In One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy recently underwent one of the most significant transformations seen in the entire series. By awakening the powers of his Devil Fruit, Luffy is now able to harness the powers of the sun god, Nika, and become the Warrior of Liberation. While in his Gear 5 state, Luffy is able to take on some of One Piece‘s strongest pirates of all time, but is he ready for a showdown against his brother Shanks?

The Red-Haired Pirate Shanks has always been revered as one of the strongest pirates in One Piece, and his destined reunion with Luffy has long had fans questioning whether he may actually be evil or, at the very least, one of the final bosses standing in Luffy’s way when it comes to capturing the One Piece treasure. Taking a closer look at Luffy’s Gear 5 powers and comparing them with Shanks’ own strengths reveals two wildly different fighting styles. Should Luffy and Shanks have a showdown in One Piece‘s final saga, it will undoubtedly be a fight for the ages, regardless of who wins.

Luffy’s Gear 5 Brings Him to Incredible New Power Levels

His Devil Fruit Awakening Makes Him Truly Godlike

Luffy awakening his Devil Fruit Powers and attaining Gear 5 completely changed One Piece forever. Luffy achieved this milestone ability during his final fight with Kaido on Onigashima. Not only did he prove himself able to use the powers of the Sun God Nika, his proficiency caused a lot of speculation that he is the second coming of One Piece‘s most legendary character, Joy Boy.

Luffy’s Gear 5 awakening gives him reality-bending levels of power, with enhanced physical strength, speed and agility. It’s a remarkable step up from his other gear levels, with Luffy himself describing Gear 5 as where he feels completely free in himself and his abilities. Even more remarkable, Luffy is able to use his Gear 3 and Gear 4 attacks while in Gear 5, further enhancing his already strong abilities and making them even more lethal.

While in his Gear 5 transformation, Luffy can finally use his Devil Fruit’s true potential, which he demonstrated in his fight against Kaido. Finally securing a long-needed victory against the fearsome King of the Beasts, the epic showdown was a full display of Luffy’s ultimate potential. As strong as the form is, however, it does have its weaknesses. Most of them are rooted in Luffy’s inexperience with Gear 5, which means with enough time he can master it fully and overcome the downfalls. The new form consumes massive amounts of Luffy’s energy to maintain and use, and the fatigue is visible once his transformation wears off. Because his Devil Fruit is a hybrid, the Zoan awakening also runs the risk of the Sun God Nika consuming Luffy’s mind while in Gear 5, meaning he must choose his battles wisely.

Shanks is One of the Most Powerful Pirates in the World

His Mysterious Powers Should Not Be Underestimated

Shanks has always been one of the most important background characters in One Piece. Although he rarely takes the spotlight, his reputation as a fierce pirate is most definitely well-known throughout the world. Still, there is a certain air of mystery around Shanks’ power levels, because he’s rarely seen fighting, unlike Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates.

One Piece has given clues as to just how much power Shanks has, and as one of the Four Emperors, he is guaranteed to be one of the four most powerful pirates in the world. In Episode 316 of One Piece, it was revealed that Shanks had even competed in daily duels with Dracule Mihawk— the Strongest Swordsman in the World —proving that Shanks has many facets to his legendary power, including being one of the very few people in the world who have mastered all three types of Haki.

Shanks is so powerful, in fact, that his mere presence is enough to stop other characters from fighting. During the war at Marineford, Shanks was powerful enough to simply say that there would be no more fighting, and no character dared challenge him, even after the deaths of Ace and Whitebeard. The most impressive part of Shank’s incredible powers may be the fact that he’s not consumed a Devil Fruit, grounding all of his powers in his own natural strength.

Both Shanks and Luffy Have their Strengths and Weaknesses

Their Fighting Styles Appear to be Nearly Polar Opposites

Both Luffy and Shanks have considerable strengths and weaknesses when it comes to their fighting, and a potential fight between the two may ultimately come down to which fighter is able to exploit the other’s weaknesses most skillfully. A fight between the two would see Luffy’s chaotic Gear 5 put to the test against Shanks’ precise control of the battlefield.

