Oda gives a glimpse of Shanks' Pirate King-level power

This article contains spoilers from the Elbaf arc of One Piece.

Key takeaways

• In one piece Shanks' power surpasses the title of Emperor and is on par with former pirate king Gol D Roger.
• Shanks' talent is evident in his ability to mirror Roger's hockey at an early age and advanced winner's hockey.
• Shanks, as the greatest Haki user in One Piece, has powers that go beyond all imagination and are vital to the future of the series.

Known as one of the Four Emperors of the Sea and the apprentice of the former pirate king Gol D Roger, Shanks is an extremely important character, especially in the final saga. a piece. He is also the person who set Luffy on the path to becoming the Pirate King, and also handed him his trusty Straw Hat. Shanks is, in many ways, the trigger for everything that is happening in the world a pieceAnd it has a special significance for him.

At the same time, Oda himself knows that the character of Shanks is interesting in many ways and that he will play a decisive role in the final saga. Naturally, in the final saga where Luffy finally manages to ascend to the same level as Yonko, Shanks needs to be even stronger if he is to be special. In fact, while Shanks assumes the title of Emperor, there is clear evidence in the story that his power goes far beyond, and that he may actually already be on the same level as the former Pirate King, Gol D Roger.

How Shanks has been underrated over the years

• Shanks was revealed as a Yonko by Garp
• Shanks was quietly beside himself

It's no surprise to learn that Shanks is one of the most underrated characters in the One Piece universe. Oda has built him up in a very interesting way over the years, leading fans to believe that he is just as strong as other emperors and not very special in that regard. Of course, based on the Yonko title, emperors are special, but they're not as special as the Pirate King, which is something Oda reserved for Roger. But, in fact, Shanks is more special than his title suggests and there's a reason for that.

The biggest reason Shanks is often underrated is because there are people who seem more infamous and have higher rewards. These include the likes of Kaido and Big Mom, and the former also holds the title of World's Strongest Creature, with many calling him the strongest pirate alive and the world's most powerful. When one uses such titles for a person, obviously, then the idea that Shanks is the strongest can be ignored. At the same time, there exists an equation with Dracul Mihawk, who is the world's greatest swordsman and is believed to have had many duels with Shanks. Apparently, some fans believe that Mihawk, being the greatest swordsman, is stronger than Shanks because of his title. However, all these things need to be analyzed in depth to come to the correct conclusion about how strong Shanks really is.

When it comes to Kaido and Big Mom, fans should keep in mind the fact that they have been Yonko for over 2 decades. In the Great Pirate Era, these two were at the pinnacle of power and, in many ways, at the top of the era, following Whitebeard. Shanks had risen to the rank of Emperor only 6 years earlier. In fact, before the timeskip, Shanks had only been emperor for 4 years, which is a fairly insignificant amount of time, when compared to the others. More than that, fans know that Shanks was always on the sidelines and never really took aim a piece Until Luffy rose to Yonko's position and backed up his Devil Fruit. This was confirmed by Oda himself towards the end of the Wano Country arc, and is extremely important in the grand scheme of things. Shanks is biding his time because he has a specific plan he wants to implement.

Hey, Beck. I think it's time to claim…a piece!! – Shanks

More than that, Shanks' conflict with Mihawk, who is often the cause of his infamy, should not be given too much weight. For one, Shanks has no interest in becoming the strongest swordsman in the world and even if he is indeed a swordsman, his goals lie elsewhere. What fans do know is that Shanks fought Mihawk on several occasions, and lost none of them.

Mihawk was probably the strongest swordsman in the world up to this point, and finally found a worthy opponent in Shanks. Shanks and Mihawk engaging in multiple conflicts meant their battles were far from over. In fact, when Shanks and Mihawk initially met a pieceThe former clearly stated that Mishawk had come to “settle scores”, a clear indication of the fact that their misunderstanding was never resolved.

To put it further into perspective, these battles took place a long time ago, when Shanks wasn't even at the peak of his powers, as evidenced by the fact that Yonko wasn't. Shanks lost his arm 12 years ago and became a Yonko 4 years ago, meaning that Shanks is now at the peak of his power, and when he fought Mihawk, he was clearly nowhere near his current level. Of course, both Shanks and Mihawk have gotten stronger, but Shanks has reached a level where he is now directly comparable to the Pirate King.

Shanks is as strong as Pirate King Roger

Shanks carries the will of the Pirate King Roger

As mentioned in a piece On several occasions, Shanks has actually exceeded all expectations and managed to reach the level of Roger's liking. For one, Kaido, the strongest being, and the person many call the strongest pirate alive, holds the four characters in very high regard; These characters are Roger, Whitebeard, Rox and Shanks. The fact that Shanks is in the same league just goes to show the level of power these three men possess.

Shanks was so talented that Roger's pirates were all amazed that Shanks had learned Kamusari (Divine Departure) without Roger's direct instruction, and that no one else in Roger's pirates could copy it. – Run away

On top of that, fans now know that Shanks had great control over Kamusari, and with it, advanced conqueror's hockey, before the age of 15, which meant that as a child, Shanks was the only person in Roger's Pirates who could actually do it. Emulate Roger's techniques. Shanks was already a huge talent. If that's not enough, fans also need to consider the fact that the entire Roger Pirates believed in Shanks as the next pirate king and worthy to follow in his footsteps. There's nothing Roger can do that Shanks can't.

More than that, fans know that Shanks is now the greatest Haki user in One Piece, far greater than the likes of Kaido and Big Mom, and possibly dating back to the Zero Century. This is confirmed by Oda by drawing a direct comparison between him and Joy Boy. When Joy Boy's Haki was released by Emote, Oda questioned who the Haki user was between Shanks and Joy Boy. Obviously, the answer to this question has yet to be provided, and the fact that Shanks is considered in the same league shows how strong he really is.

Of course, Shanks doesn't have a bounty that indicates he's anywhere near the level of Roger or Whitebeard, but, this bounty is because Shanks has been sober for years and is biding his time. Clearly, Shanks has a plan in mind, and this plan is only now being put into action, as evidenced by the fact that he claimed to be the aggressor in battle. a piece After the fall of Kaido and Big Mother and Nika's descent into the world. Shank has a prominent role in it a piece And he will prove to the fans that he has power that will go beyond all imagination in the near future.

A piece is available to read through Viz Media. Series fans can read the series officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1132 is set for December 1, 2024.