Although Luffy started as a mentor and idol to Luffy in One Piece, after the events of Wano, for the first time, these two are now on equal footing.

With Luffy becoming one of the Emperors of the Sea, Luffy is starting to finally become a great pirate, and may, for the first time, have the opportunity to return the Straw Hat like he promised so many years ago. During the current arc of One Piece, the Elbaf Arc, this may be a possibility, as many fans predict that Luffy will finally reunite with Shanks on this island.

However, now that Luffy is on the same level as One Piece’s Red Hair Pirate Captain, many fans are wondering whether or not Luffy has reached Shanks’s level in terms of strength. While Luffy has defeated an Emperor in the past, in a straight 1v1 with no assistance, Luffy may struggle far more. This leaves many fans with the question: could current Luffy finally beat Shanks in a fight?

Luffy And Shanks Are Both Powerful One Piece Emperors

Being Emperors The Two Are On Fairly Equal Footing

Luffy, after his journeys throughout the Land of Wano, has finally reached what many fans consider to be Emperor-level. With mastery over Haki, as well as a ridiculously overpowered Devil Fruit, the Human-Human Fruit Model: Sun God Nika, Luffy was able to clash with and defeat Kaido, one of One Piece’s strongest characters. Although it’s hard to say who is stronger between those two characters still, Luffy is definitely, at the very least, fighting on equal terms with an Emperor.

Do me a favor, keep this hat safe for me. – Shanks to a young Luffy

Shanks, on the other hand, has been an Emperor of the Sea for many years and has shown off on a few occasions how strong he is. Besides having a very strong crew, Shanks himself is an excellent swordsman with incredible One Piece Haki skills. Despite not appearing too often, when Shanks does appear, he is able to quickly destroy his enemies with remarkable feats of Haki, including decimating Captain Kid’s ship with one attack.

Shanks May Be A Bit Stronger Than Luffy

It Takes More Than Strength To Win A Fight Though

In Terms Of Power Shanks Is Stronger Than Luffy

Emotional Factors Could Help Luffy Win

Now, since Captain Kid was at a fairly similar level to Luffy on Wano, Shanks may still have a bit of an advantage over Luffy in a fight. Although Luffy could hold his own against Shanks at this point in the story, Luffy needs a bit more training to face Shanks’s incredible Haki-based attacks. However, with that being said, power isn’t the only thing that decides a battle.

Luffy may have a few advantages over Shanks, considering the relationship between the two strong One Piece characters. Firstly, Shanks and Luffy, if they were to fight, would most likely have a friendly battle. If neither character is going for an immediate victory, and if they are just sparring, the Straw Hat Captain may have a few more opportunities to pull out a surprising victory. Additionally, because of their past, a fight between Luffy and Shanks may be more of a test than an actual battle, with Shanks potentially holding back to see how far Luffy has come.

Shanks Will Still Win A Fight Versus One Piece’s Current Luffy

In A Fight With No External Factors Shanks Will Win

However, in a normal 1v1 fight, with no outside factors, emotional or otherwise, Shanks would most likely still win against Luffy. However, if Luffy is given the opportunity to grow a little stronger during his adventures on Elbaf, the results of the fight may be entirely different. Plus, Luffy at the end of the series will most likely surpass Shanks as well, growing to be one of the strongest pirates in One Piece.

By experiencing both victory and defeat, running away and shedding tears, a man will become a man. – Shanks

In the end, while it’s fun to speculate who would win in a fight between these characters, seeing Luffy and Shanks in a serious battle would be one of One Piece’s most heartbreaking moments. These characters have a deep respect for each other and wish to see the other succeed. An all-out fight would completely undermine the purpose of their relationship unless it was a simple bout of friendly sparring. Due to this, it’s more than okay that the audience may never see a serious fight between Luffy and Shanks in the story of One Piece.