One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda sets up Shanks' mythical Zoan Devil Fruit

Elbaf arc off One Piece has put quite a lot of focus on the character of red-haired Shanks, which Eiichiro Oda introduced in the very first chapter of the story on July 19, 1997. The Loki flashback of Elbaf, which began in One Piece chapter 1152 of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #30 on June 23, 2025, put a lot of focus on the likes of King Harald, Rocks D. Xebec and Loki, but also the twin brothers Shanks and Shamrock on the fateful island of God Valley. This retrospective ended in One Piece Chapter 1171 of WSJ Number 8 on January 19, 2026.

Thanks to bringing a lot of attention to the Red-Haired Shanks, Eiichiro Oda has now created a unique Devil Fruit power for the Red-Haired Emperor, which most fans were convinced he didn't have. This new power could officially take Shanks to a whole new level in terms of overall strength, making him one of the strongest in the current era.

One Piece Chapter 1138 And 1167 Officially Set Up A Devil Fruit Ability For Redhead Shafts

Ever since his introduction into the overall story of One PieceEiichiro Oda has always made sure to paint Shanks as a powerful user of Haki. Whether it's his confrontation with Whitebeard in the One Piece Chapter 434, which was released in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 50 on November 13, 2006, or his brief entry in the Paramount War, where he stopped Admiral Akainu in Chapter 580 of the story, Shanks has always used powerful Haki and never relied on Devil Fruit abilities. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that the red-haired emperor doesn't have an ability for Devil Fruit. The Elbaf arc of One Piece has opened up a great opportunity for him to hold on to such power, beginning in One Piece chapter 1138.

In One Piece 1138, which was officially released in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #10 on February 3, 2016, Eiichiro Oda revealed the powers of Shamrock Figarland for the very first time. In his brief confrontation with Loki, Shamrock used the power of his Cerberus sword for the very first time. While Shamrock showed no Devil Fruit ability, his Cerberus Sword showed the power of an Awakened Cerberus, which is a Mythical Zoan, likely Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Cerberus. This awakened power was so strong that a single blow from it could have potentially killed Loki.

Loki: Hey, what the hell is that?

Shamrock: That's my sword. If you survive this, come kill me. I'll be ready for you.

— Exchange between Shamrock and Loki, One Piece Chapter 1138

Although Loki survived, the power that Shamrock displayed with his Cerberus sword was clear to see. Additionally, when Shamrock went back to the Holy Land, Eiichiro Oda again confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1179 on April 6, 2026 that Shamrock was primarily responsible for stopping the chaos in the Holy Land of Marijoa, again highlighting the power of his Awakened Mythical Zoan Sword.

IN One Piece chapter 1167, which takes us all the way back to 15 years ago in the Loki flashback, Shanks and Shamrock are seen together in Marijoa. Garling Figarland officially states in this chapter that Shanks trailed Shamrock due to not having a deep bond with Nerona Imu. By this time, Shanks had a completely different sword with him. Curiously, the sword he currently carries is similar to those wielded by the Celestial Dragons, particularly his brother Shamrock Figarland and his father Garling Figarland. The implication here, from chapters 1167 and 1138, is that Shanks received a powerful sword from none other than his Figarland family, which carries a unique Devil Fruit power.

Why Shanks's Sword Gryphon can hold a Devil Fruit power to Parallel Shamrock

The biggest setup for Shanks having a Devil Fruit sword comes from the naming of his blade, which Eiichiro Oda officially revealed in SBS Volume 87, August 17, 2018. In this SBS, Eiichiro Oda was asked about Shanks' sword, and he confirmed to us that his sword is actually called Gryphon.

Like Shamrock, Shanks has an animal-themed sword, while Shamrock's sword is named Cerberus, highlighting the power his sword wields, Shanks's sword is named Gryphon. In mythology, a Gryphon is a creature with the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion, as well as the head and wings of an eagle. Like Cerberus, this would be a mythical Zoan power that Shanks could potentially possess through his sword.

Q: What is the name of Red-haired Shank's sword?

A: Apparently it's called “Griffon”. We've known Shanks since the very first chapter, but how does he actually fight?

— Exchange between Oda and a fan, One Piece Volume 87 SBs

Shank's Mythical Zoan sword could potentially take him to a whole new level of strength and set him apart from the vast majority of fighters in the world of One Piece. This sword Devil Fruit would likely be awakened to parallel Shamrock's Awakened Cerberus power, and when combined with his incredible control over Haki, Shanks would officially become one of the most powerful at sea in the One Piece world.

Shank's potential devil fruit sword sets him apart from traditional one-piece swordsmen

Shanks holding the Gryphon Sword with the power of an Awakened Mythical Zoan would also solve one of the biggest mysteries in the One Piece world regarding his status as a swordsman. As has been officially confirmed in One Piece, the title of the strongest swordsman belongs to none other than Dracule Mihawk. Shanks, on the other hand, is still perceived as the stronger of the two, which to many does not make sense. But Mihawk is only specifically stated to have better swordsmanship than Shanks. This means that Mihawk uses the sword better and possesses greater skill with the blade.

Hawkeyes Mihawk!! Former Royal Warlord of the Sea, with better swordsmanship than even the Red Hair Emperor!! As the strongest swordsman in the world, he is worth 3.59 billion berries! — Marines, One Piece Chapter #1058

If Shanks has an Awakened Mythical Zoan Gryphon, then that explains why he can be both stronger than Mihawk and have inferior blade skills than him, solving one of the biggest mysteries in the world. One Piece. This would also explain why Shanks isn't a traditional swordsman at all and why he fits into a completely different category of his own, where his sword itself comes to life in battle and fights side by side with him – something traditional swordsmen in One Piece usually don't do.

Either way, we're eagerly waiting to see what kind of power Shank's sword holds, as Eiichiro Oda himself has teased this ability on various occasions, and the final saga of the story will certainly provide the answer to this question.

The latest One Piece manga chapters by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.