Luffy and Shanks Won’t be the Strongest Emperors of the Sea If You Remove Devil Fruits and Haki From the Equation

SUMMARY

The fiercest pirates that control the seas are known as Emperors of the Sea, or Yonko in the One Piece universe.

Haki techniques or Devil Fruits are the primary sources of power for these emperors, making them exceedingly formidable.
However, removing the Devil Fruits and Haki powers alters the power dynamic between the Emperors substantially.

Emperors of the Sea, or Yonko in the One Piece universe, are the strongest pirates who rule the seas. When the series started, the four Emperors who were introduced were Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, and Shanks. Big Mom, Whitebeard, and Kaido were previously part of the same crew, with their captain being Rocks D. Xebec. Shanks was a part of Gol D. Roger’s crew.
The Yonkos – One Piece
However, as the new pirate era started, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido were either defeated or killed by others to bring in the new age of pirates to take their place. The new and current Yonkos of the sea are Luffy, Blackbeard, and Buggy, with Shanks being the only one who has still retained his title.

The main sources of power among these emperors are either Haki techniques or Devil Fruits, which make them extremely dangerous. Among the four emperors, the strongest right now is Shanks. However, if the Devil Fruits and Haki abilities are removed from the equation, the power dynamic between the Emperors will change significantly.

Devil Fruits and Haki Abilities Are the Strongest Powers in One Piece

In the 27-year journey of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda has introduced multiple techniques and powers in the story. From Rokushiki to Fishman Karate, these techniques differ accordingly. However, the two powers that have stayed constant are the Devil Fruits and Haki techniques. These powers contribute to the majority of power dynamics in One Piece.

Fans have always debated which of these abilities is stronger. Some One Piece fans think that Devil Fruits provide the strongest powers depending on the fruit, while others think Haki is the strongest power in One Piece because of its impact on the narrative.
Shanks using Conqueror’s Haki
The strongest Devil Fruit shown in the series as of yet is the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, which possesses the power to destroy the world, whereas the strongest Haki technique is the Advanced Conqueror’s Haki, which allows the user to force their will on others and also coat their normal attacks to make them indefinitely stronger than before.

Strongest Emperor of the Sea Without Haki and Devil Fruit

If Devil Fruit and Haki are removed from the equation, the power dynamic in One Piece will see a significant change, especially in the case of Emperors of the Sea. Currently, the strongest Emperor is Shanks, with Luffy and Blackbeard following him. If the old emperors are also taken into consideration, the strongest emperor would be Big Mom.
Big Mom Getting Angry
Big Mom was a menace since she was a five-year-old child on Elbaf. She caused a lot of mayhem and trouble in Elbaf village because of her eating disorder. Her giant stature combined with her hunger and rage makes her the strongest character among the Emperors of the Sea without the powers of Devil Fruits and Haki.

After Big Mom would be Kaido, who was also quite strong without Devil Fruit or Haki powers. The rest of the characters: Whitebeard, Luffy, Buggy, Shanks, and Blackbeard would just be normal characters without any significant strengths or abilities to make themselves strong enough to fight in One Piece.