Luffy has always been one of the most creative fighters in One Piece, and his unpredictability and versatility remain one of his biggest assets. With Gear 5, his power becomes even more limitless, and this could easily catch an unsuspecting opponent off-guard to give Luffy an easy victory. Unfortunately for him, Shanks is one of the very few people in One Piece that would ever put themselves in a position to be taken by surprise.

One of Shanks’ biggest strengths is his experience as a pirate and his leadership abilities. With a long history as a pirate, Shanks has seen his fair share of fights, and he’s kept a close eye on Luffy over the years too, meaning he likely knows what to expect when it comes to the young Straw Hat’s most likely attack methods. Shank’s extraordinary mastery of Conqueror’s Haki also makes him an incredibly deadly fighter, and he would most certainly use it were he ever to face Luffy in battle. Shanks’ one weakness may be his lack of Devil Fruit powers — but that could also easily turn out to be an asset for the pirate.

Luffy vs Shanks Could Be One of One Piece’s Biggest Wildcard Battles

Being One Piece’s Main Character May Not Be Enough to Secure Luffy’s Victory

Shanks has years of experience as a pirate and is well-versed when it comes to battle strategy, so a fight between the two could turn in Shanks’ favor if Luffy doesn’t play his cards right. However, Luffy is an incredibly reckless and imaginative fighter. If he can crack through Shanks’ calm demeanor, he may spur the Red-Haired Pirate to make a grave mistake in battle.

There are a few hypothetical scenarios that could play out were Luffy ever to face Shanks on the battlefield. Gear 5’s unpredictability could give Luffy the edge, especially if enough time passes between Luffy’s activation of Gear 5 before he battles Shanks. Luffy’s biggest weakness in his powerful new form is his inexperience, but with each new Gear 5 fight, Luffy gains more mastery over his transformation, making him more likely to be able to hold his own against the Emperor.

Another outcome could easily see Shanks using his superior Conqueror’s Haki to make quick work of Luffy. One of Shanks’ most notable uses of Haki is his ability to infuse his Conqueror’s Haki into his sword, Gryphon. This level of raw power is something Luffy hasn’t gone up against before, and he could easily be in over his head. However, given One Piece‘s rich plot, the most likely outcome in a battle between the two would be a stalemate. The personal connection between Luffy and Shanks, along with Shanks being somewhat of a mentor to the young pirate, would likely stop either one from being able to decisively win the battle before trying to work things out in a more amicable way.

Does Luffy Need to Beat Shanks to Become Pirate King?

Fan Theories Suggest a Fight Between the Two May Be Inevitable

The history between Shanks and Luffy goes all the way back to the very beginning of the series, and it’s clear that the two characters have a very important bond, even if their paths have diverged as time went on. Shanks has recently returned to prominence in One Piece‘s final saga. One of the earliest moments in the story may have made a battle between Luffy and Shanks inevitable before Luffy’s adventures are able to conclude.

Shanks gifted Luffy his iconic Straw Hat when he was just a child after saving his life in a battle with the Sea King. Because of Luffy’s youth and inexperience, Shanks laughs at his dreams of becoming a pirate, telling him he doesn’t have what it takes. Still, he gave Luffy his straw hat and told him to return it once he became a “great pirate”, meaning once Luffy had earned the title of Pirate King, presumably at the ending of the story.

Since then, Luffy’s Straw Hat has accompanied him on all of his journeys, becoming a crucial part of his identity as a pirate. From the start of his adventure, Luffy has had his eye on becoming the Pirate King, but will he be willing to make good on his promise and give back his legendary hat once he realizes his dreams? Considering Luffy’s journey has been nothing short of legendary, and he’s shown incredible growth along the way, he may be willing to part with the hat without much conflict — but if he doesn’t, Shanks may be forced to teach Luffy an important lesson before One Piece‘s story finally draws to an end.