In the vast world of One Piece, the true strength of Shanks has always been a mystery to fans of the series. However, clues have started to emerge regarding the extent of his powers, particularly in the way he faced off against Eustass Kid and Ryokugyu at the end of the Egghead and Wano arcs.
To reach the level of an Emperor, even without showing any evil traits, Shanks must be highly skilled in the mastery of Haki. However, while Shanks possesses a powerful Observation Haki, Scopper’s Observation Haki may be superior in certain combat situations.
The Astonishing Observation Haki of Scopper in One Piece
Observation Haki is often regarded as the weakest type among the three main forms of Haki, despite playing a central role in many arcs. Its first appearance in the series was during the Skypiea arc, where the native inhabitants referred to it as ‘Mantra’. At the end of this arc, Enel showcased his exceptional abilities with Observation Haki, allowing him to hear conversations from a distance.
Traditionally, Observation Haki is used in the narrative primarily for sensing danger or detecting someone’s presence from a considerable distance. Like all types of Haki, there is an advanced version, and the advanced Observation Haki is one of the most powerful abilities in the story. This advanced form, known as ‘Future Sight,’ was first seen in use by the character Charlotte Katakuri, who was well-loved by fans.

Continuing on, Luffy has also achieved a more advanced form of Observation Haki and even developed his own version of ‘Future Sight’ to new heights. However, the strongest version of this ability was demonstrated by Shanks when Kid attacked his ship. Here, Shanks foresaw ten seconds into the future, where he witnessed the devastating consequences Kid would unleash upon himself and his crew, potentially leading to the death of many. Thus, before Kid could gather strength for his attack, Shanks had already taken action to prevent a catastrophic event.
With all these points in mind, how can Scopper’s Observation Haki be compared to Shanks’ advanced form? The reason for this comparison arises in the upcoming Elbaf arc, where Shamrock and Gunko finally appear on the island. Elbaf is one of the largest islands in the Grand Line, making it a significant field of study. However, Scopper is the only one to have discovered the Haki of the Giants throughout the entire island.

At this point, Luffy has also mastered advanced forms of all three types of Haki, but he only learned about Shamrock and Gunko after hearing their names and eventually arriving in Aurust, where he saw the Pentagram. This indicates that Scopper’s Observation Haki may have uncovered Haki that Shamrock or others possess or possibly revealed a completely new type of Haki originating from the Pentagram itself.
Thus, it is clear that Scopper’s Observation Haki is among the best, if not the best, in the One Piece series.
Is Scopper’s Observation Haki better than Shanks’ in One Piece?

It is quite possible that Scopper’s advanced Observation Haki is on par with Shanks’, considering he is known to be on the same level as Roger and Rayleigh, both of whom are significant figures in history. While Scopper has yet to showcase his abilities, the potential comparison with Shanks exists, which means Scopper could indeed possess superior skills.
However, the most likely scenario is that Scopper could be inferior to Shanks in terms of raw power and capacity to utilize Haki, primarily due to age. Scopper and his contemporaries have surpassed their prime, which has affected their abilities, while Shanks is still in his prime.
Source: Gamerant