A recurring theme in One Piece measures hard work against natural talent. Some characters were born with enormous privileges and gifts, while others had next to nothing. The latter group is much more interesting, as its characters had to work harder to make a name for themselves on the high seas.
Whether through heroic or wicked paths, this dynamic evolution has changed their lives and, in many cases, the world around them. The anime has proven time and time again that it’s possible to become strong even without getting huge amounts of luck or strengths along the way.
10 Luffy Started Among The Mountain Bandits
Luffy may have always dreamed of becoming the Pirate King, although childhood made it much harder for him. Abandoned by Dragon and abandoned to the mountain bandits by Garp, he barely mastered the Devil Fruit he had eaten recently.
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Also, Luffy has spent most of his adventures in Heaven without any haki weapons. This meant that he had to rely on his own physical strength and help from his allies to survive and grow stronger.
9 Arlong Started From Zero After His Arrest 
When Tiger Fisher died, Arlong lost everything. Along with being stopped by Kizaru, many of the Sun Pirates got separated. By the time Jimbei freed Arlong, only three former crew members were still willing to follow him.
Even so, Arlong made the most of the resources he had. Terrorizing a village in the East Blue, he exploited its people for the wealth and resources they could provide. Thus, Arlong was able to live comfortably until Luffy’s unexpected intervention and the liberation of Nami Village.
8 Bege Saved Chiffon From Certain Death 
Like Lola, Chiffon turned down the perks of being a great pirate mom to go her own way. It was worse than starting from scratch; this turned out to be actively disruptive, as Big Mom took it as a personal affront. Fortunately, Chiffon got ahead by marrying “Big Gang” Bege.
The pirate already had a reputation for double-crossing his bosses, and given Big Mom’s pursuit of Chiffon, his double-crossing on Whole Pie Island was justified. Considering the Straw Hats were the ones who disrupted the event the most, Big Mom completely forgot about Chiffon in favor of hunting down Luffy.
7 Coby Was Terrified Of Realizing His Dream 
As a child, Coby was so terrified of the world that he dared not oppose Alvida. Upon meeting Luffy, he realized that the fear of death was worse than anything else. This encouraged him to follow his dream, train with Garp and become a respected member of the Marines.
Although Coby is still far from Luffy’s level, he does extremely well given his lack of Devil Fruit or conventional weapons. He uses many of the World Government’s deadliest techniques, showing how seriously he took his training.
6 Doflamingo’s Father Cost Him Everything 
As a World Noble, Doflamingo was born with more privileges than almost anyone. However, he lost it as a child, leaving him at the mercy of the government’s resentful victims. After surviving a lynching, Doflamingo killed his own father in hopes of reconciling with the nobles.
However, his scheme backfired, leaving him with no money, no job, and no family. But Doflamingo was undeterred and became a feared warlord and Devil Fruit smuggler on his own.
5 Hancock Escaped From The Sky Dragons And Became Empress 
Boa Hancock has spent much of her life as a slave to the Celestial Dragons. They scarred his back, which left him with a huge physical and mental scar. The brutal treatment he received was so harsh that he came to hate men.
Despite her past, Hancock eventually became the feared Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily. Even the Marines recognized her strength so much that they asked her if she wanted to become a warlord. Hancock agreed, as refusing would put Amazon Lily in grave danger.
4 Big Mom Built Her Criminal Enterprise From Scratch 
Big Mom was abandoned as a child and left in the care of Mother Carmel. Considering Carmel was actually a shipping agent selling promising kids to the World Government, Big Mom didn’t have anyone important to back her up. She was even feared and reviled among the giants for her destructive ability.
Over time, Big Mom cannibalized her entire adoptive family, but she had no memory of the incident. She was convinced that she had been abandoned once again. He started over with the Rocks Pirates and created his own criminal enterprise after they disbanded.
3 Robin Lost Everything During Buster’s Appeal 
The World Government attacked Ohara because they didn’t want him to reveal the secrets of the Empty Age. Robin lost everything during the invasion, including her mentors, her home, and even her mother. Consequently, Robin spent more than a decade on the run, considered by many to be an “evil child”.
Even so, Robin’s knowledge of the poneglyphs led him to meet Luffy. He realized her value as a translator and as a person, which made her risk everything to save her life at Enies Lobby.
2 The koala became a renowned element of the revolution 
Originally, Koala was a slave that Tiger Fisher freed from the clutches of the Celestial Dragons. It indirectly led to his capture, making reconciliation between fishermen and humans even more difficult. However, Koala didn’t waste Tiger’s sacrifice.
He trained to become an influential member of the Revolutionary Army and eventually served as one of Dragon’s most active and capable agents. He even trained Nico Robin during the timeskip, helping him defeat Black Maria in the fateful Battle of Onigashima years later.
1 Ace didn’t let abandonment get to him 
Ace’s status as Roger’s son was an active obstacle to his upbringing. This caused the death of his mother and made him a priority target for the World Government. Like Luffy, Ace spent most of his childhood adventuring and imagining what life on the high seas would be like.
Over time, he proved his worth by joining Whitebeard’s crew and becoming one of its most powerful lieutenants. Ace even faced Akainu himself and only lost because Luffy stopped him from giving it his all. In the end, Ace proved almost as important as his father.