Much has been written about Shanks here on Proximité Japon, but he's truly such an amazing character that he fully deserves our full attention. This article will also focus on Shanks, as we'll be telling you a bit about his powers and abilities. Our goal is to determine whether Shanks is—currently—the most powerful pirate in the One Piece world, which is why we've undertaken the task of writing this article. We'll also tell you what his exact powers and abilities are.

Shanks is definitely one of the three most powerful living pirates in One Piece. In fact, we've never seen the full extent of his powers, so we don't know if he's the most powerful living pirate, but the only ones who might be stronger than him right now are Blackbeard and Luffy (Mihawk is a better swordsman, but not a better pirate overall), but that remains to be seen.

The rest of this article will focus on Shanks and his powers and abilities. Our main goal in this article is to determine whether Shanks is stronger than the other living pirates in One Piece. If you're not familiar with the entire story of One Piece, we must warn you that there are spoilers in the following paragraphs.

What are Shanks' powers and abilities?

Shanks's true abilities remain unknown, as he has yet to be seen seriously engaged in battle. However, as a member of the Four Emperors of the New World, his raw physical power is considered immense, and he is known to be one of the four strongest pirates in the world. Shanks did not fear Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world, and even had enough strength to oppose him, while some pirate captains trembled at the mere mention of the latter's name.

He was able to swim ten years before Luffy embarked on his adventure, meaning he didn't consume any Devil Fruits while competing with Mihawk. The Five Elders also stated that he was one of the few people capable of stopping Marshall D. Teach. His power must be quite great since Admiral Akainu had fought many men and some sea warlords at Marineford until he reached Luffy, but didn't challenge Shanks when the emperor appeared.

He also appears to be an excellent swimmer, having reached young Luffy in the middle of the sea before the Lord of the Coast could devour him. According to Buggy, Shanks was a powerful fighter from a young age, and if he hadn't been "naive," Buggy would have taken him into his crew.

As a member of the Four Emperors, Shanks is not only a key figure in piracy, but also one of the most feared in the New World: his name alone exudes great power, as Buggy himself has proven; his claim that he previously shared a "brotherly bond" with Shanks was one of the many things that earned him the respect of the former inmates of Impel Down.

Furthermore, Buggy did not hesitate to use the names of Shanks and his former captain, Gol D. Roger, to maintain his respect among them. Even the fact that Buggy was seen talking to Shanks was seen as a testament to Buggy's power over the former prisoners, who were unaware that the two had always acted this way. They mistakenly believed it was because Buggy was unafraid of an emperor due to his own strength.

Shanks is powerful enough to end the war at Marineford with just words; when he declared that there should be no more fighting, no one rose to challenge him. When Shanks offered Blackbeard a fight, the latter refused and decided to leave, as it was too soon for him and his crew to fight Shanks. Furthermore, when Shanks demanded that Whitebeard and Portgas D. Ace's dignity not be violated following their deaths, Sengoku himself also decided to end the war and took responsibility for it, showing that despite his rank as a pirate, Shanks is highly respected by Sengoku.

Another testament to his influence: he managed to secure a privileged interview with the Five Elders, despite his status; this nevertheless shows that he knows how to distinguish himself among his peers as someone who is reasonable and cooperative.

Shanks is usually depicted with a sword. While its use has only been briefly demonstrated, the fact that he was able to match a strike from Whitebeard with a single arm is a clear indication of the strength of his attacks. Shanks is also powerful enough to stop Akainu's Magma Fist using both his sword and Armament Haki.

Mihawk is ranked as the greatest swordsman in the world, and Shanks is a former rival of Mihawk, allowing for comparisons in their mastery of the weapon. Shanks appears to have favored the use of his left arm before losing it, as he is still seen holding his sword with his left hand in flashbacks. It is presumed that he was left-handed.

Until now, Shanks has only wielded one sword in combat. His sword, Griffon, is a large saber with a single-edged blade. Shanks has wielded three different swords at different times in the past: two different swords as an apprentice pirate aboard Gol D. Roger's ship, and another in Luffy's hometown. In One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, Shanks wields a large pistol that he uses during certain combos.

Shanks can use all three types of Haki. Even Whitebeard complimented him on his Haki when he used it during his "visit." He demonstrated the use of both Royal Haki and Armament Haki. When Shanks and Whitebeard clashed, the "heavens" above them split, showing the incredible power of the Armament Haki that both emperors had imbued into their weapons.

During the Battle of Marineford, he imbued his sword with Armament Haki to block a Logia-type attack from Akainu. Shanks can use Observation Haki, and at a fairly strong level, as he spots a strange presence among the inhabitants of Wano Country. Shanks can also use Royal Haki, an ability that only one in a million people can use.

After saving Luffy from a sea monster, he scared the monster off with a furious glare using his Haki. Later, as Shanks boards Whitebeard's ship, many of Whitebeard's men (experienced men who survived in the New World) were knocked unconscious by his overpowered Royal Haki, and the ship itself even began to take physical damage from Shanks' mere presence, indicating that he is emanating great power.

Oda mentioned in an SBS that Shanks was able to eliminate all 100,000 pirates and fishmen opposing the Straw Hats during the Fish-Man Island Arc with his Royal Haki, while Luffy managed to eliminate "only" 50,000 of them.

Is Shanks the most powerful pirate in One Piece?

Well, based on what we've said about his powers and abilities, Shanks is definitely one of the most powerful living pirates in the world of One Piece. He's a Yonko, one of the few pirates respected by the Five Elders, and a pirate whose name means a lot—so much so, in fact, that his mere presence was enough to stop the Marineford War. That speaks for itself. On top of that, there isn't a pirate alive who's brave enough to face Shanks right now (except maybe Luffy, but the two are friends).

As for living pirates, the only two names that come close to Shanks' level are Blackbeard and Luffy. Blackbeard isn't a great fighter per se, but he does possess two Devil Fruits, which makes him quite dangerous; plus, he fights dirty. It must be said, however, that Blackbeard fears Shanks and has refused to fight the red-haired pirate in the past, which is a sign that he thinks he'd lose.

As for Luffy, his powers have been and will continue to grow, so he will eventually surpass Shanks. Currently, after unlocking Gear 5 and the true powers of his Devil Fruit, he is probably close to Shanks' level, but since they are both friends, a fight between them is unlikely. As for Mihawk, whom you have probably thought of, Mihawk is a better swordsman than Shanks, but he is not the strongest pirate overall.

This is why Shanks could easily be the most powerful pirate alive; he seems to be stronger than Blackbeard and Luffy could be at his level at the moment, but this is debatable. As for his predecessors, Shanks was at the same level of power as Whitebeard in his old age and he has not reached the level of power that Gol D. Roger had.