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Shanks from One Piece is so powerful that he can stop conflicts with his mere presence.
For several years now, One Piece fans couldn't wait to see the Red Hair Pirates in action. There's a very good reason why Eiichiro Oda has been saving Shanks' appearance for the final saga. Based on what's been revealed in the past month, he is truly an end-game player with a lot of power.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views. It contains major spoilers from One Piece Film: Red, along with the Volume 4000000000 booklets given out to film attendees.
Powerful Gryphon blade, strong crew and 8 other reasons why Shanks redefines power levels in the One Piece series
1) Shanks doesn't have Devil Fruit weaknesses
Devil Fruits in One Piece grant their users really powerful abilities. However, they are not without drawbacks since users lose their ability to swim.
Shanks doesn't have to worry about naval battles in the sea. He is a very good swimmer who can deal with harsh weather conditions. By comparison, a Devil Fruit user will drown the moment they hit the water.
At the very least, Shanks can fight on land and sea.
2) He is a stealth master
Good luck getting the drop on someone like Shanks. With the exception of Blackbeard, most characters will never land a decisive blow on him. He only allows himself to get hit, like with Higuma in Romance Dawn. He can easily avoid combat if he wants to.
Back in the Levely arc, Shanks infiltrated Mary Geoise all by himself. He avoided getting caught by the guards present, including the Admirals that were stationed nearby. This is a very extraordinary feat in the One Piece series.
Mary Geoise is where all the highest rulers in the world live. Despite its preventive security measures, Shanks only needed a simple cloak to get on by.
3) Shanks wields the powerful Gryphon blade
Shanks prefers using a saber in his battles. Gryphon is yet to be classified for its overall blade quality. Nonetheless, it's strong enough to withstand direct clashes with the 12 Supreme Grade Blades, which are considered the most powerful blades in the entire world.
Gryphon's power has been frequently demonstrated in the One Piece story. Shanks used it to fight evenly against Whitebeard's gigantic Murakumogiri. He also used to regularly spar with Dracule Mihawk, whose main weapon of choice is the rare black sword Yoru.
At the very least, Gryphon has to be up there with the strongest weapons in the series. While it remains unconfirmed, there's a good possibility it could be classified as a Supreme Grade Blade.
4) He can withstand serious injuries without a problem
When he saved Luffy from a Sea King several years ago, Shanks didn't mind taking some damage along the way. Very few One Piece characters share his remarkable pain tolerance.
Despite losing his left arm and suffering heavy blood loss, Shanks didn't care in the slightest. He simply brushed the Sea King aside by using his Conqueror's Haki. Keep in mind that he also had to spend energy swimming in the water.
Shanks is roughly comparable to Kaido and Big Mom's power levels, given his Yonko status among them. There's no reason to believe he doesn't have their monstrous physical stats.
5) Shanks is among the fastest characters
Shanks doesn't get to show off his speed often in One Piece. However, it's clear that he is extremely agile.
Back in Marineford, Shanks was able to quickly intercept Akainu before he landed a killing blow on Koby. Keep in mind that Shanks just arrived with his ship, so he didn't have much time, to begin with.
Shanks is also apparently fast enough to keep up with Kizaru and his light-based abilities. This is according to a Reddit AMA from u/DarkPrinceReborn, who saw One Piece Film: Red not too long ago.
6) He is a master swordsman who regularly dueled Mihawk
Dracule Mihawk is considered the best swordsman in the entire world. He also wields a legendary blade that cuts through everything. With that said, he is not without comparable rivals.
Shanks used to spar with Mihawk back in their youth. This suggests that Shanks must have a high level of expertise with his Gryphon sword. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been a challenge for Mihawk and his advanced skills. Their heated battles shook the very foundations of the Grand Line itself.
Even with a missing arm, Shanks is still a formidable swordsman in One Piece.
7) Shanks has a really strong crew behind him
It takes more than brute strength to become a Yonko. A major requirement is the presence of powerful subordinates. With that said, the Red Hair Pirates are considered the most balanced crew in the entire world.
One Piece Film: Red finally revealed the crew's true power. Redditor u/DarkPrinceReborn recently watched the movie and gave the following descriptions of the Red Hair Pirates:
- Benn Beckman: Infuses Haki into his rifle bullets, can deflect gunfire with his mere hands, and catch Kizaru off guard yet again.
- Lucky Roux: Attacks by curling into a ball and moves at high speeds.
- Yasopp: Uses some of the strongest Observation Haki in the entire series, can see into the future even longer than Charlotte Katakuri.
Ryokugyu knew better than to provoke Shanks and his entire crew, which is why he left Wano Country when they were nearby. The Red Hair Pirates are monsters in the One Piece universe.
8) He only specializes in Haki techniques
Imagine the following scenario involving two different musicians who need to practice specific instruments in the span of six months:
- One person has to master both the piano and the violin.
- The other person only needs to master the piano.
It's safe to assume that the second person will be slightly more skilled with the piano since they don't have to play the violin. They only have to focus on the piano, which means they have more time dedicated to it.
The above example is very relevant to Shanks in the One Piece series. Fighters have a choice between using Haki, Devil Fruits, or both.
Shanks has never eaten a Devil Fruit, which means he has probably spent more time strengthening his powerful Haki.
9) Shanks can use “Observation Killing”
(The following information is provided by the Volume 4000000000 pamphlet.)
Shanks has a special Haki ability where he can prevent others from seeing into the future. He even gained the nickname "Killer of Observation Haki." This could explain why he escaped detection back in Mary Geoise.
Future Sight is a very rare ability, but it's extremely useful for combat purposes. It allows users to avoid potential attacks. However, this will not work against Shanks, so they cannot rely on it too much.
10) He really does have the best Conqueror’s Haki feats
In One Piece, Shanks followed the same example set by his former captain, Gol D. Roger. Haki is what truly determines the most powerful fighters, especially those with the exceedingly rare Conqueror's Haki.
Shanks demonstrated several advanced techniques with this power. By the end of the Wano Country arc, he was able to detect Ryokugyu despite being several miles away. He could also send a shockwave to catch the Admiral off-guard and freeze him in his tracks.
According to Oda in Volume 65 SBS, Shanks could easily knock out 100,000 people with his Conqueror's Haki alone.
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