Warning: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga! One of One Piece‘s most beloved characters, Shanks, is not only Luffy’s idol but also a powerful figure whose strength is feared across the world. Shanks has always had a certain presence in the show, despite not appearing often. He meets Luffy, a spirited child in Foosha Village, and changes the boy’s perception of what being a pirate means. Thanks to Shanks, Luffy set his sights on becoming the Pirate King and even gained the power of the Devil Fruit, although it may not have been intentional. A few years after Shanks’ introduction, One Piece unveiled his authority as a pirate, not to mention his unparalleled strength. Even after more than 28 years, we have only seen a glimpse of his power, which is more than enough to prove that he can overpower almost all characters in the world right now.
Without any Devil Fruit ability, Shanks has honed his Haki and swordsmanship to such a monstrous level that even being in his presence is enough to intimidate others. He is the only character known to have an ability that allows him to temporarily render his opponents unable to use Observation Haki. Additionally, his Conqueror’s Haki is powerful enough to intimidate an Admiral and force him to surrender from miles away. While he is one of the strongest fighters alive, he has yet to surpass these six legendary characters.
6) Edward Newgate
It can easily be argued that Shanks was more powerful than Whitebeard during the Marineford Arc, but not the younger version of this legendary pirate. After all, the old pirate already had one foot in the grave, yet he still managed to literally shake the entire Marineford with his power. Possessing one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in the world, along with immense control over his Haki, made Whitebeard truly a force to be reckoned with.
Despite suffering from a fatal illness, he overpowered nearly everyone during the Summit War and died standing only after sustaining severe wounds, including 267 sword wounds, 152 bullet wounds, and having half his face melted off by Akainu’s magma. In his younger days, Whitebeard could easily be considered stronger than Shanks, as he was Roger’s equal.
5) Gol D. Roger
Roger was not only Shanks’ father figure and mentor, but he was also the man who acquired everything the world had to offer. The power Roger possesses, despite suffering from a mysterious illness, is often undermined since we haven’t seen the full extent of his ability yet. However, the man who traveled all across the world and reached the last island that no one in 800 years couldn’t be weak.
So far, One Piece has only revealed one of Shanks’ techniques, and it’s Divine Departure, the same one Roger used. While Shanks used this ability to annihilate Eustass Kidd and his crew in Elbaf, Roger sent Kozuki Oden, the strongest samurai in Wano, flying several miles with a single strike. Both carry the same kind of sword, which again emphasizes the influence Roger had on Shanks.
4) Harald
Although Shanks easily defeated Loki, he would have had a much harder time against Harald if he had actually fought the strongest king in Elbaf’s history. Although there’s no concrete evidence, there’s a high likelihood of Harald being more powerful than Shanks since the Giant is often considered Xebec’s equal. Harald not only had the respect of everyone in his kingdom, but even Xebec, who once clashed with him during the Reverie.
The impact of their weapons and Haki clashing blew away everyone within a five-kilometer radius, which is much more devastating than the time Roger and Whitebeard clashed. Xebec spent over a decade trying to convince Harald to join his crew, not only out of respect but because he needed the Giant’s power to achieve something greater.
3) Rocks D. Xebec
One Piece finally introduced Rocks D. Xebec in the Elbaf Arc, and the pirate was unlike what the story had described him to be so far. The World Government conveniently portrayed him as the instigator of the God Valley Incident, but the entire ordeal was just a trap set to defeat him. Additionally, the power Xebec possessed without having a Devil Fruit was enough to shake the world, so much so that Imu had to come to God Valley to make this legendary warrior his puppet.
Xebec is a descendant of the mythical pirate Davy Jones and is still laced with many secrets, which will eventually be revealed in the Final Saga. Shanks’ powers can’t be denied, and the gap in power he has with Xebec and Harald may not be much, but he has yet to showcase a destructive ability like the two legends did decades ago.
2) Imu
The Elbaf Arc has not only established the fact that Imu is indeed the final antagonist of the story, but also proved that no character alive is stronger than them right now. The villain is still shrouded in mystery, but at the very least, we have seen a glimpse of what they are truly capable of. They can wreak havoc on an island and singlehandedly face countless opponents without actually leaving Pangea Castle.
Imu can control others and make them their puppets, enhancing their powers and giving them regenerative abilities with some kind of demonic ability. They can also take control over the puppets’ bodies from a distance, which includes the Five Elders and at least a few members of the Holy Knights.
1) Joy Boy
So far, One Piece has only revealed Joy Boy’s silhouette, but the story has at least given us enough hints to believe he is the strongest person in history, someone Imu fears to this day. In the Egghead Incident Arc, Emeth used Joy Boy’s Haki, which had been stored for over 800 years, and it was enough to bring Imu to their knees, who felt the power despite being in Pangea Castle.
Joy Boy was the first pirate in the world, and he belonged to the Ancient Kingdom. During his time, the Great War plagued the world, and he stood against the allied nations, facing 19 powerful rulers all alone. There’s a strong possibility that one of those rulers was Imu, and the fact that Joy Boy lost was likely because he was betrayed by someone close to him.
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