Shanks uses Gol D. Roger’s signature attack “Divine Departure” in One Piece, showing he has inherited the Pirate King’s ideals but also his strength.
Warning: SPOILERS for chapter #1079 of One PieceMany characters in One Piece aim to become the new Pirate King, following in Gol D. Roger‘s footsteps, but only one can claim to be Roger’s true heir: Red-Haired Shanks, who was not only raised by Roger, he also inherited his most powerful attack, Kamusari (Divine Departure).
In chapter #1079 of One Piece, Shanks ruthlessly crushes the dreams of the Kid Pirates. After Eustass Kid and his crew departed Wano, their route brought them to Elbaf, the land of the Giants, where Shanks’ fleet happens to be stationed. True to his brash and aggressive attitude, Kid picks a fight with the Red Hair Pirates, wanting to get revenge for a previous encounter where he lost an arm, without even getting close to Shanks. This time, however, the Yonko steps in personally, and with one single attack defeats Kid and his second-in-command, Killer. Shanks uses Divine Departure, a powerful Haki-embued slash that was Gol D. Roger’s trademark move.
Shanks Inherited Roger’s Ideals, And His Most Powerful Attack
Roger is a legendary figure in the world of One Piece. He is the only man who obtained the title of Pirate King, by reaching the hidden island of Laugh Tale and finding the One Piece treasure. Gol D. Roger’s journey was only shown in volume 96 of One Piece, through Kozuki Oden’s flashback. That story revealed that Roger was a powerful warrior who did not possess a Devil Fruit, like most of the strongest fighters in the series, and only relied on his incredible Haki. During his first meeting with Oden, Roger used his Kamusari attack to overpower the samurai, who was a formidable fighter too.
While fans have been aware for many years that Shanks was an apprentice on Roger’s ship, his true connection to the Pirate King was only unveiled recently, through the movie One Piece Film: RED. Roger found a baby Shanks hidden in a treasure chest he plundered, and he raised him on his ship. These circumstances make Shanks Roger’s heir even more than his now-deceased biological son, Ace, who instead ended up joining Whitebeard’s crew. Clearly, shanks did not inherit just Roger’s ideals, but also his mastery of Haki and his signature attack, Divine Departure.
One interesting detail is that Kamusari translates literally as “departure from the gods”, which could be a reference to Shanks leaving behind his rumored Celestial Dragon heritage. However, this doesn’t explain why Roger named his attack in this way unless it’s actually a reference to the “D.” clan being “the natural enemies of the gods“. Still, Shanks using Roger‘s same attack – with the hidden meaning it likely has – solidifies how Red Hair is the Pirate King’s true heir, who inherited his strength and ideals, and it also confirms that, at some point in One Piece‘s near future, Luffy will have to defeat his mentor Shanks if he really wants to become the next Pirate King.
