. Nusjuro's blade, design, and a whispered link to Wano all screamed 'Zoro's final mirror match.' We got a taste on Egghead, but no clean result. A proper rematch would be a peak swordsman duel, and if Zoro cuts down an Elder, it is more than steel and stone on the chopping block; it is the World Government's strongest frontline power.
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Loki vs Figarland Shamrock
At the start of the Elbaph arc, Prince Loki was in chains when he clashed with Figarland Shamrock of the God's Knights (the World Government's elite hit squad). Shamrock absolutely carved him up. With Elbaph's big battle brewing, it is hard to imagine Loki sitting it out, and while Shamrock returned to Mary Geoise, he could easily come back to the giants' turf. Round two would be far less one-sided.
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Shanks vs Blackbeard
Two Emperors, one of the best rivalries post-timeskip... and their major clash happened off-screen. That was a choice. Fans have been waiting ever since for the actual showdown. A rematch finally settles who stands taller among the Emperors and could permanently flip the balance of the seas. Inside baseball note: this is the rare One Piece fight where not seeing it felt like a bigger twist than seeing it.
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Luffy vs The Five Elders
The Five Elders are the top of the World Government food chain, and they finally got their hands dirty on Egghead. In Gear 5, Luffy could not put them down because of their weird regenerative ability, and they could not put him away either. Next time, there has to be a winner. Beyond bragging rights, that rematch likely cracks open the Void Century, the true history, and other long-teased secrets Oda has been sitting on forever.
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Zoro vs Mihawk
Day one goal: become the world's strongest swordsman. That title still belongs to Dracule Mihawk, who humiliated Zoro back at Baratie and lit the fire under him. Now, Zoro has advanced haki, new blades, and a body count of top-tier villains behind him. Their rematch is the test that decides whether Zoro's journey is complete and whether he finally takes Mihawk's crown.
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Luffy vs Blackbeard
It started with an argument over food in Jaya that quietly told us everything: these two are opposites. Then Impel Down and Marineford happened, with Blackbeard directly tied to Ace's capture. Now he has Garp in chains, and both men wear Emperor titles. When they meet again, that is the series' true boss fight. The result carries Ace's memory, Garp's fate, and the last leg of the One Piece treasure race on its back. No pressure.
Which rematch are you most desperate to see? One Piece is streaming on Crunchyroll if you need a refresher before the next round of chaos.