One Piece: Is Haki The Strongest Power In The Series?

One Piece is an action-adventure anime series with a great deal of focus on world-building and character development. Oda has done the impossible by creating a massive world filled with several interesting characters and innumerable mysteries. Despite the series having over 1,000 chapters, there are still some things the audience has no knowledge of and is still trying to find the truth behind them.

Each arc focuses on a different island and new opponents for the heroes. Even though the series is popular for world-building, Eiichiro Oda has put a good deal of stress on combat, which is why many fans are into power-scaling.

The Different Powers

One Piece has two main power systems: Devil Fruits and Haki. Devil Fruits have been part of the story since the earliest chapters. Oda made the concept clear from the beginning so that fans would have no trouble understanding it. As the story moved forward, Oda introduced different classes of Devil Fruits and explained what made each one truly special. Aside from the three main classes, i.e., Paramecia, Logia, and Zoan, there are subclasses. For example, Zoan types are further divided into Ancient, Mythical, and Artificial. Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruits are said to be rarer than the Logia-type.

Haki, on the other hand, wasn’t properly explained until after the Marineford arc. Fans had little to no idea before the arc what Haki was and how it could be used in fights. But Oda had foreshadowed its existence several times. The most popular example is Enel’s mantra. The self-proclaimed god of Skypiea was able to dodge almost every single attack using mantra. At that time, it seemed like a rare power because no one else had been able to predict the actions of their opponents so easily. It was later explained that Enel was using Observation Haki to read the movements of his foes.

Advantages of Haki

As one of the main powers in One Piece, Haki is a great weapon to have in one’s locker. There are three types of Haki: Armament, Observation, and Conqueror’s. Almost all the big-name fighters in One Piece have access to at least two types of Haki, implying that to be truly strong, a person must have Haki.

Armament Haki

A person who learns to use Armament Haki can hurt a Devil Fruit user without using Sea Stone. This particular skill is a must-have for anyone who wants to become truly strong. The advanced version of Armament Haki allows the user to bypass the outer defense and destroy an opponent from within. Advanced Armament Haki is difficult to master, but it makes sense considering it is extremely destructive.

Observation Haki

Observation Haki is one of the two basic types of Haki. It can be learned by almost anyone, provided they train enough. Observation Haki is used to figure out the next move of the opponent, making it invaluable. A person who masters the advanced version of Observation Haki can see the future. Depending on the skill, an individual may be able to look several seconds into the future.

Conqueror’s Haki

Conqueror’s Haki is the rarest type of Haki and the only one that a person cannot learn. Only one in a million is born with Conqueror’s Haki, so it is hardly surprising that it is also known as the Color of the Supreme King Haki. The basic version of this Haki can be utilized to knock out weaker opponents and damage their surroundings. While this is impressive, the advanced Conqueror’s Haki is much more dangerous. Certain One Piece characters like Shanks, Kaido, Luffy, Roger, etc., imbued their attacks with this type of Haki, causing a significant increase in the damage output. Shanks’ control over this Haki is so immense that he can use it to block his opponent from using Observation Haki or Future Sight.

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The Disadvantages Of Haki

While Haki has many uses, it is not without drawbacks. In most cases, a person cannot use Haki effectively without training. Depending on the individual’s skill, it could take months or maybe even years to fully master the basics of Haki. The same doesn’t apply to Devil Fruits. It is much simpler to learn to use Devil Fruit abilities.

Haki becomes strong with experience. A novice who has mastered the basics of Haki will lose to an experienced Haki user as they have a better understanding of how to use the power. For instance, in the Whole Cake Island arc, Luffy’s fought against Katakuri. Despite knowing all the basics, Luffy was unable to overwhelm Katakuri, who had the superior Haki. It wasn’t until Luffy used Snakeman that the momentum started to shift.

Is Haki The Ultimate Power?

There is no denying that Haki is an absolutely immense power, but it is not the ultimate ability that a character can have. In many fights, fans have seen characters with inferior Haki skills use their Devil Fruits to take down their opponents. When Luffy fought Kaido, the latter was more well-versed at using Haki. However, Luffy was able to beat him with the help of his awakened Devil Fruit power. Had Kaido also awakened his Devil Fruit, he would have won the fight. To put it succinctly, Haki is not the ultimate power in One Piece.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

One Piece (1999)

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Studio

Toei Animation

Creator

Eiichiro Oda