The Water 7 Saga is a Masterclass in Villains

Key Takeaways

  • CP9 in Water 7 is a well-crafted group of villains that directly conflict with Luffy’s ideals.
  • CP9 balances ruthlessness and humor, making them relatable despite being faceless agents.
  • Rob Lucci’s clash with Luffy showcases the compelling impact of powerful villains in One Piece.



Throughout the massively epic journey of the Straw Hat Pirates, One Piece has introduced a few of the very best villains in anime history. Starting from the hilarious, to heart-wrenching, to one of the evil, but best-written, characters in fiction – Doffy – One Piece villains will at all times be among the best parts of the series. Without the villains, Luffy’s journey to turn into the King of the Pirates would have been a much more boring adventure to observe.

One saga specifically shows just how great villains in One Piece will be, creating a few of the very best villains within the series, without taking 100s of episodes price of build-up to perform it. One Piece’s Water 7 Saga, specifically through the Water 7 and Enies Lobby Arcs, introduces CP9, an especially well-crafted group of villains. Overall, between the 2 aforementioned arcs, the creation and development of CP9 seems like a masterclass in villains.


CP9 is a Terrifying Group of Villains in One Piece

Ruthless, Cruel, Efficient

The Water 7 Arc of One Piece begins with the Straw Hat crew heading to the island of shipwrights to repair the Going Merry. Here, the latest member of the crew, Robin, is revealed to have a mysterious connection to a gaggle, which is later revealed to be the key government agency, CP9. Later, Robin goes with the group so as to protect her recent friends, resulting in an epic confrontation between the Straw Hats and CP9 through the Enies Lobby Arc.

Do you see what justice truly means now? – Rob Lucci


CP9 acts as a secret organization that operates within the shadows, doing the dirty work of One Piece’s World Government. Throughout Water 7, each of the members of the group is definitely disguised as normal residents throughout the island. Their disguise is revealed when the group attempts to have Robin assassinate Iceberg, the mayor of Water 7. This results in the primary confrontation between the Straw Hats and CP9, where Luffy and crew are decimated by the agents.

A Great Villain Needs More Than Just Strength

Strength Is not The whole lot

To create a powerful villain, especially in a piece so long as One Piece, a villain must be powerful, relatable, and directly conflict with the ideas of Luffy and his crew. At this point, One Piece’s Water 7 Arc sets up CP9 to be faceless and emotionless agents for the World Government. While they could be hard to relate to, the series has shown that they’re much more powerful than Luffy could have imagined, and would require a substantial effort to beat.


Moreover, initially of One Piece’s Enies Lobby Arc, the audience is shown a softer side of the CP9 agents. While for the Straw Hats, losing Robin is one of the devastating things that would occur, for CP9 it’s just one other job. When the group convenes on Enies Lobby, they casually chat and joke around, with most of the quirks of their personalities being revealed. What was once a faceless and personality-less organization is now a much more relatable group of characters.

Rob Lucci Versus Luffy is a Strong Clash of Ideals

Fighting With Fists and Words

Luffy fighting Rob Lucci

Finally, as is the case with a lot of One Piece best villains, or villains on the whole for that matter, the more they directly conflict with the ideals of the protagonist, the higher the clash between them can be. Within the case of CP9, the group is shown to be all about suppressing the world from the shadows, which directly contradicts Luffy’s ideal freedom. Moreover, it’s shown that Rob Lucci, the strongest member of CP9, is under the direct control of the World Government, being scarred with their symbol on his back.


I’ll proceed to pursue justice. – Rob Lucci

it from a purely technical standpoint, it’s easy to see why this arc is beloved as one among the very best arcs in One Piece. With such amazing and memorable villains, in addition to the impact they’ve on the Straw Hats and the world as a complete, will at all times make Water 7 and Enies Lobby arcs which can be at all times price rewatching. Despite being really easy to hate, One Piece fans have CP9 to thank for creating such a compelling moment within the story’s history.