As new revelations about Shanks continue to drop during the God Valley-focused chapters, a surprising take is spreading through the One Piece community: the more terrifying Shanks becomes, the better Blackbeard and Mihawk end up looking by comparison. Instead of simply boosting Shanks’ hype, fans argue that recent lore about his influence, Haki, and status as a mythical-level pirate actually retroactively strengthens the portrayal of the men who stand alongside — or even above — him in the narrative.
In power-scaling threads, fans are now re-reading the series and noticing that if Shanks truly is as overwhelmingly broken as these latest chapters imply, then characters who rival or surpass him on paper suddenly look even more incredible. For many, this has turned Blackbeard and Mihawk into even more monstrous figures than they already were.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
The God Valley Incident has quickly become one of the most gripping storylines in One Piece, and a lot of readers aren’t ready for it to end. Eiichiro Oda’s long-awaited deep dive into the event has finally brought titans like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the elusive Imu into one sprawling historical flashback.
Rather than a simple detour, the arc feels like a sweeping historical epic. It lays bare the brutal politics of the Celestial Dragons, the early days of pirate supremacy, and the battle that quietly shaped the modern balance of power. For fans who have been craving answers about the “true history” of the world, every chapter feels like a long-promised payoff.
Within this backdrop, anything tied to Shanks — hints about his origins, his connections, his unseen actions around God Valley — hits harder than ever. And that’s exactly why the latest information is having a ripple effect on how people view Blackbeard and Mihawk.
Shanks’ Hype Is Now Buffing His Rivals
The more the manga emphasizes Shanks as a once-in-a-generation monster, the more fans are forced to reconsider what it means for other characters to be compared to him. Power-scaling discussions tend to circle three facts:
- Mihawk is still billed as the “World’s Strongest Swordsman.”
If Shanks is now portrayed as someone with almost unmatched Haki, legendary influence, and a terrifying battlefield presence, then Mihawk holding a title that indirectly includes Shanks only makes him look more absurdly strong. - Blackbeard reached Yonko status without Shanks-style mystique.
Readers note that Blackbeard’s rise, while messy and opportunistic, still put him in the same emperor tier as Shanks. If Shanks is practically mythologized, then the fact that Blackbeard can stand as his contemporary—while still growing—only boosts his perceived ceiling. - Top-tier Haki and lore elevate the whole “upper bracket.”
If the bar for a Yonko like Shanks is being raised again and again, that means anyone who can challenge, match, or surpass that bar becomes even more impressive than fans previously assumed.
Instead of Shanks overshadowing everyone, the recent chapters have unintentionally turned him into a reference point that makes both Blackbeard and Mihawk feel like even bigger threats.
Blackbeard: The Shadow That Grows Longer
For Blackbeard, the new Shanks hype plays perfectly into his role as the lurking final antagonist. Fans have always known he was dangerous — stealing Devil Fruits, manipulating wars, and taking Whitebeard’s throne — but the latest portrayal of Shanks reframes just how insane his ambition really is.
If Shanks stands as a near-untouchable force who can scare admirals and emperors alike, then Blackbeard’s willingness to clash with that world, absorb that danger, and keep gambling his life comes off as even more unhinged. Many readers now see him less as a lucky opportunist and more as a reckless monster who’s aiming to surpass someone we now understand to be a true apex predator.
Every scene where Blackbeard moves against the balance of power – from Marineford to his current plays in the New World – suddenly carries extra weight. If he’s operating in the same league as this newly recontextualized Shanks, his endgame potential looks terrifying.
Mihawk: The Title That Won’t Go Away
Mihawk’s case is even more straightforward. Regardless of how strong Shanks becomes in flashbacks and lore, Mihawk still holds the canon title of the strongest swordsman alive. For many fans, that alone turns the new Shanks information into a kind of passive buff for Mihawk.
If Shanks is now being framed as a god-tier fighter whose very presence can dominate other monsters, then what does it mean for the man recognized as his superior in swordsmanship? Even if Haki, experience, and other factors complicate a direct comparison, the title itself becomes increasingly loaded as Shanks’ reputation grows.
On forums and social threads, fans are now revisiting Mihawk’s relatively low amount of screen time and arguing that Oda has secretly kept a “final boss swordsman” in reserve. The stronger Shanks looks, the more exciting it becomes to imagine Mihawk finally going all out later in the story.
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
All of this discussion is happening while a large chunk of the fandom is openly saying they aren’t ready to leave God Valley behind and return to the present-day Straw Hat adventure. On social media, readers keep calling this arc the most thrilling portion of One Piece in years, praising its darker atmosphere, political drama, and rich world-building.
While Luffy and his crew remain the emotional heart of the series, this flashback offers something different: the chance to stand alongside legends and see the foundations of the world laid bare. One fan on X (formerly Twitter) captured the mood by saying that going back to the Straw Hats now would feel like “waking up from a dream.”
In that dream, characters like Shanks, Blackbeard’s predecessors, and future giants of the sea are constantly being recontextualized — which is exactly why every new piece of information hits the power-scaling community like a bomb.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling and Legacy
The enthusiasm around the God Valley saga, and the way it’s reshaping how fans view Shanks, Blackbeard, and Mihawk, shows just how carefully Eiichiro Oda has layered his story over the years. Even after more than two decades, he can drop a few key details and suddenly force the fandom to re-evaluate its entire understanding of the top tiers.
The emotional weight, pacing, and scope of these chapters have reminded many readers of what they consider to be One Piece at its very best: a blend of mystery, lore, and character focus that constantly deepens rather than contradicts what came before. Some worry that returning to the main crew too soon could slow this momentum, but others argue that this tension between past and present is exactly what keeps the series fresh.
Whether the flashback concludes in the near future or continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the God Valley arc has already cemented itself as a defining moment in One Piece. And in the process, it hasn’t just elevated Shanks — it’s quietly turned Blackbeard and Mihawk into even greater monsters in the eyes of the fandom.
