One Piece: Oda Has Already Revealed The Strongest Pirate In The Final Saga

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This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Final Saga.

The final arc of *One Piece* has been incredible so far, and Oda is delivering exactly what fans have been waiting for: a greater focus on the series’ most powerful characters. As Oda himself has stated, this final arc is centered around unraveling the biggest mysteries and showcasing the strongest fighters. It’s well known that Oda intentionally held back information on these key characters until now, and he’s gradually revealing their stories one by one.

With major characters like the Four Emperors, the World Government’s Holy Knights, the Five Elders, and even Imu being revealed, fans are eager to determine who the strongest pirate currently is. While many characters could claim the title of the most powerful pirate in the Final Saga, Oda has made it clear – through both his statements and how he’s portrayed them in the story – that the strongest pirate at this point is Shanks, the Red-Haired Emperor.

Shanks Is The Strongest Pirate In The Final Saga

Shanks Holds The Strongest Haki

  • He inherited the power of Roger and Rocks
  • Shanks is a monster in strength

In the world of *One Piece*, the Four Emperors are considered the most powerful pirates. These captains – Luffy, Blackbeard, Buggy, and Shanks – are widely believed to be the strongest. However, currently, Red-Haired Shanks is considered to be above even the other Emperors. Shanks is renowned for his immense power, which largely comes from his extraordinarily strong Haki abilities.

I suppose I can see the Navy’s point, but attacking those young pirates, the ones who really changed things? It feels excessive, doesn’t it? It makes me wonder if they’re just scared of what’s coming next.

Shanks doesn’t rely on a Devil Fruit; his incredible power comes from Haki, which he’s mastered to an extraordinary degree, arguably making him the strongest pirate alive. He’s proficient in all three types of Haki, including advanced forms, and currently stands as the most impressive user of advanced Conqueror’s Haki since Joy Boy. In fact, the author, Oda, has explicitly compared Shanks’s Haki to that of Joy Boy. Shanks’s Haki is so potent that he can easily incapacitate even powerful figures like Admirals and knock out Vice Admirals – a feat shared only with Joy Boy.

Adding to his incredible power, Shanks possesses a uniquely rare form of Haki called Observation Killing, which lets him effectively eliminate an opponent’s ability to foresee attacks. He’s demonstrated the strength to defeat an army of three billion soldiers, along with a powerful commander, with a single sword swing, solidifying his position as the strongest pirate in the current storyline.

The Red Hair Pirates, captained by the renowned Red-Haired Shanks, are considered an exceptionally strong and well-rounded team with no apparent flaws. This assessment comes from Brannew.

Shanks Is Luffy’s Goal In The Final Saga

He Must Be The Strongest Pirate In the Last Stretch

It makes sense that Shanks is currently the strongest pirate in the story. When he gave Luffy the Straw Hat, Luffy vowed to one day exceed Shanks and his crew. While both are now powerful Emperors, Shanks is still more powerful. The story is building towards a fight between Luffy and Shanks, and that battle will be when Luffy finally proves himself as the strongest, taking the title from Shanks. Until that happens, Shanks rightfully holds that position.

One Piece Chapter 1161 is scheduled for release this week, as usual on Sundays. While it becomes available in Japan at midnight on Monday (JST), most international fans will be able to read it on September 28th. The official release date is September 28, 2025, and the chapter will be available to read for free on Manga Plus.

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2025-09-26 01:35