Table of Contents
If you’re looking to experience a combo-oriented, late-game-focused playstyle, now is the perfect time to join the growing group of players turning OP11-040-monkeydluffy into a menace once again in OP14 and future formats. The deck rewards patience, careful resource management, and strong matchup knowledge, allowing skilled pilots to outlast opponents and take control of the game in the later turns. This gives it solid matchups across the meta, with the ability to steal wins against top contenders like OP13-079-imu and OP14-041-boa-hancock. It also holds a clear advantage against OP13-002-portgasdace and OP14-020-dracule-mihawk, firmly re-establishing itself as a high-skill, high-reward contender in the current meta.
Welcome to the complete beginner’s deckbuilding guide for OP11-040-monkeydluffy, one of the former top decks from past formats now resurfacing in OP14. This guide breaks down the deck’s core strategies, essential card choices, and flexible tech options that define its defensive control playstyle—built around the {Straw Hat Crew} support cards efficient DON!! ramping, and inevitable late game win-conditions.
- Deck Core: Cards that are absolute must-includes or found in nearly every winning list.
- Tech Cards: Specialized options for fine-tuning your deck against specific matchups or for personal playstyle and surprise factor.
- Sample Decklists: Practical examples of how the cards are integrated, showcasing various builds optimized for different meta considerations and playstyles.
The returning monster of past formats, especially OP11, OP11-040-monkeydluffy has clawed his way back after the heavy post-ban nerfs that once pushed him out of the spotlight. After falling to the bottom of the OP13 tier list, he now stands as a solid contender in OP14, boasting a power level close to his former peak. This resurgence is largely fueled by P-107-goldroger, a single card that reignites the deck’s path to glory. By playing the 8-cost Roger, OP11-040-monkeydluffy effectively becomes an 8000-power Leader, making it extremely difficult for most decks to land meaningful attacks.
What makes OP11-040-monkeydluffy special is his powerful passive ability. As long as you have 8 or more DON!! cards on your field, you may activate this effect at the start of your turn to look at the top 5 cards of your deck, reveal up to 1 {Straw Hat Crew} type card, and add it to your hand. You then place the remaining cards on the top or bottom of your deck in any order. This effect gives you a massive advantage in finding key pieces such as OP09-078-gum-gum-giant for late-game defense, while also enabling explosive combos with OP06-119-sanji to cheat out powerful boss units like P-107-goldroger, completely flooding the board with high-power threats and game-changing effects.
If you are new to the game and drawn to a playstyle that accepts a challenging early game in exchange for a powerful and inevitable late game, built around devastating combos and effect-heavy boss units, this deck is worth your time. For veteran players, it also offers the chance to bring back familiar pressure with a proven and tested archetype now equipped with new tools. OP11-040-monkeydluffy stands out as one of the best Leaders to try in the OP14 format, so ready your binders as we rebuild this deck card by card and make opponents tremble once again.
Core Cards
Every strong OP11-040-monkeydluffy deck starts with a reliable core. Based on the most successful results since the release of OP14, these cards have proven themselves essential. They help stabilize your board, enable consistent ramp options, and allow Luffy to fully capitalize on his powerful late-game tempo and value-based effects.
