Haoshoku Haki is a rare form of Haki that allows the user to exert their own willpower over others. This type of Haki cannot be attained through training and only one in several million people are born with this ability.
It is said that whoever possesses this type of Haki has the qualities of a king, and are known as Supreme Rulers (Haou).
Haoshoku Haki is considered an extremely dangerous threat and a highly valuable asset by powerful groups such as the Marine Admirals and the Four Emperors.
Background[]
It was first demonstrated by Shanks, when he used it to scare off the Lord of the Coast, though it was not fully explained and revealed. Later on, during a meeting with Whitebeard, he used it to knock out most of the crew, which the few still standing attributed to his superior Haki.
Luffy first displayed the effects of this type of Haki against Duval's bull, Motobaro, much to everyone's confusion. He displayed it again on Amazon Lily while battling Sandersonia and Marigold, knocking out a large portion of the audience observing the match. This is also the first time it is referred to by name. Luffy also used it to knock out the wolves attacking him and Bon Clay in Impel Down, although he was poisoned badly by Magellan at the time and still had no control over it. Luffy exhibiting it during the Summit War of Marineford was enough for the Marine Admirals to become wary enough of him that they prioritized his elimination afterward.
After the timeskip, Luffy is proficient enough to tame monsters, as well as knock out a selected group of individuals without affecting any of the bystanders using Haoshoku Haki, displaying his new-found proficiency in the skill. Luffy was even able to use it while unconscious.
It has been implied a number of times that this Haki is based on lineage. Doberman, for example, noted that Luffy possessing Haoshoku Haki made sense since he is the son of the Monkey D. Dragon, the Leader of the Revolutionary Army. It is later shown that Monkey D. Luffy, Portgas D. Ace, Charlotte Katakuri and Yamato also possess this Haki type just like their parents and grandparents (Roger, Big Mom, Kaidou and Monkey D. Garp respectively). However, not all children from the same parent are born with Haoshoku Haki, as Donquixote Doflamingo, Boa Hancock and Katakuri are the only ones among their siblings to possess it.
It has been shown that when two users of this Haki clash, it causes a rippling or shockwave effect, cracking the air similar to the Gura Gura no Mi. This is simply referred to as a Haoshoku Clash (Haou-shoku no Shoutotsu, literally meaning "Supreme Ruler Color-Clash"). The shock waves from the Haoshoku Haki clash between Luffy and Chinjao were strong enough to blast people out of the coliseum arena into the water below. The Haoshoku Haki clash between Luffy and Doflamingo produced shockwaves that pushed Trebol and Law's incapacitated body away from them.
During a battle between Gol D. Roger and Edward Newgate, the Haoshoku Haki clash between these two legendary pirates resulted in a massive shockwave that spread across the island and nearly capsized the enormous ship, Moby Dick.
Usage[]
This type of Haki grants the user the ability to dominate the wills of others. The most common usage of it shown in the series so far is using it to exert the user's willpower onto those with weak wills and rendering them unconscious. Whilst inexperienced users are restricted to merely overpowering the will of one individual or blindly knocking out weak-willed people around them, those with more expertise can pick out weak-willed individuals in a large group and knock them out without affecting the others.
However, those with stronger wills can resist or even ignore the effects of Haoshoku Haki. The ability to knock someone out depends on the difference in strength between the person using the Haki and the person or persons the user is trying to knock out. The greater the power gap, the easier it is to knock the victim out.
According to Rayleigh, while this type of Haki cannot be attained through training, it can be improved upon through strengthening the will of the user. It seems that upon recovery, victims of Haoshoku Haki experience the sensation of chills running through their body. However, it presumably wears off after a short period. One can also use Haoshoku Haki to destroy things as seen by Shanks when he was able to crack a part of Whitebeard's ship using his Haki.
Strengths and Drawbacks[]
One of the main advantages of this form of Haki is that it can be used to knock weak willed people out without physically harming them such as when Luffy used it to knock out the Fishmen Island civilians who mistakenly believed he had kidnapped Princess Shirahoshi. It also allows the user to avoid having to fight with people weaker than themselves avoiding unnecessary conflict by ending a fight before it starts, such as when Luffy used it to knock out Demaro Black and the Impostor Straw Hat Pirates. As shown with Luffy's use of it on the New Fishman Pirates, this form of Haki can also be used to reduce an enemy's manpower.
