'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Titled Coming of the New Era! The Red-Haired's Imperial Rage, episode 1082 of the One Piece anime emphasized "Red Hair" Shanks in all his glory. As Ryokugyu was about to attack Luffy and the others, who were still recovering from the previous battle, Shanks unleashed his intimidating Haki aura on the former, leaving him gridlocked.
Even among the very few natural-born Conqueror's Haki users, Shanks is special. Unlike the other types of Haki, the force of one's Color of Conqueror can't be directly trained, as it only grows stronger as the user becomes stronger overall. Hence, to subdue a Marine Admiral, Shanks must be insanely powerful.
The "Red Hair" is also a major user of the Advanced Conqueror's Haki, a skill that only the absolute strongest One Piece characters can perform. By coating their moves with the Color of Conqueror, those fighters can access a whole new level of might. As a true master, Shanks displays dominant potency every time he uses his Haki.
Disclaimer: For anime-only viewers, this article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga.
Every time Shanks used the Color of Conqueror in One Piece, listed in chronological order
1) Chapter 1 (manga)/Episode 4 (anime)
12 years before One Piece's present narration, Shanks saved Monkey D. Luffy from certain death. As a Sea King, who was hailed as "Lord of the Coast," was about to eat Luffy, who at the time was just a kid, Shanks stepped in to protect the latter.
With a single glare, Shanks intimidated the Lord of the Coast, causing him to get scared and flee. At the time, the manga had not yet exposed the concept of Haki, but with the current knowledge, it is easy to infer that Shanks used his Color of Conqueror against the Sea King.
Before forcing the Lord of the Coast into submission, Shanks was forced to intercept the attack the monster aimed at Luffy, and, in the occurrence, he lost his left arm. Some time later, Shanks entrusted Luffy with the straw hat he once received from Gol D. Roger.
The straw hat became the kid's most prized possession, to the point where, years later, it inspired him to name his crew. Even now, Luffy idolizes Shanks as the man he respects and aims to eventually surpass. Likewise, the "Red Hair" doesn't regret losing his arm, but happily claims that he bet it on a new era.
2) Chapter 434 (manga)/Episode 316 (anime)
Upon hearing that Ace was looking for Marshall D. Teach "Blackbeard," Shanks tried to warn the former's captain, Edward Newgate "Whitebeard," that Blackbeard was too strong for Ace. Shanks also told Newgate that Teach would eventually threaten his own position.
When he arrived on the Moby Dick, Newgate's flagship, Shanks started leaking out his Conqueror's Haki. Although Shanks was just exerting his presence, with barely any effort, the sheer force of his aura knocked out dozens of Whitebeard's subordinates.
The presence of the "Red Hair" even created physical damage on the ship itself. This was extremely impressive, considering that the basic Conqueror's Haki leaking usually is limited to affecting the weaker individuals.
3) Chapter 434 (manga)/Episode 316 (anime)
Deep within himself, Whitebeard knew that Shanks' advice was correct, but, as an experienced captain, he didn't want a younger pirate to lecture him. As Whitebeard brandished Murakumogiri, his naginata, Shanks retaliated by drawing his sword, Gryphon.
The two Emperors coated their respective weapons with Advanced Conqueror's Haki and clashed. Their collision released so much power that it caused the clouds in the sky above them to split.
This confrontation emphasized that Shanks' combat prowess is nothing short of amazing. Despite having lost a limb, he was able to release as much power as Whitebeard, a legendary pirate renowned for being the "World's Strongest Man".
4) Chapter 1055 (manga)/Episode 1082 (anime)
After the Onigashima Raid, Marine Admiral Ryokugyu arrived in Wano with the intent to take Luffy's head. The Red Scabbards tried to prevent Ryokugyu from arriving in the Flower Capital, where Luffy and the others were celebrating their recent victory, but they were no match for him.
Meanwhile, the Red Hair Pirates, who were in search of Blackbeard, arrived in the seas around Wano. As Ryokugyu was about to attack Momonosuke, who had come to help the Scabbards, Shanks made his move.
Enraged by the Admiral's idea to attack Luffy and his friends when they were still recovering from the injuries and fatigue they sustained during the Onigashima Raid, Shanks released a massive burst of Conqueror's Haki towards Ryokugyu.
Paralyzed and intimidated by the strong aura of the "Red Hair," Ryokugyu quickly lost his bravado. Not wanting to confront Shanks and his men, he gave up his original intent and decided to leave. Needless to say, such a dominant display of supremacy over an Admiral raised the hype around Shanks to the highest levels.
5) Chapter 1079 (manga)/ Episode TBA (anime)
In search of the mysterious "man marked by flames", the Kid Pirates arrived on Elbaf, the homeland of the giants. However, the island was under the protection of the Red Hair Pirates, who had already inflicted a brutal defeat on Kid and his men in the past.
Seeking revenge, Kid decided to charge his Railgun and perform his strongest technique, the Damned Punk. His intent was to wipe the Red Hair fleet, which consisted of individuals considerably weaker than the proper members of the crew.
However, Shanks used his Advanced Observation Haki to see the future and foresee Kid's wicked intentions. Before Kid could even finish charging his attack, Shanks drew his sword, jumped on Kid's ship, and unleashed Divine Departure, a ravaging slash amped with Advanced Conqueror's Haki.
The blow not only cut through Kid's Railgun, but also struck the latter, as well as his right-hand man, Killer. Both Kid and Killer immediately lost consciousness, ending up defeated with a single hit. In a few seconds, Shanks single-handedly annihilated the Kid Pirates.
The issue crowned Shanks as an insanely powerful swordsman, as all it took for him to defeat Kid and Killer was a single Advanced Conqueror's Haki-boosted slash.
Shanks didn't just beat Kid and Killer, he oneshotted them, which is even more impressive considering that they, especially the former, could endure several attacks from Big Mom.
Interestingly, the Divine Departure technique that Shanks used was the Gol D. Roger's signature move. Swinging his sword Ace, coated in Advanced Conqueror's Haki, Roger could unleash a blow strong enough to overpower a swordsman of Kozuki Oden's caliber.
Shanks and Roger have a very similar fighting style, based on the usage of a cutlass sword, further enhanced with their all-powerful Haki. Many years ago, Shanks was an apprentice to the late Pirate King, which explains why he inherited the latter's signature skills and techniques.
Final thoughts
Whitebeard, whose standards are well known for being extremely high, described the tremendous battles between "Red Hair" Shanks and "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk as legendary clashes that resonated throughout the entire Grand Line.
After Shanks lost an arm, Mihawk seems no longer interested in fighting him. At any rate, to rise as two of the strongest characters in the entire One Piece world, both Mihawk and Shanks relied on their Haki-enhanced swordsmanship, rather than on a Devil Fruit ability.
Given the major role that Shanks and Mihawk play in the series, One Piece fans are understandably eager to witness a flashback of their battles, as well as to see the two fight again within the context of the present narration.
Being the World's Strongest Swordsman, Mihawk sits at the very top, allegedly surpassing even Shanks. Nevertheless, Mihawk and Shanks show each other respect, and, outside of combat, seem to get along well. For all intents and purposes, their connections recalls Whitebeard and Roger's.
Be sure to keep up with One Piece's manga, anime, and live-action as 2023 progresses.