Captain’s First Allies
A long-standing staple 2000 counter for Purple decks, ST18-001-uso-hachi is a 3-cost board control Character with a universal [On Play] effect that lets you rest 1 of your opponent’s Characters with a cost of 5 or less, as long as you have 8 or more DON!! cards on your field. This condition naturally synergizes with OP11-040-monkeydluffy’s Leader effect, which also rewards having 8 or more DON!!. Because of this, ST18-001-uso-hachi serves as solid board control to neutralize key threats such as EB01-012-cavendish from Green decks or troublesome blockers like OP13-089-st-topman-warcury from the OP13-079-imu deck, especially when setting up for a late-game push. While his effect can be situational, he remains extremely valuable as a dependable 2000 counter during the early to mid game in OP11-040-monkeydluffy decks.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
One of the deck’s staple ramp tools that can also function as an attacker is OP05-067-zoro-juurou. Despite being just a 3-cost unit, his powerful [When Attacking] effect allows you to add up to 1 DON!! card from your DON!! deck and set it as active when you have 3 or fewer Life cards. This condition is immediately met in OP11-040-monkeydluffy decks since the Leader starts with only 3 Life, enabling Zoro-Juurou from the moment he hits the field. With him in play, you can maintain your DON!! advantage even after using cards that return DON!! to your deck, such as OP09-078-gum-gum-giant. His consistent ramp pressure often forces opponents to target him instead of your Leader or other key units, giving him pseudo-blocker utility and firmly establishing him as a reliable ramp staple.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
Another core card and one of the deck’s main defensive pieces is OP11-054-nami, a 5-cost, 6000-power [Blocker] with an excellent hand-filtering [On Play] effect. When played, she lets you draw 3 cards, then place 2 cards from your hand on the top or bottom of your deck in any order, as long as your Leader is multicolored, which perfectly matches OP11-040-monkeydluffy. Her 6000 power combined with the [Blocker] keyword makes her an ideal mid-game stabilizer, allowing her to absorb attacks while smoothing your hand and setting up future draws. This combination of defense and consistency easily secures OP11-054-nami as a core card in the deck.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
Staple Utility Tools
A standout 4-cost option from the Blue card pool for OP11-040-monkeydluffy decks is OP06-047-charlotte-pudding. Her [On Play] effect forces your opponent to return their entire hand to their deck, shuffle, and then redraw 5 cards. This type of full hand reset is one of the most disruptive effects in the game, completely erasing the advantage of opponents who have spent multiple turns carefully sculpting their hand. When timed correctly, Pudding can instantly swing momentum by removing access to critical counters, boss units, or finishers right before they are needed.
She is especially strong against decks like OP13-002-portgasdace and OP14-041-boa-hancock, which naturally accumulate large hands, and remains equally punishing versus resource-heavy strategies such as OP13-079-imu and OP14-020-dracule-mihawk. Because of how brutally she resets even the strongest setups, 4-cost Pudding remains one of the highest-impact utility tech cards available to OP11-040-monkeydluffy decks.
Run 1 copy as recommended.
A must-include card for any Purple deck focused on ramping, EB01-061-mr2bonkurei-bentham is a 4-cost adaptive attacker with a powerful [On Play] effect that adds 1 active DON!! from your DON!! deck with no extra conditions required. This makes him a perfect fit for OP11-040-monkeydluffy’s late-game-focused gameplan.
On top of that, Bentham’s strong [When Attacking] effect allows him to select 1 of your opponent’s Characters and match its power for the duration of his attack. This means targeting a card like OP13-042-edwardnewgate from a OP13-002-portgasdace deck allows Bentham to swing as a 13000-power attacker himself. This flexibility makes him an excellent threat, capable of challenging massive units or pressuring the opponent’s Leader with minimal DON!! investment.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
The deck’s low-cost ramping tool, OP11-080-gear-two, is a 1-cost Event card that allows you to rest 2 of your DON!! to add 1 DON!! from your deck in a rested state, as long as your Leader’s color includes . It also doubles as a 3000 hand counter, giving it defensive utility when needed. This combination of ramp and protection is why Gear Two is a legitimate staple in OP11-040-monkeydluffy decks.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
Another staple Event card for Purple Straw Hat decks is OP03-072-gum-gum-jet-gatling, a 0-cost [Counter] Event that allows you to discard 1 card from your hand to give +3000 power to your Leader or a Character during battle. Ideally, you discard a card with little value in your current or upcoming turns.
