Oda Finally Settles The Debate: Shanks Is Stronger Than Roger — Thanks To Loki’s Confession

Time to talk power levels, and yes, I know, that always gets messy. The Elbaph arc just dropped some wild info about the God's Knights, Loki, Rocks, and Shanks that rewires where everyone sits on the food chain. Buckle up, because this one jumps across chapters and a few years of in-story history.

So, the God's Knights are basically a nightmare

The Elbaph arc frames the God's Knights as close to unkillable. Their whole deal seems to include immortality - or at least some kind of regeneration - which makes even putting them down temporarily a huge achievement. That alone reshapes the balance of power in One Piece.

Loki finally steps out of the shadows

We first heard about Loki back in Whole Cake Island, but we really meet him in Elbaph in Chapter 1130. The giants call him the Accursed Prince and accuse him of killing Harald in cold blood for selfish reasons. That version is probably oversimplified. It does look like Loki killed Harald 14 years ago, just not for the rumored legendary Devil Fruit. There is more to that story.

Harald was not some mid-tier giant

Harald comes from ancient giant lineage, which makes him a monster among monsters. Even Rocks D. Xebec - yes, that Rocks - clashed with Harald multiple times, and every one of those fights ended in a stalemate. That says a lot about both of them.

Chapters 1152 and 1167 quietly change everything

Here is where the puzzle pieces click:

• Chapter 1167 reveals Harald joined the World Government and became a Devoted Blade of God - basically a subordinate to the God's Knights - after accepting something called the Shallows Covenant. The contract likely gives immortality or regeneration, but it isn't 100 percent confirmed.
• Back in Chapter 1152, Loki says he has fought the God's Knights before and is confident he can beat them. He might be referring to Harald specifically - which implies Loki killed him even with that regeneration in play.
• How do you bypass a cheat like that? Loki could have used Conqueror's Haki to overwhelm him. The story does not spell it out, but the implication is there.
• Bottom line: Loki did what Rocks could not - he actually defeated Harald.

"I have faced the God's Knights before. I can beat them."

The ugly truth about Rocks' last stand

Rocks' death is way more tragic than the legend makes it sound. Imu used something called Domi Reversi and forced him to try to kill everyone, and Rocks begged Roger and Garp to put him down. Even then, those two couldn't easily get past his defenses. They did manage to subdue him, but it was Figarland Garling who delivered the finishing blow.

One more wrinkle: before Imu twisted him into a puppet, Rocks actually beat a God's Knight in combat. The Knight survived, but still - that is a huge feat.

So where does Shanks land in all this?

Here is the part that will make Shanks fans very happy. Six years ago, Shanks captured Loki - the same Loki with ancient giant blood who likely took out his own father, Harald, while Harald was tied to the God's Knights via the Shallows Covenant. If Loki is stronger than Harald, and Harald fought Rocks to draws, and Loki may have straight-up beaten a God's Knight-level opponent, then Shanks taking Loki down is a gigantic statement.

It backs a long-running theory: Shanks has surpassed Roger's legacy. With everything we know now, Shanks comes off stronger than Loki, Roger, Rocks, Harald, and even his own biological father, Garling.

What this all adds up to

The God's Knights raise the ceiling. Loki clearing that bar suggests he outpaced Rocks. And the fact that Shanks bagged Loki six years ago quietly makes him the top dog - at least based on the evidence we have so far. We will need the full story of that capture, but there is no way it was easy.

One Piece is available to read on VIZ Media.