This article contains spoilers for One Piece’s Elbaf arc.
One Piece is currently in the Elbaf arc, and here, Of has revealed all sorts of exciting bits of information to the fans about the powerful pirates of the world, both current and former. The Loki flashback has given the fans a good look at the strongest pirates of the old era, while in the current timeline, another powerful pirate, Shanks is at the center of all things.
Fans know very well that Shanks is an absolute monster when it comes to power. His strength is absolutely immense and he is easily among the strongest pirates of the time, if not the sole strongest. But, strong as he is, Shanks isn’t unbeatable. There are those who have the potential to surpass Shanks, and Oda has already highlighted in his story who will beat Shanks and how.
Shanks Is A Monster Comparable To Roger In Power
Shanks Doesn’t Have A Devil Fruit
Shanks Is A Monster Of Haki
In the current era of pirates, Shanks stands out as one of the most powerful figures and by quite a mile. Having become a Yonko around 6 years ago, Shanks didn’t quite much of a storm in the New World. In fact, Shanks was actually lying low all this time and waiting for the arrival of Nika. A good glimpse of Shanks’s power was given to the fans when he fought against Kid and beat him in a single swing of his blade. Shanks absolutely destroyed Kid, a monster that even Kaido and Big Mom struggled to put down easily.
You were supposed to lead the new era like Captain Roger! — Buggy to Shanks
The fact is that Shanks is just like Roger in One Piece. He doesn’t have a Devil Fruit and is fully reliant on Haki. Of course, that in itself isn’t enough to say that he’s like Roger, but the fact that Shanks learned Roger’s fighting style and uses it right now to perfection is solid evidence.
Only Luffy Can Beat Shanks In The Future
Luffy Has To Surpass Roger
Luffy is the protagonist of One Piece and fans know very well that he must surpass Roger. In fact, even Roger himself believed that he and his crew would one day be surpassed by someone in the future. Luffy is that person, but the fact that Roger is dead complicates things on paper. The solution to this for Oda was Shanks, who has clearly inherited the strength of the Pirate King.
I plan on beating all four of em. As long as Shanks isn’t the first. — Luffy to Law
Not only does Luffy have to surpass Roger, but he must also go beyond Joy Boy. At this point in time, Luffy isn’t on the level of either. But, as time progresses, he has to go beyond Joy Boy, simply because the plot requires him to do so. To succeed where Joy Boy failed means that Luffy must be even stronger.
One Piece Chapter 1157 will be out this week. As usual, One Piece is going to drop on Sunday. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday. However, the vast majority of international readers will see the chapter available on August 17. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1157 is August 17, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.