However these advantages only apply to weak willed people, as shown by Luffy's use during the Whitebeard War, while Luffy was able to knock out weak willed Marines like Jango, the Marines with stronger wills like Fullbody were able to remain conscious.
Another advantage is a proficient user like Luffy can use it to tame powerful and dangerous animals, allowing the user to pacify ferocious beasts such as the Kraken or Fighting Bull while turning them into powerful allies.
Other Information[]
There have been two ways in which this Haki has been used. The first and most common way is in a quick burst that will knock out those with weaker wills relatively easily. The second method is to release it continuously, which will not only knock out those of weak wills around the user, but also put pressure on the surroundings, actually affecting other physical objects besides living beings. It also has been shown that light bursts of Haoshoku Haki can be used in order to tame or intimidate creatures, and exhibit the users' superiority over the beast(s).
It has also been shown that when two users of this Haki clash, it causes a rippling or shock wave effect cracking the air similar to the Gura Gura no Mi. The shock waves from the Haoshoku Haki clash between Luffy and Chinjao were strong enough to blast people out of the coliseum arena into the water below. The Haoshoku Haki clash between Luffy and Doflamingo produced shockwaves that pushed Trebol and Law's incapacitated body away from them.
According to Marigold and Trebol, Haoshoku Haki is proof of an individual who possesses the qualities of a king, a candidate chosen by heaven. Indeed, most of the people who have been shown to possess Haoshoku Haki (aside from the non-canon Naguri) share a royal position or epithet or attained some highly respected status, which indicate their dominating role
- Gol D. Roger was the captain of the only crew in history to circumnavigate the Grand Line and attained the title of "Pirate King" for his unparalleled accomplishments among pirates.
- Silvers Rayleigh was the right-hand man of the Pirate King Roger and is known by his epithet "Dark King".
- Edward Newgate, or "Whitebeard", was the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates and was formerly one of the Four Emperors who ruled over territory in the New World. He was widely considered to be the closest rival to the Pirate King Roger, possessing the titles of "Strongest Man in the World" and the "Man Closest to One Piece" until his death.
- Sengoku was the fleet admiral of the Marines until two years ago and was one of the strongest and most renowned Marines during the era of Roger.
- Charlotte Linlin, or "Big Mom", is the captain of the Big Mom Pirates and was formerly one of the Four Emperors; she is most notably considered the queen of the Totto Land archipelago. She has been a powerful presence in the New World for the past six decades.
- Chinjao was the leader of the powerful and infamous Happo Navy, being considered to be a rival to the Marine Monkey D. Garp and Gol D. Roger while in their prime.
- Kozuki Oden was the heir to the shogunate of Wano Country, an independent nation renowned for its military strength. He conquered the country's lawless region of Kuri and was appointed as its daimyo and was the leader of an exceptionally powerful group of samurai known as the Nine Red Scabbards.
- Kaidou is the governor-general of the Beasts Pirates and was formerly one of the Four Emperors. He is regarded as the "Strongest Creature" in all the world and formerly ruled over Wano for the past 25 years.
- Charlotte Katakuri is the son of Big Mom and one of her Three Sweet Commanders. Widely considered to be the strongest member of the crew save for her, Katakuri has frequently taken charge over his crewmates. He governs over Komugi Island as its minister.
- Donquixote Doflamingo is the captain of the Donquixote Pirates, whose current executives notably started following him at a young age specifically because he possessed Haoshoku Haki. He also formerly ruled Dressrosa as its king for the past decade and accumulated great power as a broker in the Underworld under the codename "Joker". In addition, he was born a World Noble, and is the only of his biological family to remain attached to the title after his parents renounced the Nobles.
- Shanks is the chief of the Red Hair Pirates and one of the Four Emperors.
- Boa Hancock is the captain of the Kuja Pirates and the empress of Amazon Lily, being beloved by men and women alike for her unparalleled beauty. Her first voyage as a pirate was so impactful that she received a high bounty and an invitation to join the Seven Warlords immediately afterwards.
- Portgas D. Ace was the son of Gol D. Roger and was the captain of the Spade Pirates, having gained enough notoriety to get invited into the Seven Warlords of the Sea at one point. He would later join the Whitebeard Pirates, becoming the 2nd Division Commander.
