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InOne Piece, power comes in many forms, but two forces stand above the rest are haki and devil fruits. Devil fruit is one of the series' most fascinating and mysterious elements. These strange fruits grant their users incredible abilities but don’t automatically make a user the strongest.
Another power system inOne Pieceis haki, which is the purest form of strength. Unlike devil fruits, which grant supernatural abilities at the cost of weakness to the sea, anyone can awaken haki if they are determined to push past their limits. Hence, despite the overwhelming potential of the devil’s fruit powers, some of the most powerful characters in the series have never sought to eat the devil’s fruit. Instead, they rely purely on haki to dominate their enemies.
Haki Vs Devil Fruits
The Weaknesses Of Devil Fruits
In the beginning,devil fruits seemed like the ultimate source of strengthin theOne Pieceseries. Luffy’s Gum-Gum Fruit turned him into a rubber man, and logia users like Akainu and Kizaru seemed nearly invincible. However, as the story progressed, it became clear that haki is just as powerful, if not more so, than devil’s fruit.
Haki That Can Counter Devil Fruits
Armament Haki (Busoshoku Haki):This type of haki allows users to harden their bodies and weapons, making them strong enough to bypass logia users' attacks to the point where even the strongest devil fruit users suffer severe damage.
Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku Haki):It grants heightened perception and allows users to predict attacks, even, in extreme cases, a glimpse into the future. This makes it an incredible asset for non-devil fruit users against those with devil fruits.
Conqueror’s Haki (Haoshoku Haki):This is the rarest form of haki, and it is wielded by only the most exceptional individuals, thus allowing them to dominate the wills of others. Advanced users like Shanks and Luffy can coat their attacks withthe conqueror’s haki, increasing their destructive power.
While some devil fruit users can also use haki, non-devil fruit users whose main powerhouse is haki can rival them. Many of One Piece’s strongest non-devil fruit users follow a philosophy that true strength comes from one’s ability, not from external power.Garp, known as the Marines' hero, is so powerful that he fights on par with Pirate King Gol D. Roger himself. His raw physical strength and armament haki allow him to destroy battleships with his bare hands. He never needed a devil’s fruit to reach his pinnacle of power. Also, the world’s strongest man, Mihawk, is so refined that he can cut through entire mountains. These characters prove that experience and natural talent can be as powerful as any devil’s fruit.
Moreover, while devil fruits grant amazing abilities, they also have significant drawbacks limiting their users. The sea is the enemy of devil fruit users because they lose the ability to swim. The world ofOne Pieceis covered by the ocean, which is a massive disadvantage. There have been many instances in the series whereSanji or Zorosaved Luffy and Chopper after they fell into the sea. While haki can neutralize devil fruit powers, overreliance on devil fruit powers can also make users vulnerable in situations where they can’t use them effectively.
The One Piece Treasure
Shanks Powerful Crew Of Non-Devil Fruit Users
The red-haired piratesare unique among the Yonko crews. While groups like the Whitebeard pirates, Big Mom pirates, and Blackbeard pirates are filled with powerful devil fruit users, Shanks and his entire crew rely solely on haki and physical strength. Shanks himself is a great haki user, capable of using advanced conqueror’s haki at a level that lets him incapacitate enemies from miles away. EvenBenn Beckman, his right-hand man, is feared by even Kizaru, proving that raw strength and intelligence can rival devil fruit abilities. The non-existence of haki users on Shank’s crew might not be coincident. Shanks is someone who sailed with Gol D. Roger and must have learned something about the true power of haki and why it surpasses devil fruits in certain ways.
Moreover, there has been a long-standing theory thatthe treasure of One Piece might be located deep beneath the sea, hidden in a place that only those who can traverse the ocean freely can reach. If this is true, it makes sense why Shanks avoids devil fruits. Devil fruit users lose the ability to swim, meaning they will struggle to reach a treasure hidden in the ocean’s depths. Since Shanks' entire crew remains unrestricted by the sea, they are ideally suited for underwater travel.
Hence, maybe Shanks choosing to rely on haki is a message that the ones who will reach the true end of the journey won’t be those bound by devil fruit weaknesses. AsOne Piecenears its end, Shanks' role will become clearer. Whether he truly knows the truth about the One Piece or if he’s simply following Roger’s will.
In the end, not having a devil’s fruit does not make a character weak; it just means they don’t need one to be strong, and some characters just don’t need it.Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, didn’t have a devil fruit, yet he was the strongest man of his era. Also, his rival, Whitebeard, despite having the Gura Gura no Mi Fruit, was still known for his great mastery of haki. Even the Straw Hat captain, Luffy, had to master haki to go toe-to-toe against Kaido despite having an overpowered devil fruit. While devil fruits are an incredible power source in One Piece, they’re not the only path to greatness. Some of the strongest characters in the series prove that haki is just as strong as any devil fruit power.
