Why Shanks is stronger than Gear 5 Luffy, explained

one piece is finally in its definitive saga, and fans know that this is where the strongest will gather. At the same time, this is also where the characters that Oda has been saving for years and years will become more relevant than ever, and when one talks about such characters, Shanks naturally comes to mind. Shanks is a beloved character that Oda introduced in the Romance Dawn Arc, which was at the beginning of the series. However, this is a character that fans have barely seen anything of.

Of course, Shanks has become more involved in the last few arcs, but he’s still a big mystery and fans can only hope that he starts to get more involved in the series. However, at the same time, fans also know that Shanks’ involvement in the plot of one piece moving forward is a guarantee. This is because the story is now heading into the Elbaf Arc, which is where fans know Shanks will likely appear properly and even fight Luffy. There is a lot for fans to expect from Shanks in Elbaf and hopefully this part of the story will do justice to this majestic Red-Haired Emperor.

Luffy’s strength in the Egghead Island arc of One Piece

• Luffy has awakened his devil fruit

• Luffy masters all types of Haki

When talking about the battle between Luffy and Shanks, fans would naturally compare the two. When it comes to height, both Luffy and Shanks are Yonko of the Sea. This means that they are both seen as somewhat equal in the eyes of the people of the world, but whether they are truly equal or not remains to be seen. For one, Shanks has been a Yonko for 6 years in total, while Luffy hasn’t been a Yonko for even a month. These two are very different in terms of battle experience, but at the same time, also in how they view fights in general. While their personalities may be somewhat similar, Shanks and Luffy are, at the end of the day, different characters and fight in different ways. Because of that, what they excel at also differs, which would naturally make a big difference in how their fight will play out in the second half of One Piece’s Elbaf arc.

When it comes to Luffy, fans know that he has taken a big step towards becoming the Pirate King by defeating Kaido. More than that, Luffy has awakened the power of Gomu Gomu no Mi, also known as Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. Luffy has become a master of this power and now possesses a majestic body that can do almost anything he wants. Luffy is only limited by his imagination, and that really sums up his greatest strength. He can do whatever he wants and at the same time frees those facing oppression, among many other things.

Luffy’s Devil Fruit is, at this point, his greatest source of power. Fans have seen how this Devil Fruit greatly enhanced him in the Wano Country Arc, allowing him to defeat Kaido for good. At the same time, on Egghead, Luffy was able to defeat a Navy admiral and hold off even an admiral and an elder at the same time. In truth, Luffy is a monstrously powerful pirate at this point, and his recent performance certainly backs that up very well.

While Luffy’s Devil Fruit powers are truly immense, he also excels at using Haki. Luffy is a user of all three types of Haki, which he has greatly advanced. Luffy can use the ability to see the future using Observation Haki, the ability to deal internal damage using Armament Haki, and above all, the power to infuse Conqueror’s Haki and completely destroy his opponents. All in all, Luffy is a very balanced pirate and is certainly among the strongest in the world.

Shanks’ greatest powers so far in One Piece

Shanks is a monstrously powerful Haki user.

When one compares Luffy to Shanks, one knows, first of all, that Shanks is not a devil fruit user. Luffy has several advantages when it comes to physical appearance. Shanks is just a normal human. Meanwhile, Luffy has the power of the Devil Fruit which greatly enhances his physical attributes. Zoan types are specifically known to enhance physical attributes, and Shanks certainly doesn’t have that. In terms of stamina, strength, recovery rate, and almost every other physical stat, Luffy is probably the superior pirate of the two.

However, Devil Fruit abilities aside, Shanks has other powers that Luffy doesn’t have and this is where things get very interesting. Shanks, as fans know, only has one weapon, and this is his Haki. In fact, Oda has shown that his Haki is terrifying in the past, and even the Five Elders compare it. Furthermore, Oda directly compared Shanks’ Haki to Joy Boy’s, showing that Shanks could be comparable to him in some ways, even if he wasn’t as strong as him.

Shanks has what Luffy lacks

Shanks’ Conqueror’s Haki is definitely superior to Luffy’s, and that will be a major factor in their next duel. Shanks will likely show him what it truly means to wield the Color of the High King and how this Haki is the only weapon he needs in battle. Shanks will also show other applications of the Color of the High King. This basically means that Shanks could show off his ability to kill Observation Haki using his Supreme King color, and this would greatly paralyze Luffy in battle. So far, Shanks is the one currently using this ability.

What makes Shanks even more intriguing is the fact that he hasn’t even shown the full potential of his powers. Shanks has barely shown what he is truly capable of, and only on two occasions has he shown a glimpse of his powers. The first time, Shanks attempted to subdue Admiral Greenbull from outside the country of Wano. He sent his Haki remotely from miles away and still managed to wound and subdue him. The second occasion was when Shanks fought Kid and Killer outside of Elbaf. With a single swing of his sword, he destroyed them both at the same time, and once again, this was a fitting demonstration of his strength.

But fans can be sure that Shanks has many powerful techniques up his sleeve that he hasn’t revealed yet. This means that Shanks could be on a level far beyond Luffy, and that his Haki is probably on a completely different level.

In Egghead, it became clear to fans that Luffy’s Conqueror’s Haki isn’t all that impressive. While Joyboy was able to negate the Elders’ powers and at the same time deal fatal damage to all the Marines on the island, Luffy was unable to replicate this feat. Shanks, on the other hand, made a direct comparison to Joy Boy and this essentially means that he can do something similar with his Haki. When Luffy and Shanks fight on Elbaf, it will probably be a lesson for Luffy, and Shanks will most likely dominate this battle. However, in the end, Luffy will have to learn from Shanks and surpass him, taking his Haki to the next level and ensuring that his crew can go even further. However, as of now, Shanks is even stronger than Gear 5 Luffy.

One Piece is available to read through Viz Media. Fans can read the series officially and for free on Shonen Jump and on plus sleeve application. The release date of the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1125, will be September 8, 2024.