- Monkey D. Luffy is the son of Monkey D. Dragon and captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, among the fastest-ascending pirate leaders in the present day, showing the drive to become the next Pirate King. His ability to attract followers is well-renowned, particularly after over 5000 pirates swore allegiance to him and formed the Straw Hat Grand Fleet despite Luffy not desiring this, and these events have caused him to be acknowledged as one of new members of the Four Emperors.
- Roronoa Zoro is a descendent of the Shimotsuki Family and Shimotsuki Ryuma, the most renowned member aside from Luffy, having the goal of becoming the Strongest Swordsman in the World. Onlookers who have witnessed his strength and willpower have expressed surprise at Zoro not being the Straw Hats' captain, leading them to wonder just how powerful Luffy is.
- Eustass Kid is the captain of the Kid Pirates. Having possessed the highest bounty among Worst Generation members for a large portion of the group's existence, he has constantly demonstrated an unbreakable drive to reach the top.
- Yamato is the son of Kaidou and used to be known by the epithet "Oni Princess". In addition, he had made the decision early in life to become Kozuki Oden, whom also possessed Haoshoku Haki and kingly qualities of his own.
- Monkey D. Garp is the father of Monkey D. Dragon, and the "Hero of the Marines." He always refuses a promotion to the rank of Admiral, due to not wanting to be subservient to the Celestial Dragons, and constantly does whatever he wants despite orders. He has clashed with several powerful pirates in his time, including the Pirate King, and several other conquerors, and even continues to be active after his prime.
- Among non-canon Haoshoku users, Naguri was a former pirate captain, while Douglas Bullet, though never a conventional leader, constantly worked to get stronger for the purpose of taking over the world and defeating every global power to achieve the title of Pirate King.
While this is shown to be a very rare gift among the world as a whole, it is noted by Don Chinjao that the New World is filled with numerous others who possess the ability to use this Haki. He explains that Luffy will most certainly encounter them and fight them for the title of Pirate King.[48] His words prove true, as Luffy would face more Haoshoku users in the New World, each proving to be an extremely powerful opponent he needed to defeat in order to accomplish his goal at the time.
Trivia[]
- Haoshoku was the first form of Haki introduced in the series, in the first chapter no less.
- It is also the only form shown in the 4Kids dub.
- Garp and Sengoku are currently the only known Haoshoku users who have never been a pirate.
- All known canon Haoshoku Haki users have also mastered Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku Haki.
- Haoshoku is currently the only type of Haki that is not known by an alternate name in a certain country, likely due to its rarity.
- Kenbunshoku is called "Mantra" in Skypiea.
- Busoshoku is called "Ryuo" in the Wano Country.
- So far, whenever a Haoshoku user has been subordinate to someone (or at least wanted to become such), it has been to another Haoshoku user:
- Luffy, as a child, wanted to join the Red Hair Pirates led by Shanks.
- Zoro is a combatant of the Straw Hat Pirates, led by Luffy.
- Shanks, Rayleigh, and Oden (and non-canonically Bullet) were led by Roger in the Roger Pirates.
- Oden and Ace were both second division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, led by Newgate.
- Katakuri is a Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates, led by his mother, Linlin.
- Yamato technically served as a member of the Beasts Pirates, led by his father, Kaidou.
- He also desired to sail under Ace, and then Luffy after Ace died.
- Monkey D. Garp served as the Vice Admiral of the Marines, then led by the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku.
- The only possible exceptions are Rocks D. Xebec, whom Newgate, Linlin, and Kaidou served while in the Rocks Pirates, and Kong, who both Sengoku and Garp once served in the Marines, as they are unconfirmed to have Haoshoku Haki.
- In some points in the story, people that do not have Haoshoku Haki have been mistaken to possess it for one reason or another
- Caesar Clown's attack, Karakuni was mistaken for Haoshoku Haki by one of the Marines of G-5.
- When Charlotte Cracker intimidated the nearby Homies into withering away, Luffy quickly assumed that it was Haoshoku Haki.
- Usopp convinced some members of the Beasts Pirates that he was using Haoshoku Haki against them, when the Haki was actually coming from Big Mom.
- While berating Luffy at one point, Nami appeared to be using Haoshoku Haki, though this was mainly a gag and not to be taken seriously.