In addition, it features a [Trigger] effect that grants 1 active DON!!, effectively acting as a free ramp tool as long as your Leader has the {Straw Hat Crew} typing. This dual-purpose design makes OP03-072-gum-gum-jet-gatling a highly efficient and flexible inclusion, providing both defensive utility and resource acceleration in a single card.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
End Game Closers
A staple end-game unit and the primary reason why OP11-040-monkeydluffy has risen from the bottom tier is P-107-goldroger. This 8-cost, 10000-power Character features a straightforward yet highly impactful [On Play] effect that grants your Leader +2000 power until the end of your opponent’s next End Phase, as long as either you or your opponent has 10 DON!! on the field. This effectively turns OP11-040-monkeydluffy into an 8000-power Leader for a full turn cycle, a power threshold that most decks in the current meta struggle to meaningfully attack into. Combined with the value and tempo you generate in the late game, this effect often allows you to secure wins with very little counterplay available to your opponent.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
The 9-cost OP06-119-sanji remains a reliable late-game unit for OP11-040-monkeydluffy decks, from its dominance in OP11, through its fall in OP13, and now its resurgence in OP14. Aside from being a naturally strong 9000-power body, Sanji has a powerful [On Play] effect that allows you to reveal the top card of your deck and play up to 1 Character with a cost of 9 or less other than "Sanji", then place the rest of the cards at the bottom of your deck. With OP11-040-monkeydluffy’s late-game passive ability to manipulate the top or bottom order of your deck, this effect opens up multiple high-impact combo lines that can completely swing the board in your favor.
Notable plays include cheating out boss units like P-107-goldroger to immediately enhance your Leader, or OP01-070-dracule-mihawk to remove a key opposing Character while simultaneously developing multiple high-power threats. On top of this, OP06-119-sanji is also searchable through Luffy’s passive ability, firmly cementing Sanji’s role as a staple late-game card in the deck.
Run 4 copies as recommended.
The last, but definitely not least, core closer of the deck is OP01-070-dracule-mihawk, a 9-cost, 9000-power Character with a powerful board-control-focused [On Play] effect that allows you to bottom deck 1 Character with a cost of 7 or less. This makes Mihawk extremely valuable against key opposing units, most notably OP14-041-boa-hancock’s OP14-105-gorgon-sisters and OP14-020-dracule-mihawk’s staple OP14-027-shanks, which are central pieces in two of the strongest and most popular decks in the OP14 format. The ability to play OP01-070-dracule-mihawk for free through OP06-119-sanji’s [On Play] effect further reinforces why Mihawk is a solid and irreplaceable board control staple in OP11-040-monkeydluffy decks.
Run 1-4 copies as recommended.
Tech Cards
With the core of OP11-040-monkeydluffy now established, it is time to move on to the Tech Cards. These flexible options allow you to fine-tune your list, adapt to specific matchups, and answer key threats in the evolving meta. With the right tech choices, Luffy gains the tools needed not just to stay competitive, but to dominate across a wide range of environments.
Most Popular Options
A solid defensive tech option, OP13-043-otama is a 1-cost, non-searchable 2000 counter that brings valuable flexibility to the deck. Her [On Play] effect allows you to draw 2 cards, then discard 1 if your Leader has 3 or less Life. Since OP11-040-monkeydluffy starts the game with exactly 3 Life cards, this condition is very easy to meet, making Otama’s effect consistently accessible throughout the game.
This gives Otama meaningful versatility. She can be played onto the field to provide efficient hand filtering when you need better options, or she can stay in hand as a reliable 2000 counter for defense. Either way, she adds stability and resource refinement to Luffy’s overall game plan.
Run 0-4 copies depending on personal preference.
When it comes to answering high-cost threats, OP04-056-gum-gum-red-roc stands out as one of the strongest removal options you can include as a tech control piece. Its [Main] effect allows you to place any opposing Character on the bottom of their deck for just 6 DON!!, giving you a clean and unconditional answer to nearly any boss unit. Because it bottom-decks rather than K.O.s, it completely bypasses [On K.O] effects and K.O. immunity, making it one of the most reliable forms of hard removal in the game.
