15 Weakest Devil Fruit Matchups That Still Won (How?!)

In ‘One Piece’, plenty of fighters walk into battles where their powers look like a bad draw on paper yet they still pull out the win. These are the showdowns where a Devil Fruit ability seemed mismatched against the opponent or the environment and the victor had to find another path. Sometimes it was clever prep. Sometimes it was grit or a sudden skill breakthrough. Either way, these wins turned supposed counter picks into comeback stories.

Luffy vs Crocodile

Crocodile’s Suna Suna no Mi let him dry anything on contact and disperse into sand, which made Luffy’s punches pass through. The fight took place across Alabasta’s desert where Crocodile’s fruit had home field advantages like dehydration and sand control. Luffy forced tangibility by soaking Crocodile with water and later with his own blood. That workaround let his hits land and carried him through to victory in the final clash.

Luffy vs Foxy

Foxy’s Noro Noro no Mi slowed targets to a crawl which should have turned Luffy’s speed and momentum against him. The Davy Back Fight added terrain and rule quirks that favored trick shots with slow beams. Luffy adapted with reflective tactics like using a mirror shield and turned Foxy’s own beams back onto him. He closed the distance during openings and sealed the win with well timed strikes.

Luffy vs Hody Jones Underwater

A Devil Fruit user loses strength in seawater and Luffy had to fight underwater near the Noah. Hody’s pills boosted his raw power and he moved freely in his home element. Luffy kept an air bubble for breathing and launched compressed air attacks from within it. He broke through Hody’s defenses and ended the fight despite the sea working against him.

Luffy vs Donquixote Doflamingo

String powers can slice, restrain, and even manipulate others through Parasite threads which threaten a close range brawler. Doflamingo also floated on strings and repaired damage with Awakening which shifted the terrain into string. Luffy used Gear Fourth’s burst mobility to avoid restraints and overpowered the regeneration with sustained pressure. The final King Kong Gun landed after allies bought enough time for another transformation cycle.

Luffy vs Charlotte Katakuri

Katakuri’s mochi body mimicked rubberlike properties and his Observation Haki foresaw incoming attacks. That combination created a matchup where Luffy’s usual tricks looked ineffective. Luffy extended his own Observation Haki through a grueling duel and learned to read Katakuri’s movements. He found openings when Katakuri’s focus slipped and edged out the finish after hours of endurance.

Usopp vs Perona

Perona’s Horo Horo no Mi ghosts flip a target into overwhelming negativity and produce explosive mini ghosts. Usopp was the rare exception because his self image already sat below zero which canceled the negativity effect. He baited Perona into projecting herself far from her body and tracked the real location. A point blank attack on her true body ended the fight despite the fruit’s nasty mental edge.

Usopp vs Sugar

Sugar’s Hobi Hobi no Mi could turn opponents into toys with a touch and erase them from memory which is an instant lose condition. Usopp never let her land contact by sniping from range and using allies for distraction. He weaponized shock value with a terrifying face that forced Sugar to faint. That single moment broke the spell on the battlefield and flipped the outcome.

Nami vs Kalifa

Kalifa’s Awa Awa no Mi washed away a target’s strength and made surfaces slick which shut down most direct attacks. Nami countered with tactical clima tacts that changed the weather inside the room. She used mirage based misdirection and targeted lightning to bypass the slippery field. A precise Thunder Lance Tempo ended the fight before Kalifa could reset the debuffs.

Nami vs Miss Doublefinger

Miss Doublefinger’s Toge Toge no Mi transformed her body into hardened spikes which punished close range approaches. Nami had just received the Clima Tact and was still learning its functions during the battle. She created openings by manipulating temperature and air to distort perception and movement. A final cyclone assisted strike landed cleanly to beat the spiked defense.

Sanji vs Absalom

Absalom’s Suke Suke no Mi granted invisibility that erased standard sightlines and let him ambush freely. Sanji tracked footprints, sounds, and airflow to locate his opponent without relying on vision. He predicted attack angles and punished Absalom the moment the invisibility dropped during motion. Consistent reads and timing carried the victory over a fruit built for stealth.

Franky vs Señor Pink

The Sui Sui no Mi let Señor Pink swim through solid ground which made him hard to pin down or grapple. Franky neutralized the mobility with ranged fire and durable plating from the General Franky and his own cyborg frame. He baited predictable surfacing points and met them with heavy punches and artillery. The finishing blow landed after he forced Pink into straight exchanges.

Trafalgar Law vs Vergo

Vergo stacked strong Armament Haki over his entire body which blunted room based cuts and pressured Law in close quarters. Law first recovered his stolen heart to restore precision then expanded his ROOM to a massive scale. He sliced through Vergo and the surrounding facility in one motion that overwhelmed the Haki defense. Control of distance and area turned a bad brawler matchup into a decisive cut.

Boa Hancock vs Smoker

Smoker’s Moku Moku no Mi logia form normally shrugs off physical strikes and his Jitte counters Devil Fruit users. Hancock’s Mero Mero no Mi bypassed intangibility by petrifying targets who felt desire. She forced a condition that Smoker could not harden against and locked him in stone mid conflict. That status effect created the opening to end the engagement.

Zoro and Tashigi vs Monet

Monet’s Yuki Yuki no Mi snow logia let her split apart and smother opponents inside freezing fields. Zoro cut through her snow form to shatter her confidence and refused to finish her to avoid killing a non target. Tashigi then stepped in with Armament Haki to land the necessary solid hits. Together they overcame a logia advantage and secured the win inside the facility.

Luffy vs Caesar Clown

Caesar’s Gasu Gasu no Mi manipulated oxygen and toxic gases which threatened to suffocate or explode anyone nearby. Luffy closed the gap with bursts that ignored the lingering gas and targeted Caesar’s need to keep a safe mix of air. He knocked away the gas mask and disrupted oxygen control to put Caesar on the defensive. A direct barrage finished the fight before Caesar could rebuild the hazardous field.

Share your favorite bad matchups that still turned into clutch wins in the comments.