The One Piece fandom is once again locked in a heated power-scaling war, and this time the question is as explosive as it gets: is Rocks D. Xebec actually stronger than the current version of Shanks?
With the God Valley arc shining a spotlight on the legendary era and fleshing out Rocks’ terrifying presence, fans are comparing him directly to the Yonko who has spent the Final Saga casually one-shotting major threats and clashing with the strongest pirates alive. What started as a simple matchup discussion has now evolved into one of the most divisive debates in the community.
Rocks vs Shanks: A Clash of Two Eras
Rocks represents the chaotic apex of the “old era” — a pirate so dangerous that the World Government tried to erase his very name from history. He led a crew stacked with monsters like Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, and many other future legends, and it took the combined efforts of Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to bring him down.
Shanks, on the other hand, is the quiet storm of the current age. A Yonko with overwhelming Haki, political influence, and mysterious ties to the Celestial Dragons, he has shaped world events from the shadows for decades. Every rare moment where Shanks actually acts — from stopping Marineford to blitzing Kid in Elbaf — sends shockwaves through the story and the fandom.
Now that God Valley is finally being shown on-panel, the question has become unavoidable: who sits higher on the true power ladder — the forgotten king of chaos or the red-haired emperor of the new era?
The Case For Rocks: The Monster Who Needed Roger And Garp
Fans who back Rocks argue that his hype is simply unmatched.
- He commanded a crew full of future Emperors and legendary figures, keeping them in line through sheer strength and intimidation.
- The God Valley Incident required an alliance between Roger and Garp—two of the strongest men in history—implying that Rocks alone posed a threat so great that even their rivalry had to be set aside.
- His goal of conquering the world and attacking Celestial Dragons directly paints him as someone unafraid of the ultimate consequences, suggesting both overwhelming power and terrifying ambition.
From this angle, even the current Shanks is seen as operating in the shadow of Rocks’ legend. Supporters claim that if Rocks were alive in the present, he’d sit comfortably at or above the very top of the food chain.
The Case For Shanks: God-Level Haki In The Final Saga
Shanks defenders fire back with one simple argument: we are only just now seeing what Shanks can really do.
- His Conqueror’s and Observation Haki have been portrayed as absurdly overwhelming, allowing him to shut down entire battlefields and even “turn off” future sight in an opponent.
- His brief but brutal display against Eustass Kid — destroying a top-tier pirate in a single clean strike — is held up as evidence that current Shanks is beyond anything we’ve seen from most Emperors.
- Unlike Rocks, who we mostly know through reputation and flashback, Shanks is being actively positioned as a central figure in the Final Saga, with narrative weight that suggests he belongs at the absolute peak of the current era.
For these fans, Shanks isn’t just strong — he’s the face of modern top-tier Haki, the standard by which all others are judged. They argue that until Oda gives more concrete on-panel feats for Rocks, Shanks has the stronger case.
Power Scaling vs Storytelling
A big part of the debate also comes down to how Oda writes different eras. The old generation — Rocks, Roger, Garp, prime Whitebeard — is framed as mythical, while Shanks, Luffy, and Blackbeard carry the torch into the present.
Some readers believe that Oda intentionally keeps Rocks vague so he can remain an almost untouchable symbol of chaos, making direct comparisons to Shanks impossible by design. Others argue that the series is clearly building Shanks as one of the final benchmarks of power before Luffy reaches the top, meaning he has to rival or surpass even the giants of the past.
What everyone agrees on is that the God Valley arc has turned this conversation from vague speculation into an ongoing, chapter-to-chapter war of interpretations — and each new reveal only adds more fuel.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
The God Valley Incident has become one of the most captivating storylines in One Piece history, and many fans aren’t ready for it to end. Eiichiro Oda’s exploration of this long-mysterious event has brought together legendary figures like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the enigmatic Imu — creating a flashback that feels more like a grand historical epic than a side story. The arc dives deep into the power struggles that shaped the modern world of One Piece, revealing long-hidden secrets about the Celestial Dragons and the early days of piracy. For many, it’s a rare glimpse into the “true history” of the world, something fans have been waiting for since the manga’s earliest chapters.
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
Surprisingly, many readers say they don’t want to go back to the Straw Hat Pirates just yet. Social media platforms are full of fans expressing that this arc feels like the most thrilling part of One Piece in years — with its dark tone, intense storytelling, and lore-heavy revelations. While Luffy and his crew are the heart of the series, the God Valley storyline offers something entirely different: a look at the legends and events that shaped everything we know. One fan summed it up best on X (formerly Twitter): “If we return to the Straw Hats now, it’ll feel like waking up from a dream.” The sentiment highlights a unique moment in the fandom, where the past has become more captivating than the present adventure.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling and Legacy
The enthusiasm surrounding the God Valley flashback underscores Eiichiro Oda’s enduring genius as a storyteller. After more than two decades, he continues to surprise fans by revealing layers of history that connect generations of pirates, marines, and rulers. The arc’s pacing, emotion, and scope have reminded readers of One Piece’s golden era — a blend of mystery, world-building, and drama that few series can match. Even as some fans fear that returning to the Straw Hats will slow the story’s momentum, others believe this balance between past and present is what makes One Piece timeless.
Whether Rocks or the current Shanks truly stands above the other may never be definitively answered on the page, but the debate itself shows just how alive the series still is. As long as God Valley continues to unfold, one thing is certain: the clash between the legends of the past and the monsters of the present will remain at the center of the fandom’s imagination.
