Summary
At the close of the Wano arc ofOne Piece, Eustass Kid finally decided to complete his long-term goal of taking down the Emperor of the Sea and captain of the Red Hair Pirates, Shanks. However, the flame of his ambition was very quickly snuffed out after his failed attempt to claim the lives of Shanks' fleet when the legendary captain made short work of Kid’s entire ship and crew.
But, how was this possible? Shanks has always been built up as an incredibly powerful character but his actions to bring down Kid showed him to exist on a level far above many of the strongest characters inOne Piece. So, let’s go over justhow Shanks became so powerful, how he was able to destroy the Kid Pirates, and what this means for the future of the series!
Story Arc
Romance Dawn
Though he plays a central role in the overallOne Piecestory and has perhaps the greatest influence on Luffy’s entire journey, Shanks is still a character who fans know very little about. His origins may have been explained, but it still lacks any confirmation in the canon, though it is hinted at. Whatever it may be, it cannot be denied that Shanks isone of the series' most powerful characters, despite never showing his full strength.
Shanks' Haki, particularly his Conquerer’s Haki, has perhaps the greatest feats ever seen, even when counting powerful characters like Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard! It is known that he hasn’t eaten a Devil Fruit, so the legend that exists around his fearsome strength is purely just his mastery of Haki, which is so formidable that his appearance alone is what stopped the Marineford War in its tracks!
I’m here to put an end to this war.
How Shanks was able to defeat Kid
As stated before, Shanks does not have any Devil Fruit powers, so his Haki must be on another level to make such a name for himself in a series filled with so many powerful characters. So, when Kid arrived at the outskirts of Elbaf, Shanks usedhis unmatched Observation Hakito briefly read the future to find out the damage that Kid could inflict on his fleet.
In a previous altercation between the 2 crews, Shanks very easily defeated Kid, cutting off his left arm in the process. However, this time, Shanks realized that Kid had grown much stronger and had far more control over his Devil Fruit powers, so if left unchecked, he could annihilate Shanks' fleet in a single attack. Shanks realized that he could take no chances, so he leaped towards Kid’s ship and let out a familiar attack.
That’s what I’d expect from him… Divine Departure!
Shanks' overwhelming Conquerer’s Haki was felt by everyone present in the area, as it let out storms of black lightning. Here, he demonstrated an ability that only the most powerful fighters in the entire world are able to do; coat their weapons or attacks withboth Armament and Conquerer’s Haki, leading to attacks that almost no one can defend against. Using his former captain, Gol D. Roger’s, attack called Divine Departure, Shanks cut through Kid’s Damned Punk cannon and incapacitated both him and Killer in a single attack that would have looked more at home inDragon Ballthan inOne Piece!
However, despite Shanks laying waste to the Kid Pirates as the world knows them, this wasn’t the end of the battle. After Shanks gets back aboard his ship, legendary pirates Dorry and Broggy release an attack that hasn’t been seen in over a decade; the Hakoku Sovereignty! With this attack, they completely annihilate Kid’s ship and effectively signal the end of Eustass Kid the pirate.
What This Means For The Future
Will Shanks find the One Piece?
Chapter 1121 ofOne Piecehas finally laid the board for the finalists on their way to find the One Piece. Of all the people shown on that board, Shanks andthe crew of the Red Haired Piratescurrently stand as one of the favorites and among the most likely to get the treasure simply due to how powerful they are. Though he only has copies of 2 of the 4 Red Poneglyphs, he is further along the route of the Log Poses than seemingly anyone else due to his current location at Elbaf.
In the final wars to come over the possession of the One Piece, it is hard to imagine anyone defeating the Red Haired Pirates. Shanks' strength was monstrous since he was able to wipe out another pirate with a 3-Billion Berry bounty with no effort, though it is still a very small percentage of his overall power. The rest of his crew are unlikely to be as powerful, but they are still extremely strong since they’re deemed worthy of joining Shanks' side.
An example of this can be seen at the end of the Summit War whereBen Beckman threatens Kizaru, who quickly surrenders upon seeing him. Kizaru is one of the most powerful characters in the series, enough to obtain the rank of Admiral. Still, he chose not to engage Ben Beckman in a fight and even suffered humiliation by choosing to surrender.
Shanks may not have all 4 Red Poneglyphs or their copies yet but he is not very far off from getting them. It is still unclear whether, when the endgame of the series is reached, Shanks will be an ally or enemy to Luffy due to them wanting the same thing. However, what is known is that Shanks is one of the scariest individuals inOne Pieceand almost none can stand in his way!
One Piececan be streamed onCrunchyroll.
One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
