One Piece: 5 reasons why Shanks is stronger (& 5 reasons why Mihawk is)

With One Piece Chapter 1058’s massive bounty reveal dump, all that fans of the series are discussing right now is the relative strength of characters given the latest bounties. While much of the focus is on the Straw Hat crew and a potential changing of the guard within, many are discussing two other pirates in particular.

Old friends Shanks and Mihawk are at the forefront of many fans’ minds, with their bounties having been revealed to be less than 500 million Beri apart in the latest One Piece issue. While there is no clear answer currently as to who is stronger, each certainly has their own set of arguments which heavily support their being the stronger of the two.

Here are 5 reasons why Shanks is stronger than Mihawk in current One Piece, and 5 more reasons why Mihawk is the stronger one.

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Experience as a former Roger Pirate and 4 other reasons why Shanks is stronger in current One Piece

1) Conqueror’s Haki

Easily the most obvious advantage Shanks currently has over Mihawk in One Piece is his possession of Conqueror’s Haki. Furthermore, his Conqueror’s Haki is constantly and consistently implied to be one of the strongest in the series, if not the sole strongest overall.

With the importance placed on Conqueror’s Haki during the Wano arc, it’s clear that this is a major advantage for Shanks in this debate. While it’s possible Mihawk does have Conqueror’s Haki, this hasn’t even been indicated in the series yet, resulting in Shanks winning out in this category.

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2) Higher bounty

While bounties aren’t necessarily a reflection of a character’s strength in One Piece, it certainly plays a major role in the valuation of their specific bounty. Shanks’ current bounty beats out Mihawk’s by roughly 450 million Beri, implying that he is at least somewhat stronger than his friendly associate.

That being said, there are factors in Shanks’ bounty which may contribute to his being stronger, such as his being a Yonko, a former Roger Pirate, and one of the closest to finding the One Piece. Similar circumstances exist for Mihawk’s bounty as well, but are no doubt less influential on his valuation than Shanks’ are on his own.

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3) Former Roger Pirate

Speaking of which, his time as a former Roger Pirate growing up on the crew has resulted in him being born into the pirate world and knowing only how to be a pirate from childhood. He’s been in plenty of fights as a result, as well as seeing many wonders of the world and even learning about the titular treasure and the world’s True History along the way.

All this experience has no doubt helped make him one of the most impressive fighters in One Piece currently, even with his missing one arm. As a result, it’s a safe assumption that his lifelong involvement in piracy gives him an edge over his associate when the two battle.

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4) Current Yonko

While Mihawk was a Shichibukai, Shanks’ attainment of the title of Yonko would indicate that he was stronger than the world’s strongest swordsman. As the Wano arc proved, such a difference in titles isn’t definitive of outcome by any means (more on that later), but it certainly can be a good indicator of strength.

There’s also the strength of his crew, and what that says about him as a Yonko for being the one to lead all of these incredibly powerful men. Benn Beckman has been implied to be able to take on an Admiral during One Piece already, likely implying Shanks’ to be at a much higher level than that.

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5) Leader of a crew

On a related note, his having the capability to lead such strong men and keep them under his control certainly says a lot about Shanks’ strength throughout One Piece. Compared to the other reasons on this list, this one is more inferential, but it's still crucial and relevant when talking about his strength.

Furthermore, it’s unknown exactly just how large the force Shanks commands is. With Luffy already having a grand fleet of roughly 6 thousand members, Shanks likely controls a similar, if not higher, number of men. If true, then this emphasizes even more how impressive his ability to keep such a large number of men under his command is.

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Former Shichibukai status and 4 other reasons why Mihawk is stronger

1) Strongest swordsman in the world

Obviously, the biggest feather in Mihawk’s cap when comparing his strength to Shanks’ is his title of being the "Strongest Swordsman in the World" of One Piece. This is no doubt an impressive title, especially when considering the skills that swordsmen such as Zoro and Kozuki Oden have displayed throughout the series.

Furthermore, earlier implications in the series of Shanks and Mihawk having once fought each other would imply the latter to be superior to the former in swordplay. Although unconfirmed, this is a fairly universal interpretation of their sword skills relative to one another.

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2) Most skilled swordsman in the world

What One Piece Chapter 1058 revealed to fans, however, was Mihawk’s also being the most skilled swordsman in the world. While some may not feel this to be much different than being the strongest swordsman in the world, there is undoubtedly a difference. For example, anyone can get strong and swing a sword, calling themselves the strongest swordsman in the world.

However, to become the most skilled swordsman in the world, one must be knowledgeable, experienced, and able to take on any opponent with nothing but a sword. Mihawk has a distinct advantage over Shanks in terms of their relative strengths thanks to these skills and knowledge.

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3) Former Shichibukai

As mentioned earlier, the Yonko are, generally speaking, stronger than the Shichibukai due to the way the balance of the great powers is set up throughout the majority of One Piece. However, this is by no means a definitive, inalterable law, with former Shichibukai Trafalgar Law teaming up with Eustass Kid to take down former Yonko Big Mom during the Wano arc.

As a result, Mihawk's status as a former Shichibukai is undeniably an advantage he may have over Shanks. There’s also the previously mentioned fact of the two having fought each other before in what seems to have been a fairly close match. With this in mind, the two’s titles, whether former or current, may indicate them to be closer in strength than fans would have previously thought.

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4) “Marine Hunter” epithet

One interesting aspect of Mihawk’s history revealed in One Piece Chapter 1058 is his former epithet of "Marine Hunter." This is most likely what he was known as before becoming a Shichibukai, at which point any and all Marine Hunting would’ve had to stop. However, it’s incredibly telling of his strength that the World Government was willing to ignore these actions to make him an ally.

This undoubtedly implies that he is an incredibly strong character, likely much stronger than some fans currently give him credit for. It certainly would take a lot of strength to convince one’s enemy to forgive their past transgressions in order to bring them on as an ally.

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5) Owns a Black Blade

Finally, one of the most mysterious signs of power in the One Piece series currently is the creation and possession of a Black Blade. While many theories exist, none have been particularly proven or disproven at the series’ current point. However, what is known is that Mihawk is in possession of one of only two shown in the entire series.

With such an exclusive club having its only other member being the Sword God Shimotsuki Ryuma, the strength Mihawk has is no doubt emphasized. While knowing how a Black Blade is formed would give fans a better idea of just how strong he might be, there’s little doubt he can be compared to Shanks, if not considered stronger than the Yonko.

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Be sure to keep up with all One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news as the year of the series’ 25th anniversary progresses.