Redhead Shanks is one of the most powerful characters in the world. one piece Officially confirmed as one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. one piece Episode 432 was released in the 48th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump on October 30, 2006. Since then, Shanks has only grown in importance, with series creator Eiichiro Oda showing great strength in his character. Given that Shanks has no Devil Fruit abilities, he has always relied primarily on his Supreme King Haki as his primary weapon in battle.
But the last saga one piece An even more interesting upgrade is in store for the red-haired emperor in the form of a devil fruit sword similar to his brother Shamrock. Shanks wields the power of a special blade known as the Gryphon, which allows him to possess tremendous abilities that would now officially make him the most powerful mortal in the world of One Piece.
One Piece, like Shamrock, lineups a mythical Zoan sword called Gryphon for the shins.
in one piece SBS Vol. In issue #87, which was officially released on August 7, 2018, Eiichiro Oda confirmed to us that Shanks possesses a legendary sword named Gryphon. As its name suggests, the Gryphon is a legendary beast with the lower body of a lion, including the limbs, wings, and head of a giant eagle. This legendary creature is quite popular in mythology, and soon after Eiichiro Oda revealed the name of the sword, many of us began to draw connections between the two. Only later did the connection strengthen. one piece Episode 1138 was released in the 10th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump on February 3, 2025.
Q. What is the name of Red-Haired Shanks' sword?
A: I think it's called 'Gryphon'. We've known Shanks since the first chapter, but how does he actually fight?
— Oda makes fun of Shanks' devil fruit blade, Volume 87 SBS
One Piece presents a new mythical god transformation for the first time in 4 years
The climax of the One Piece Elbaf arc features a powerful mythical god transformation similar to the sun god Nika.
In this chapter, Eiichiro Oda revealed the Devil Fruit sword abilities of Shanks' older brother, Shamrock Pigaland. Like Shanks, Shamrock also has a sword with a creature motif, and in his case, this sword is called Cerberus. as we saw one piece Chapter 1138, Shamrock can use this Cerberus sword to transform into the real Cerberus and then use its power to attack enemies. Cerberus's power was enough to fatally wound Loki, and potentially kill him if a clean blow was fired. This same logic can be applied to Shanks' Gryphon sword. Shanks may be a tremendous user of Haki, but he may also be a phenomenal user of the Devil Fruit sword. In his case, he could potentially unleash the power of the Gryphon, making him one of the most powerful mythical Zoan users, albeit indirectly.
“You don't need to get my hands dirty. Do it, Cerberus! This is my sword. If you want to survive this, kill me quickly. I am ready for you.” — Shamrock explaining the power of the Devil Fruit sword, One Piece Chapter 1138
Why Shanks' Devil Fruit Sword Could Make Him a Deadly Combatant
Founder Eiichiro Oda one pieceWe have already provided several examples of Shanks' amazing Haki achievements. When you meet Whitebeard, do you drop his corpse like a fly? one piece On November 13, 2006, Chapter 434, an incident occurred several miles away, injuring and paralyzing a Marine Admiral with a powerful Conqueror Haki arrow. one piece Whether covering episode 1055 on August 1, 2022 or taking down both Kid and Killer with a single swing of his blade in episode 1079 of One Piece, Shanks has done it all when it comes to using the Great King Haki. He has already established himself as a top-tier warrior and has the potential to become the strongest character in the series among the current mortals. But best of all, Shanks may hold a hidden trump card that has not been used so far in the series in the form of the Gryphon Blade.
Marco: As always, he's playing great hockey!
Shangyi: Excuse me. It's hard to keep calm on enemy ships. I didn't come to fight.
Whitebeard: And yet you are an idiot who took off hockey without any restrictions!
— An exchange showing Shanks' giant Haki, One Piece Chapter #434
As is clear from looking at Shamrock, Shanks could potentially field a sword with him in combat. The sword can then fight alongside Shanks, making him even more deadly, especially when coated in his powerful Great King's colors. Shanks and Gryphon could potentially form one of the best tag teams in the series and work together against any foe. Shanks himself is already above the average Yonko level, but with Gryphon by his side, he can reach a whole new level of power. This is what makes him a lethal combatant that surpasses the majority of the One Piece universe.
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Shanks' sword and Haki's power combine to make him the strongest mortal in the final saga of One Piece.
Right now, one piece It is at the climax of the Elbaf Arc. In Episode 1179 of One Piece, Issue 19 of Weekly Shonen Jump, which was officially released on April 5, 2026, Nerona Imu appeared in the Land of Giants and was revealed to be the current strongest player in the verse. That said, Nerona Imu is technically not mortal. Imu is immortal thanks to Ope Ope no Mi's surgery, and furthermore, is virtually unstoppable due to the immense power she wields using her Akuma no Mi abilities. For those unbranded as mortals and Nerona Imu's covenant, Shanks is the most powerful we've ever seen.
“Before Shanks stopped Loki six years ago, no one could stop him! Do you know what power Loki wields? Or how many casualties there will be in the slightest chance that he goes on a rampage?” — Scopper Gaban overestimates Shanks' power, One Piece Chapter 1139
If Shanks' Gryphon truly works in the same way as Shamrock's Cerberus, he could potentially become the most powerful mortal, of greater magnitude than Monkey D. Luffy, who possesses the powers of the Sun God Nika, as confirmed in Chapter 1044, released in the 17th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump on March 23, 2022. All things considered, Shanks is already an absolute force of nature and will likely continue to reach greater heights once the Elbaf arc is completed. We all expect Oda to focus more on Shanks once the battle in the Giants' Nation is over and unleash his full power to show what Shanks is truly capable of.
All new manga chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece can be read through Manga Plus and Biz Media.
