Top 10 OP-16 Cards: Best Chase Cards from The Time of Battle

The number 10 spot goes to the red alternate art Luffy. This card makes the list because the artwork is visually strong, and the inclusion of Ace in the background gives it a clear Marineford connection. Luffy has another alternate art in this set, but this one feels like the more immediate collector pick before the wider response to OP-16 is known.

The special rare designs from OP-16 share a similar visual style, so character popularity will likely decide which SP cards stand out most. Charlotte Katakuri is one of the most popular non-Straw Hat characters in One Piece, and his fight with Monkey D. Luffy on Whole Cake Island is still one of the most respected battles in the series. That gives this SP enough collector appeal to make the top 10, even in a set led by Admiral manga rares and major Marineford cards.

After Kuma's recent backstory arc in the anime and manga, he has become an even more emotionally important character for many fans. His relationship with Bonney and his earlier role helping the Straw Hats at Sabaody give this SP plenty of story weight. Because OP-16 is still being judged early, Kuma earns eighth place based on character relevance and expected collector interest rather than any settled post-release data.

Luffy cards are always ones to watch, especially alternate art variants. This blue and green alternate art leader has obvious collector appeal because it features the main character and uses a leader treatment that looks different from many older alternate art leaders. It is too early to judge long-term play demand, but from a collector perspective this is one of the clearest OP-16 cards to keep on your radar.

This set only has one manga event card, and this time it is centred around Blackbeard. As Teach played such a pivotal role in the Marineford War, he is a strong fit for this treatment. Interestingly, manga events usually feature a white background with a chosen highlight colour, but this one uses a darker style that fits Blackbeard's theme and Devil Fruit well. Before release, it looks like one of the most memorable non-character chase cards in OP-16.

Portgas D. Ace is one of the easiest OP-16 SP cards to understand from a collector perspective. A Marineford themed set naturally brings Ace into focus, and his popularity has stayed strong because of how important that arc is to the wider One Piece story. Multiple Ace-related cards in OP-16 could also increase interest in the set for fans who collect around specific characters, making this SP one of the safer early cards to highlight.

Robin reaches number four and is the highest-ranked SP from OP-16 in this early ranking. As a Straw Hat, she has a strong built-in collector base compared with many other SP choices in the set. The Ms. All Sunday artwork also gives the card a clear Alabasta-era identity, which should help it stand out before collectors have had time to judge the final set in person.

OP-16 makes history as the first non-anniversary set to include more than one manga rare. Borsalino ranks third among the Admiral manga rares mainly because Kuzan and Sakazuki are likely to have stronger collector demand, but this is still one of the biggest OP-16 chase cards. The Admiral chair artwork is a strong fit for The Time of Battle, and the manga-panel styling gives Borsalino the kind of premium treatment collectors usually pay attention to early.

Akainu takes the number 2 spot on this list, as he sits in the middle in terms of popularity among the three Admirals. It also helps his case that he may still have a major part to play in the conclusion of the One Piece story. Akainu has the biggest role in the Marineford arc itself, as he is the one who ultimately kills Ace, which sent shockwaves across the community. That story importance makes this manga rare one of the clearest OP-16 cards to watch.

Kuzan takes the number 1 spot because he looks like the strongest Admiral manga rare from a collector-demand perspective. He is popular, visually distinct thanks to his Ice-Ice Fruit powers, and still carries plenty of story intrigue now that he is connected to Blackbeard's crew. OP-16 is a Marineford and Paramount War themed set, so a Kuzan manga rare feels like a natural headline chase card. Until the set has been opened widely, this is still a speculative top pick, but Kuzan currently looks like the OP-16 card to watch most closely.