FewOne Piececharacters can generate the same hype as Shanks. He is the chief of the Red Hair Pirates, and one of the Yonko. Shanks is an integral part of the story, but he has one of the lowest screen times among all the characters inOne Piece. Despite not being involved in many incidents, Shanks is still adored by the masses.
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Shanks began his pirating career at a young age. He was a member of the Roger Pirates, and he traveled with them to many different places. After the Roger Pirates disbanded, Shanks began to recruit new crewmates for his own crew. Shanks gathered many notable allies, and since then he has gone on to achieve many great things.
7Stopping Kaido From Reaching Marineford
Kaido was called the “Strongest Creature in the World.” He had a fierce reputation that was only bettered by his strength. Kaido believed that only in war could people be equal, which was reflected in his demeanor. When the Whitebeard Pirates were engaged in combat with the Marines, Kaido wanted to go to Marineford.
Considering the strength of Kaido’s crew, they would have massacred almost everyone on the island. The incident would have caused a drastic shift in the balance of power. So, Shanks stepped in and prevented Kaido from interfering with the Summit War.
6Saving Koby From Akainu
The Summit War remains one of the biggest wars in the series. It started due to the Marines trying to execute Portgas D. Ace. Whitebeard’s love for his sons wouldn’t let him stand idly by when the life of one of his sons was in danger. Unfortunately, Whitebeard’s failing health didn’t help him in the war.
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Both Whitebeard and Ace died, giving the Marines a major victory. However, Akainu was not satisfied with the result, and he wanted to eradicate every criminal on Marineford. Akainu’s selfishness affected the Marines as well, and many of them lost their lives. So, Koby decided to try and stop the Admiral. Akainu was not pleased with Koby’s speech and decided to attack the young Marine. Luckily for Koby, Shanks managed to arrive in the nick of time and saved him.
5Clashing Against Whitebeard
Whitebeard is a legendary figure in theOne Pieceworld. He used to be a member of the Rocks Pirates before he started his own crew. Whitebeard’s crew became famous within no time, and they were considered a major threat by the Marines.
While the crew had many strong fighters, Whitebeard was easily the highlight of the crew. He was calledthe “Strongest Man in the World” and was believed to have enough power to destroy the entire world. Despite his reputation, Shanks managed to confront him without showing any signs of fear. When the two pirates met on Moby Dick, there was a brief moment where they clashed their weapons. This resulted in the skies being split in two. Considering Whitebeard’s strength, it was a big achievement for Shanks to be able to match him.
4Defeating Eustass Kid With A Single Attack
Eustass Kid and Shanks have a history. The Worst Generation member had challenged the Red Hair Pirates and ended up losing his left arm. Afterthe Wano Country arc, Kid traveled to Elbaf, where he crossed paths with the Red Hair Pirates again.
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The Supernova had grown much stronger since their last meeting, and Shanks managed to see it via his Kenbunshoku Haki. So, Shanks decided to attack Kid with his Divine Departure, the same move used by Roger. With the help of this attack, Shanks was able to defeat Kid with one swift strike. This particular event highlighted the difference between the power of Shanks and the others.
3Saving Luffy From Local Sea Monster
Luffy adores Shanks and considers him an important figure in his life. Shanks inspired Luffy to become a pirate, and the latter would have probably joined the Marines if he had not met Shanks. Luffy consumedthe Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, that Shanks had stolen, which has played a massive role in the young pirate’s successes.
But none of these things would mean anything if Luffy wasn’t alive. When Higuma left Luffy to die in the sea, it was Shanks who sacrificed his left arm to save him from the Local Sea Monster.
2Stopping The War At Marineford
The Marineford arc is one of the best in the series. It follows the epic war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines. The war between the two sides had many casualties, including Whitebeard and Ace. The deaths of these two characters allowed the Marines to run amok.
They would have obliterated each and every pirate if not for Shanks' intervention. Shanks arrived at Marineford with his crew, which alsoforced the Blackbeard Piratesto stop their rampage. Sengoku took the opportunity to call back his soldiers and brought the war to a close. The Fleet Admiral admitted that he only did so because Shanks had requested to end the war.
1Fighting Kaido
The Wano Country arc revealed the true strength of Kaido. He was considered unbeatable in a 1v1. Throughout his life, Kaido faced many opponents, but only a few managed to leave an impression on him. While fighting Luffy, Kaido revealed the only people who had managed to injure him. The list included: Whitebeard, Roger, Xebec, Oden, and Shanks.
Whitebeard and Roger were known as the strongest pirates ever. Xebec was the ruthless and tyrannicalcaptain of the Rocks Pirates, who didn’t hesitate to beat his own crewmates. Oden had managed to leave a major scar on Kaido decades prior to the current timeline. Being a part of this elite list makes Shanks really special. There has only been one confirmed meeting between Shanks and Kaido, which took place outside Marineford. It is highly likely that Shanks matched him, forcing the fellow Yonko to retreat.
