The animation, created by Meme Duka and released on YouTube, shows “Red-Haired” Shanks in the midst of a hypothetical battle against Blackbeard. The 30-second clip shows Blackbeard taunting Red Hair, asking if he’s “giving up.” In response, Shanks shouts “Die!!!” and initiates his Conqueror’s Haki against Blackbeard, who becomes paralyzed under Shanks’ power. The animator Meme Duka, who has created several fan animations of One Piece scenes as well as some Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man animations, released the clip on Reddit, where it went viral. In the Reddit thread, Meme Duka’s video was praised for its art style similar to that of One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, although most fans seemed more interested in debating who would win in a canon battle between Shanks and Blackbeard.

Shanks and Blackbeard have never gotten a one-on-one face-off in the One Piece series, although fans have been theorizing such a battle for several years; these are two of the most powerful characters in the franchise, both of whom contain legendary powers. Shanks is a central mentor figure to One Piece protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and the original owner of Luffy’s infamous straw hat. Shanks sacrificed his left arm to save a young Luffy — a turning point in Luffy’s journey to become a pirate. Shanks is incredibly powerful, not only serving as one of the Four Emperors but also one of the few characters to wield all three types of Haki.

In the world of One Piece, Haki is a manifestation of one’s spiritual energy, enabling users to enhance their combat abilities, sense others’ presence and emotions and exert their willpower over others. The Conqueror’s Haki is especially rare and one of Shanks’ greatest strengths, allowing him to essentially overpower anyone of weaker spiritual character. Meanwhile, Blackbeard, formerly known as Marshall D. Teach, is one of One Piece’s central antagonists. Once a member of Whitebeard’s crew, he is driven by a relentless desire for power and seeks to become the most dominant figure in the pirate world. Blackbeard famously possesses two Devil Fruit powers (while Luffy only has one), gaining immense strength but also becoming a significant threat to the established order.

Both Shanks and Blackbeard are immensely powerful figures in the series, each with unique skills and capabilities, and although the two have not yet faced off on screen, their hypothetical battle is a highly contentious topic. Blackbeard gave Shanks the triple line scar over his left eye at some point before the present-day story of One Piece began, so fans still don’t know the exact lore between the two, adding to the debate. Some fans insist that the scar and Blackbeard’s two Devil Fruits prove that Blackbeard has a hold over Shanks, which means Blackbeard would win. However, others argue that Shanks’ incredible Haki and power, despite him lacking a Devil Fruit, would make him the victor in a battle.

The One Piece anime is available to stream on Netflix, Hulu and Crunchyroll.