Summary
Shanks is one of the most important charactersof all time inOne Pieceand it is safe to say that he can be considered to be a phenomenally powerful individual. When Shanks was first introduced in One Piece, fans did not know exactly how strong he was or, whether or not he would go on to be among the strongest. It was only after the events of the Enies Lobby arc that his status as one of the Yonko was revealed to the fans, which clarified his level of strength.
Still, however, fans were not certain about how strong Shanks was going to be in terms of overall prowess as a fighter. That question has now been answered by Oda, or at least implied in the latest arcs of the story. Even though Shanks has yet to go all out, his display is already impressive enough to make him the most powerful man on the seas right now.
Shanks’s Level Of Strength
Shanks Is Special Even Among The Yonko
When it comes to measuring Shanks’s level of strength, fans need to keep in mind thathe is not a Devil Fruit user.Devil Fruits form the primary power system of the One Piece world, and these amazing fruits are found in abundance in the world. However, they are not the only source of power and it is not absolutely essential for one to have a Devil Fruit If they are to succeed as a strong individual. Shanks does not have any Devil Fruit ability. All he has is the power of Haki in combat. Shanks has utilized Haki on many occasions in One Piece already, and, in fact, he was the very first user of Conqueror’s Haki in the series, back in the Romance Dawn arc. Ever since then, Shanks has only showcased greater feats of Haki, which just goes to show that he is a force to be reckoned with, no matter which way fans look at it.
Hey, Beck! I think it’s time to claim it…the One Piece!!
Shanks is a monster in combat, and much of that it’s down to his incredible control over all three types of Haki. Along with Luffy, he’s the only pirate with every Haki type having been advanced to the next level, which is something special truly. Fans saw Conqueror’s Haki being used extensively early on in the series. However, the true strength of this ability of his wasn’t revealed until much later in the story. It is safe to say that right now, Shanks has the strongest Conqueror’s Haki in One Piece. In fact, his Haki is so strong that it can actually be channeled from miles away, as was seen towards the end of the Wano Country arc.
This is a feat that no other individual in One Piece has shown, and even Kaido, who was a good user of Conqueror’s Haki himself, could not copy it. The strength of Shanks’s Haki is also clearly much superior to that of both Luffy and Kaido. Meanwhile, other individuals in the One Piece world, such as Garp, or any other Yonko, don’t seem to possess the same level of strength in their Haki as Shanks.
Shanks has also advanced his Observation Haki to the next level. He can see the most elaborate future of any character in One Piece, clocking in at way over 10 seconds, which is absolutely staggering. Not even Katakuri or Luffy can see this much of the future, which makes Shanks very special. With Conqueror’s Haki, he can also kill the Observation Haki of his enemies, which essentially makes it impossible to defend against Shanks. He is a force to be reckoned with and absolutely cannot be stopped in the face of combat, which is what makes him truly special as a fighter.
When it comes to Armament Haki, fans already know that Shanks is a monster and it makes sense for him to have advanced this Haki too, which isn’t something special for someone like him. Fans don’t know at what grade Shanks’s Armament Haki is, or if it is refined beyond any level that fans have ever seen. For that, fans will have to wait. However, what fans can take into consideration is the fact that it is certainly an advanced level. This makes Shanks a monstrously powerful individual, but just his strength alone isn’t enough for him to solidify the strongest spot in One Piece.
Shanks’s Portrayal As The Next Roger
Shanks Is Portrayed As The Next Roger By Oda
Not only is Shanks equipped with the strongest of abilities inOne Piece, but he also has an incredible portrayal. More recently, Shanks directly drew parallels to Roger. This happened in the Final Saga of One Piece, where Buggy clearly mentioned the Shanks were supposed to be the next Roger. Everyone believed that Shanks would be the next Pirate King, and even Buggy himself believed this. This means that everyone acknowledged the potential that Shanks had to reach the same level as Roger, and take on the mantle from him. People were shocked when they found out that Shanks was not going to go for the One Piece or the title of the next Pirate King. This once again goes on to confirm that Shanks could have been the Pirate King if he wanted, but he was waiting for something specific.
Shankswas given a bigger role by Rogerto play than just becoming the Pirate King and claiming the One Piece, and that could have something to do with Luffy. For now, fans don’t know what exactly their role is. However, what they do know is that the portrayal of Shanks as the next Pirate King, or, at the very least, someone at the same level as the Pirate King, is certainly there.
All things considered, fans can easily come to the conclusion that Shanks, who is in his prime right now, is at the same level as Roger, and as strong as the former Pirate King. This also makes perfect sense, given that Shanks is Luffy’s idol, and Luffy will only become ready to fulfill his destiny when he surpasses his final goal, which is Shanks. It would make absolutely no sense for Shanks to be weaker than Kaido, or any other test that Luffy has previously faced. Shanks is certainly on a level higher, it will be interesting to see how strong he truly is when he clashes with Luffy.
Those Who Can Rival Shanks
There Are Only A Few Who Can Compete With Shanks
While it certainlydoes look like Shanks is the strongestinOne Pieceright now, that does not mean there are no characters who are close to him in terms of strength. For one, fans know that all the Yonko are mostly relative. Even if Shanks is at the top of the pecking order, the likes of Luffy will always be closed behind. Of course, then there are other powerful characters that have existed in the One Piece world before. For instance,Whitebeard was the strongest manin theOne Pieceworld, but in his old age, he was certainly not strong enough to defeat Shanks. That said, in his prime, he would certainly have been on his level. Of course, there are also characters such as Mihawk, who fans know is the strongest swordsman in the world. However, despite Mihawk’s swordplay, he likely does not possess enough strength to defeat Shanks and is inferior to him just because of Shanks’s portrayal and the showcasing of his tremendous Haki, which is absolutely unmatched.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and theManga Plusapp. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1121, is set to be August 01, 2025.
