One Piece Haki Guide: Upgrades for Fighters (New World)

Haki is one of the defining power systems in the world of One Piece, and it becomes even more critical when the stakes rise in the New World. Out on the sea, survival tends to favor fighters who can reliably use Haki—and the strongest characters are often the ones who treat it like a core tool rather than a backup option. Even with plenty of major Haki users introduced over the series, some characters still haven’t fully cashed in on what they’re capable of. To climb to the next tier, they’ll need to push their Haki past where it currently sits.

Luffy has one open spot in his crew, and Eiichiro Oda has set up three main candidates to potentially fill that position after Elbaf.

Quick scan: Haki types these candidates are tied to

Tashigi: Color of Armament, Color of Observation
Usopp: Color of Observation
Smoker: Armament and Observation
Eustass Kid: Color of Armament, Color of Observation, Color of the Supreme King
Trafalgar Law: Armament and Observation (plus potential Conqueror’s)
Sanji: Armament and Observation (plus latent Conqueror’s)
Zoro: all three types, but not fully using Conqueror’s properly
Blackbeard: basic Haki types pushed to their limits (advanced techniques not shown)

8 Tashigi

Haki Types: Color of Armament, Color of Observation

A Marine Captain, Tashigi is a highly capable swordswoman who’s driven by a goal: collecting katanas in the world that were taken or belong to “the bad guys.” Her dream is admirable, but justice is only as strong as the power behind it, and Oda has leaned on that theme repeatedly. To make her ambition real, she needs Haki that’s strong enough to match her ideals.

That challenge is even bigger because Tashigi has no Devil Fruit to lean on—her fighting options come from Haki alone. During the Punk Hazard Arc, her Haki was shown to be on the weaker side, which means she has a clear path forward: level up both her Armament and her Observation.

7 Usopp

Haki Types: Color of Observation

Usopp unlocked Haki during the Dressrosa Arc and proved he could apply Observation Haki with real precision. After that point, though, he hasn’t been making much use of it, suggesting that awakening alone wasn’t the finish line for him. He still hasn’t found a reliable way to turn that ability into consistent combat pressure.

Usopp’s next step is to sharpen his Observation Haki even further, and—just as importantly—start developing Armament Haki as well.

6 Smoker

Smoker, nicknamed “The White Chase,” is a Marine Vice Admiral, which already places him in the category of characters who use both Armament and Observation Haki. In the Punk Hazard arc, fans saw plenty of him applying Haki, but the results weren’t as convincing as his rank would suggest. He was pushed back and even overpowered by Law, and also by Vergo, which underlines a bigger issue: he hasn’t shown the stamina and output needed to comfortably handle the New World.

Smoker could still matter a lot in the Final Saga, so the expectation is straightforward—he needs to upgrade his Haki to the next level rather than relying on what he already has.

5 Eustass Kid

Haki Types: Color of Armament, Color of Observation, Color of the Supreme King

Eustass Kid is known as a pirate with a bounty of 3 billion berries, and his performance in Wano supports the idea that he’s dangerous. He’s also an exceptional user of his Jiki Jiki no Mi abilities, but when it comes to Haki, the story doesn’t highlight him as a standout. Even though he has access to all three major types, his actual Haki presence doesn’t get the same spotlight as his Devil Fruit kit.

It’s reasonable to assume Kid is currently using Haki in a more basic way across the board, without meaningful growth or refinement shown in the series. If he wants to be on the same footing as Yonko-level threats, he’ll need to put in major work to advance his Haki beyond what he’s demonstrated so far.

The Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit class is also being primed to receive a new “godly” addition, with the Harley mural in One Piece chapter 1138 serving as the depiction.

4 Trafalgar Law

Trafalgar Law, sometimes called the Surgeon of Death, carries a bounty of 3 billion berries, which signals he’s already an elite pirate operating in New World territory. In fights, he’s close to unstoppable, and a large part of that reputation comes from his Devil Fruit powers based on the Ope Ope no Mi. Still, Law’s Haki isn’t neglected—he has developed it in multiple ways, including improving his Armament Haki after Wano. That improvement is strong enough to nullify other Devil Fruit abilities using it, as shown during the Egghead Island Arc.

Even with that progress, he still needs to keep pushing. Law should further strengthen both Armament and Observation Haki, and if he truly has Conqueror’s Haki inside him, the guidance is clear: awaken it as soon as possible, or risk falling behind while others surge forward.

3 Sanji

Sanji, the Straw Hat Pirates’ cook, is another New World-level pirate, with a bounty of 1.032 billion berries. His Armament Haki is described as highly refined, and his control over Observation Haki is portrayed as exceptionally clean. Still, there’s room to evolve beyond what he already does well—especially if he wants to maintain growth in a world where top-tier opponents keep leveling up.

On the Armament side, Sanji can develop Internal Destruction, taking his close-quarters power even further. For Observation, the ceiling appears higher too, with the ability to see the future itself. And if he has latent Conqueror’s Haki, he needs to bring it out—Elbaf has already been used to set that expectation.

2 Zoro

Roronoa Zoro is the Straw Hat Pirates’ swordsman, and while he’s already strong, he still has work to do with Haki. He does possess all three types, but “having” them isn’t the same as maximizing them. Zoro isn’t able to use Conqueror’s Haki properly or on command, meaning he’s not fully leveraging the power in the way he should be.

More Zoro Haki groundwork to unlock

This issue was confirmed by Scopper Gaban in Elbaf. Zoro also needs to improve how he uses Conqueror’s Haki so he can extend the length of time he can rely on it. Without truly understanding how to apply this Haki effectively, he won’t pull out its full strength. He can advance his Armament Haki to a level where Internal Destruction becomes possible, but his Observation Haki is still treated as fairly basic and clearly needs more development.

1 Blackbeard

Blackbeard, the “Emperor of the Sea,” is presented as one of the most powerful individuals in the entire world. He’s reached that status through sheer force and the use of two of the most formidable Devil Fruits around. He also possesses Haki, but viewers haven’t yet seen him use any especially advanced or technical Haki techniques.

At this stage, what fans can say with confidence is that he has basic Haki types, and that he applies them to the highest degree he’s currently shown. If Blackbeard does have advanced Haki usage, it hasn’t been proven on-screen yet—so for now, the conclusion is that he still needs to upgrade his Haki to become the best in the world.

One Piece is available to read via Manga Plus.