Summary
The relationship between Luffy and Shanks is the most foundational in the entireOne Piecestory. The young pirate began his adventure on the seas due to being directly inspired by his mentor figure, and the iconic Straw Hat that he became synonymous with was even given to him by Shanks. It’s safe to say that if it weren’t for Shanks being the pirate that he was, Luffy would never have begun his journey.
From then on, Luffy kept growing in power, to the point where he eventually became one of the world’s most influential pirates as an Emperor of the Sea. And, with the reveal ofthe truth of his Devil Fruit, he is also now widely regarded as one ofOne Piece’sstrongest characters. However, many believe that even at the current moment, Shanks is still far stronger than his protégé, so let’s see why this is the case.
A Closer Look At Shanks' True Power
First Appearance Of Both
One Piece, Chapter 1, “Romance Dawn - The Dawn of Adventure”
Story Arc
Romance Dawn
Wano was an incredibly important arc for the entireOne Piecestory. Not only did this arc finally introduce the fabled Gear 5 form born fromthe Awakened State of Luffy’s Devil Fruit, but it also showcased the true power of Haki, particularly Conqueror’s Haki, in Luffy’s fights against Kaido. With Gear 5, Luffy can impart the rubber-like properties of his Devil Fruit abilities to external objects, while using them to an extent unlike anything before.
As for where the story is now, the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika is the most powerful Devil Fruit in the entire series as it even allowed Luffy to fight very well against the 5 Elders on Egghead while sustaining very little damage himself. So, with all this said, how could Luffy possibly lose out to Shanks? The answer to this lies in the same fights Luffy had against Kaido, where the King of the Beasts even stated that, while powerful, Devil Fruits can only take someone so far, and that the key to truly conquering the Grand Line is Haki.
Only Haki can transcend all!
With that in mind, it’s proven that Shanks has perhaps the greatest Haki out of everyone else active in the world right now. This goes for all the sub-types, since he has shown the greatest feats out of anyone else in the series regarding them. Firstly,his legendary feat of Conqueror’s Hakiin the closing moments of the Wano arc remains the greatest in the modern day, where he subdued an Admiral from miles away, and the second-most impressive of the entireOne Piecestory, only behind Joyboy’s ancient Haki taking out the forces of the World Government in the Egghead arc.
Moreover, his Conqueror’s Haki is so potent that he has a unique property known as ‘Observation Killing’, which negates Future Sight when used on him. Furthermore, while on the topic of Observation Haki, Shanks' act of taking out the Kid Pirates showed the best feat of Observation Haki in the series, since his Future Sight allowed him to see very far into the future. Knowing the damage that Kid is about to cause, he swiftly takes him out.
With two of the three Haki types shown to be unlocked at their highest level, it’s confirmed that Shanks is also able to use Advanced Armament Haki, known as Ryou. His proficiency in purely Haki-based combat has likened him to Roger himself in the eyes of many, with many characters and fans considering him to be the modern-day coming of the Pirate King. Roger was known asthe strongest pirate of his era alongside Whitebeard, so this is incredible praise for Shanks.
Now, where does Luffy come in? The captain of the Straw Hats is certainly a formidable fighter, with the world’s strongest Devil Fruit and the ability to use the advanced forms of each Haki type. However, he is still most likely not as powerful as his mentor, since Shanks' mastery of Haki and his feats with it go far beyond anything Luffy has shown before. Although a definitive answer cannot be made, most fans believe that such a difference in Haki proficiency would definitely lean in Shanks' favor.
How Luffy May Be Stronger Than Shanks
A Fitting Counter-Argument
Conversely, some fans of the franchise believe that the power scaling goes the other way. Although Shanks undoubtedly has the superior Haki between the two, it should be stated thatLuffy can still use the advanced formsof all 3 as well, putting him above 99% of characters in theOne Pieceworld. While it may not be as potent as the ones Shanks uses, Luffy’s Haki could still easily put up a fight against Red Hair.
The true difference maker, however, is Luffy’s legendary Devil Fruit, which gives him the power of a God. Even to this day, the extent of Gear 5’s full power is a mystery since he seemingly hasn’t used anything close to it. The ability to use the rubber abilities of his Devil Fruit externally and to manipulate his surroundings however he sees fit is incredibly overpowered, especially forOne Piece, which many fans believe will be enough to put down Shanks and just about anyone else!
One Piececan be streamed onCrunchyroll.
One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
