The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger is certainly one of the most incredible figures in the One Piece world. At the beginning of the series, Roger was spoken of as an enigma, and his existence almost felt godlike. Little did fans know that as the story continues, Roger’s whole journey would be illustrated in the manga and he’d be treated by Oda just like any other character.

In the Wano Country Arc, fans got a flashback of the pirate Kozuki Oden, and naturally, Roger was a significant part of this particular segment of the story. Fans found out quite a lot about the former Pirate King, from his personality to his goals, and, of course, a glimpse of his strength as well. It is safe to say that Roger was the strongest person on the seas during his era, and he could only have been matched by Whitebeard at the time. But, even after Roger’s death, his legacy isn’t done for. Roger started the Great Pirate Era, and at the same time, he had his own apprentice active on the seas in the form of Shanks. More specifically, in the Final Saga of One Piece, fans saw Shanks utilize one of Roger’s techniques, which just goes to show the connection between these two characters. Now, Oda has finally revealed how Shanks was able to perform the same technique as his former Captain.

Shanks Reveals Roger’s Technique In The Egghead Arc

Shanks Fought Kid Outside Elbaf

Shanks Utilized Kamusari To Beat Kid

In the Final Saga of One Piece, fans knew that all the Yonko would be central to the plot. Given that the system of the Yonko was completely overhauled, with the removal of Big Mom and Kaido and the induction of Buggy and Luffy, a new system was on the rise. The Yonko are all aiming for the One Piece and fighting on the seas aggressively. These are the Pirates that are going to change the face of the world and naturally, Shanks finds himself at the center of it all. The Yonko are not the only people who are actively fighting on the seas. There are members of the Worst Generation who are making an impression with each passing day, and fans love to see them go up against stronger enemies and make their presence known. However, Eustass Kid wasn’t as lucky as some others.

Looks like the boss has seen some terrible future! – Beckman

In the final Saga, Kid attempted to attack Elbaf. More specifically, he planned to go up against Yonko Shanks, and his plan was absolutely suicidal. Kid put his life on the line and decided to decimate Shanks’s fleet. However, before he could even do it, Shanks emerged in front of him and launched a powerful attack called Divine Departure, also known as Kamusari. The attack was so powerful that it took out Kid in a single strike. In fact, not only did it take out Kid, but it also managed to knock out Killer with him. The Giants, Dorry and Brogy, followed up and sunk the Victoria Punk, which was the flagship of the Kid Pirates, to the bottom of the ocean.

Ever since then, fans have not seen or heard of Eustass Kid. More importantly, fans got a glimpse of what Shanks was truly capable of, and started wondering as to how he inherited Roger’s technique from him. Clearly, Shanks being able to utilize it means that he has a very deep connection with his former captain and that he still pays respect to him using his techniques.

How Shanks Learned Divine Departure According To Oda

Oda Reveals Shanks Talent In Battle

Thanks to the recent question-and-answer campaign that was led by Oda during One Piece break week, fans have a lot of exciting information at hand. Few expected Oda to answer a question about Shanks and Roger’s connection, but fans are incredibly excited to see this topic being tackled. Here’s what Oda was asked in the Q&A campaign:

Q5: The move “Kamusari” (Divine Departure) that was used to one-shot Kid was taught to Shanks by Roger, right? Or did he just learn it by observing it?

A5: He learned it by observing Roger from the back. No one in the Roger Pirates has been able to imitate it, so Shanks’s talent is truly surprising.

As is clear by Oda’s answer, Shanks was never taught this technique by Roger. It is simply because Shanks was observing Roger so carefully that he was able to learn this technique. Even among the many crewmates that followed Roger on the Oro Jackson, nobody could perform this technique, and Shanks was the only one.

This just goes to show that Shanks’s relationship with Roger was quite special and he idolized him like no one else. It also goes to show how incredible Shanks’s talent is. Being able to replicate a technique and perform it with incredible ferocity isn’t easy in any way. The fact that Shanks was able to do this just goes to show how skillful he truly is in the art of Haki usage.

Is Shanks Just As Strong As Roger?

Shanks Might Be On Roger’s Level

Naturally, Shanks being able to utilize techniques like Roger’s has led some fans to wonder how strong he truly is. Some believe that Shanks is weaker than Roger, while others believe he’s just as strong. The truth is that fans do not know the answer to this question yet. However, one would be lying if they said that Shanks did not have the same potential as Roger.

Shanks does not have a Devil Fruit, just like Roger, and all he utilizes in battle is his Haki. In fact, Shanks possesses one of the mightiest Haki in One Piece. Not only was his Haki praised by the likes of Whitebeard Pirates, including Whitebeard himself, but even an Admiral of the Marine in Green Bull was absolutely terrified of it. Furthermore, more recently, Shanks had his Haki compared to Joy Boy, which just goes to show that he is hovering around the same level. If a direct comparison can be drawn between Shanks and Joy Boy, then, there is absolutely no reason to deny the fact that Shanks should be close to the pirate in terms of strength.

As to whether Shanks is on Roger’s, level, the answer is that he could very well be. While his Bounty isn’t reflective of that, Shanks was always on the sidelines waiting for something to happen before he went all out in the quest for the One Piece. Furthermore, Shanks is not the Pirate king and Roger’s bounty was indicative of the fact that he claimed the One Piece and learned all the secrets of the world. In reality, Shanks is likely much stronger than the other characters in the story, and Oda will slowly go on to reveal his true power level.