This single card can swing entire matchups on its own, whether it is removing OP06-118-roronoa-zoro from Green lists, shutting down late-game OP09-118-goldroger techs in Red builds, or dealing with a 10-cost Edward Newgate in OP13-002-portgasdace decks.
Its [Trigger] effect also provides defensive utility by bottom-decking a 4-cost or lower Character, which is especially useful against early aggression. That said, in matchups where your opponent relies heavily on large boss units to close out the game, it is often better not to activate the trigger immediately. Holding Red Roc in hand ensures you have a guaranteed answer to their most dangerous late-game threat at the exact moment you need it.
Run 0-4 copies depending on personal preference.
If you are looking for additional ramp options in your OP11-040-monkeydluffy list, the 3-cost Purple Event OP08-076-its-to-die-for is an excellent tech choice. Its [Main] effect allows you to add up to 1 DON!! card from your DON!! deck and set it as active. If your opponent has a Character with 6000 power or more, you can add an additional DON!! card and set it as active as well. When timed correctly, this effect can give you a significant advantage against midrange and board-focused decks, while also easily enabling OP11-040-monkeydluffy’s passive ability.
On top of that, its [Trigger] effect adds 1 active DON!!, which is extremely powerful during defensive turns. This can disrupt your opponent’s lethal calculations and create unexpected counterplay windows. The combination of proactive ramp, defensive utility, and synergy with your Leader makes this card a strong and flexible tech option for the deck.
Run 0-4 copies depending on personal preference.
Other Solid Options
For players who want an additional finisher, the 9-cost OP09-119-monkeydluffy is a powerful and reliable option. This 10000-power Character features a simple but effective [On Play] effect that allows you to return 1 DON!! card from your field to your DON!! deck to draw 1 card and give the Character [Rush].
This makes OP09-119-monkeydluffy a self-sustaining threat that replaces itself in hand while immediately applying pressure as a Rush attacker. Thanks to OP11-040-monkeydluffy’s Leader effect, you can consistently cheat this 9-cost Character into play alongside OP06-119-sanji. This creates immense pressure on both your opponent’s board and hand, forcing them to defend multiple high-impact attacks at once and making this card one of the most efficient and explosive finisher tech options available.
Run 0-1 copies depending on personal preference.
If you want more flexibility and utility, the 7-cost EB03-034-charlotte-linlin offers a strong multipurpose package with a solid 7000 power body. Her [On Play] effect allows you to draw 1 card, then place 1 card from your hand on top of your deck. This effect alone provides solid deck hand filtering and setup, but the second part of her [On Play] effect adds even more value by giving you 1 active DON!! card. This extra DON!! can be used immediately to push damage or strengthen your defensive turns.
In addition, Linlin has an [On K.O] effect that allows you to gain Life by returning 1 DON!! card to add the top card of your deck to your Life area. Together, these layered utilities significantly improve the deck’s consistency and survivability, making EB03-034-charlotte-linlin a valuable tech option across many different builds.
Run 0-4 copies depending on personal preference.
Another strong 2000-counter tech option, OP05-070-fra-nosuke is a 5-cost, 4000-power Character with a [DON x1] effect that grants itself the [Rush] keyword as long as you have 8 or more DON!! on the field. This allows Franosuke to immediately apply pressure and threaten the board in the late game. While this Rush line can occasionally close out games in niche situations, Franosuke’s primary role in OP11-040-monkeydluffy decks remains as a searchable 2000 hand counter, providing reliable defensive value when protecting key units or leader.
Run 0-4 copies depending on personal preference.
OP13-076-divine-departure is a 0-cost utility Event that functions as a 3000 counter at the cost of discarding one card from your hand. Beyond its defensive role, it can also be used offensively through its [Main] effect. By resting 5 of your DON!! cards, and as long as at least one DON!! is attached to your Leader or a Character, you can reduce one of your opponent’s Characters by 8000 power for the turn, often allowing you to remove a major threat from the board.
While this effect is undeniably powerful, it comes at a significant cost and should be treated as highly situational. Poor timing can leave you overextended, but when used correctly, it can completely swing a game in your favor. Despite the risk, it remains a solid tech consideration for OP11-040-monkeydluffy decks.
