Shanks is one of the most powerful combatants in the One Piece verse at the moment, but there’s one character with potentially higher Observation Haki and overall strength, which is Dracule Mihawk. Mihawk holds the title of the Strongest Swordsman in the World and is a long-time rival of Shanks.
It was this character who once made a correct evaluation of Luffy. He stated that the ability to rally people around him is the most powerful ability in all the seas.
Mihawk Might Have Better Haki Than Shanks in One Piece
Mihawk, the solitary swordsman in One Piece, is canonically the strongest swordsman in the world. His title is a testament to his unparalleled dedication to his craft. However, one can perfect swordsmanship only by using Observation and Armament Haki. Expertise over Haki helps create a well-rounded sword wielder.
As the strongest swordsman, Mihawk must have incredibly powerful Haki. He has extraordinary eyesight and was able to easily trace Luffy’s Gear 2 movements. He even struck Luffy with controlled precision and no wasted movements. However, for decades, Eiichiro Oda has held back Mihawk, and the character has not played much of a role in the entire series other than teaching Zoro how to use Haki.
There is a huge chance that Oda is actually saving Mihawk to drop him once a crazy battle unfolds. Shanks might be powerful, but even he might feel dominated by Mihawk’s haki-infused sword strikes. There is a high chance that Mihawk will end up being the final adversary that either Shanks or Zoro has to face.
Here is a table with the most deadly abilities of Mihawk Dracule
Mihawk Was Right on the Money With His Assessment of Luffy’s Greatest Power
Mihawk confirmed that the greatest power of Luffy isn’t just his Devil Fruit or Haki, or Gear 5 powers. Instead, it is the boy’s uncanny ability to rally people around him. Mihawk acknowledged that Luffy’s true power lies in uniting people under a single banner. Since it comes from a man as accomplished as Mihawk, there has to be some truth to it.
Luffy has always believed in unity. He created the Straw Hat Pirates by selecting its members himself. He has always been open to who can join his crew. Luffy’s infectious energy can even turn antagonists into his supporters. Whether it is Bon Clay, Galdino, Crocodile, or Franky, Luffy has created allies out of villains.
In order to win the final battle of One Piece, Luffy can’t just rely on his Devil Fruit powers. He also has to rely on his crew, as well as everyone else who will end up following him. He will need a much bigger crew than just the Straw Hats for a revolution of such a massive scale.
Do you think Mihawk’s insights into Luffy are correct? Do you also think Eiichiro Oda is reserving Mihawk for a huge battle ahead? Let us know in the comments below.
One Piece is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
