This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc.
Summary
- Oda introduces a new subtype of Haki called Observation Killing in One Piece.
- Observation Killing allows users to prevent enemies from reading the future.
- Characters like Shanks and potentially Shamrock possess this powerful Haki subtype.
The Elbaf arc of One Piece is heating up already and fans are incredibly excited to see the strongest character gather in the strongest countries of all, Elbaf. This story arc has been absolutely sensational so far, and it is undoubtedly going to get even better as it continues. With strong characters, it is a given that Oda will also start introducing some very powerful abilities, both in terms of Devil Fruits and Haki.
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As it so happens, Oda had already revealed quite a lot of exciting Devil Fruit powers, such as the Cerberus ability. But, in terms of Haki, Oda has also revealed some very interesting powers, going as far as to show fans a very rare advanced ability of Conqueror’s Haki which will inevitably go on to be extremely important in the future of One Piece, especially in the final saga, where the strongest are gathered to fight it out.
The Main Haki Subtypes In One Piece
Every Haki Type Has Its Own Powerful Subtypes
There are quite a few powerful subtypes of Haki that Oda has introduced in One Piece. On the surface level, fans know that there are three types of Haki, two of which can be learned by just about anyone, and the third is exclusively accessible to a select few who were born with it. These types are the Color of Observation and the Color of Arms, which are both present within everyone, and the Color of the Supreme King, which is accessible only to one in a million people with kingly qualities. These Haki types have made a difference in just about every major battle in One Piece. In fact, in the New World, winning against the elite tiers is simply impossible without strong Haki and it needs to be trained to the highest level. Kaido himself stated that only Haki can trump all else, even Devil Fruits, and while that was his own opinion, one absolutely cannot discredit its importance.
That said, Haki in its basic form alone is not enough for one to reach the top. All Haki types can be advanced in One Piece and it is this advanced type of Haki that can make a big difference in who wins a battle.
To never doubt, that is true strength! — Rayleigh
For the Color of Observation, fans know there is the ability of Future Sight. Using this power, one can see the future and counter threats accordingly. This is a very special ability that only a handful of people possess who, according to Rayleigh, are some of the very strongest. For the Color of Arms, fans know there is the power of Ryuo and Internal Destruction. Those with great Armament Haki can channel it into the body of the enemy from a distance. More than that, Armament Haki can also be sent directly inside the body of the opponent, where it can do damage from the inside out and cannot be defended against. Luffy and Rayleigh have shown this Haki type.
Finally, there is the Color of the Supreme King, or Conqueror’s Haki, which can be infused and used to boost the power of attacks and defense as well. While there are some of the most exciting Advanced Haki powers in One Piece, they’re not the only ones. There exists another unique form of Supreme King Haki in One Piece and it has not been fully fleshed out in the story so far. This ability is called Observation Killing.
The Most Unique Haki Subtype — Observation Killing
The Power To Prevent The Enemy From Reading The Future
Observation Killing was revealed to be a subtype of Conqueror’s Haki in the 4 billion volume of One Piece, which came out around the same time as One Piece Film Red and was written by Oda himself. It has quite a lot I exciting notes about various One Piece characters, including their powers. For Shanks, a unique ability is listed in the book and it is called Observation Killing. As the name implies, this power is special, with Shanks being its only user so far.
Captain, suppress your presence, and let’s get going. — Gunko
Observation Killing allows one to control their own aura and presence using Conqueror’s Haki in such a way that their movements become very hard to read. In the volume, it is stated that Observation Killing prevents the enemy from reading the future altogether, meaning whoever has this form of Conqueror’s Haki can prevent their enemies from reading the future and potentially even their movements.
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This is an incredibly overpowered ability, especially in a top-tier battle where every single second and movement counts. Characters such as Luffy rely heavily on seeing the future and making moves accordingly. But, if this ability is shut down completely, then things become very interesting.
At the moment, Shanks is the only character who is known to be a confirmed user of Observation Killing. However, there are more characters who can sue the power, and that goes without saying. Recently, Oda might even have revealed one such character in the Elbaf arc of One Piece, which makes for a very exciting setup.
Why Shamrock and Gaban Might Have Observation Killing
Shamrock Hid His Presence Twice
Oda has strongly hinted at another user of Observation Killing in One Piece. This character is none other than Shamrock Figarland, Shanks’s very own brother. For those who don’t remember, Shamrock arrived in Elbaf through the giant summoning circle. As soon as he arrived, Scopper Gaban sensed him. However, he immediately concealed his presence and then vanished. Even a skilled Haki user such as Scopper Gaban couldn’t detect him.
When Shamrock visited the Underworld, he tried to force Loki to join the Holy Knights. His plan clearly failed, and immediately after he departed, Gunko clearly told him to hide his presence. Once again, this implies that Shamrock can control his aura and hide his presence using Conqueror’s Haki, just as the 4 Billion volume states.
At the same time, Gaban, who is the left-hand man of Roger, was able to sense their Haki despite this suppression for a while. This could be an indication of the fact that Gaban himself is familiar with this type of Conqueror’s Haki, and that he could show it off very soon.
As the Elbaf arc heats up, fans will most definitely see Observation Killing become more clear and its importance be highlighted better. It is only a matter of time, and if anything, this tells the fans that there is much more to come from Haki than they know so far.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1140, is set to be February 23, 2025.
One Piece
- Release Date
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October 20, 1999
- Network
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Fuji TV
- Directors
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Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
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Mayumi Tanaka
Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
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Kazuya Nakai
Roronoa Zoro (voice)