Run 0-1 copies depending on personal preference.
Finally, OP01-119-thunder-bagua is a 2-cost Event that serves as a 4000 hand counter while also functioning as a ramp tool. If you have 2 or fewer Life cards, its effect allows you to add up to 1 DON!! card from your DON!! deck and rest it. This dual-purpose nature makes it valuable both defensively and strategically.
Its [Trigger] effect further enhances its synergy with the deck by giving you 1 active DON!!. This can be used immediately during defensive turns or simply to accelerate your DON!! count, helping you reach the threshold needed to activate OP11-040-monkeydluffy’s passive ability more consistently.
Run 0-3 copies depending on personal preference.
Sample Deck Lists
Decklist Placement: Flagship Event - 5-0 - 1st Placer (Nyamo)
The first list, piloted by Nyamo, focuses heavily on reinforcing the deck’s strongest and most cohesive core pieces. Rather than overextending into niche techs, this build prioritizes consistency and late-game stability. The inclusion of OP13-043-otama improves defensive flexibility through additional hand counters, while OP08-076-its-to-die-for adds another layer of DON!! acceleration to support earlier power spikes. To round out the list, OP04-056-gum-gum-red-roc provides a clean and reliable answer to opposing high-cost threats, ensuring the deck maintains control in slower matchups.
Decklist Placement: Asia Finals - 2nd Placer (TeeHanYong)
The second build, which secured second place at the Asia Finals under TeeHanYong, takes a more aggressive and flexible approach to tech selection. This list expands its late-game ceiling by running a one-of OP09-119-monkeydluffy as an additional finisher, giving the deck another explosive win condition. It also incorporates EB03-034-charlotte-linlin as a versatile multipurpose unit that supports both resource management and survivability. While it still retains familiar tools like 1c Otama, 3c It’s to Die For…, and 6c Red Roc, this build emphasizes adaptability and layered threats over pure consistency.
Decklist Placement: Flagship Event - 9-1 (Paulskie)
The final list, piloted by Paulskie to a dominant 9-1 record in a Flagship tournament, leans into efficiency and defensive refinement. This version strengthens its counter lineup by adding OP05-070-fra-nosuke as a searchable 2000 hand counter instead of 1c Otama, improving consistency in longer games. It further supports its DON!! economy through OP01-119-thunder-bagua, a dual-purpose card that functions as both a counter and a ramp tool. Complementing these choices are proven tech staples like 7c Linlin and 9c Luffy, which collectively enhance the deck’s overall stability, survivability, and late-game reliability.
Conclusion
In conclusion, OP11-040-monkeydluffy has firmly reclaimed his place as a formidable late-game Leader in the OP14 format. Built around patience, efficient DON!! ramping, and precise deck manipulation, the deck rewards players who are willing to weather a challenging early game in exchange for overwhelming control and inevitability in the later turns. His passive ability to sculpt draws and consistently access key {Straw Hat Crew} pieces gives the deck a level of consistency and planning power that few Leaders can match.
With a strong core featuring reliable ramp and defensive tools like OP05-067-zoro-juurou, ST18-001-uso-hachi, and OP11-054-nami, paired with powerful utility cards such as OP06-047-charlotte-pudding and EB01-061-mr2bonkurei-bentham, the deck can adapt to a wide range of matchups across the meta. Its end-game closers, led by P-107-goldroger, OP06-119-sanji, and OP01-070-dracule-mihawk, provide explosive finishing power that can lock opponents out of the game or dismantle even the strongest board states.
While OP11-040-monkeydluffy may not be the easiest Leader to pilot, his high skill ceiling and powerful late-game payoff make him an excellent choice for players who enjoy strategic sequencing, resource management, and decisive combo turns. In the hands of a skilled pilot, UP Luffy is more than capable of standing toe-to-toe with the top decks of OP14 and closing games in a dominating passion once again.
