Shiki OP17-048: Why Rocks.D.Xebec Decks Want Four Copies
- Gregory Thornberry
- Aug 23
- 4 min read
Shiki OP17-048 is quickly becoming one of the most important cards in the new Rocks Pirates deck from One Piece Card Game OP-17: The World’s Strongest Warriors.
The 7-cost Super Rare brings 9000 power, Rush, and an effect that lets you discard a Rocks Pirates card to give an opposing Character -3000 power for the turn. Even better, that effect can matter both while Shiki is attacking and during your opponent’s attack.
That combination helps explain why Shiki is showing up as a full four-copy playset in early OP-17 Rocks D. Xebec deck lists.
What Does Shiki OP17-048 Do?
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Shiki costs 7 DON!! and enters with 9000 power and Rush, so he can immediately pressure the opponent instead of waiting a turn.
Once per turn, while attacking or during your opponent’s attack, you can trash a card with the Rocks Pirates type from your hand to give one opposing Character -3000 power for the turn.
That is a particularly good fit for Rocks.D.Xebec OP17-039, a Leader we already ranked among the best OP-17 Leaders heading into release.
Rocks naturally builds large hands, but many of those cards need to be converted into actual board value. Shiki gives the deck another way to turn an extra Rocks Pirates card into something useful.
Why Are Rocks.D.Xebec Decks Playing Four Shiki?
Early tournament lists are making the answer pretty clear.
Across 15 Rocks.D.Xebec players in a recent OP-17 Chinoize Cup event, decks averaged 4.00 copies of Shiki OP17-048.
Four is also the maximum number of copies of a single card number normally allowed in a One Piece Card Game deck, something we cover in our beginner’s guide to building your first One Piece TCG deck.
Shiki earns those slots because he does several jobs at once:
Immediate pressure: Rush lets a 9000-power body attack the turn it enters.
Power reduction: -3000 can make an opposing Character much easier to attack or remove.
Hand conversion: Extra Rocks Pirates cards become fuel for Shiki’s effect.
Defensive utility: The effect can also be activated during an opponent’s attack, giving Shiki value beyond your own turn.
That flexibility is exactly what Rocks wants.
Instead of simply accumulating a gigantic hand, the deck needs ways to turn those cards into pressure, defense, and board control.
Shiki does all three.
How Does Shiki Fit the Rocks Pirates Game Plan?
Rocks.D.Xebec can generate an enormous amount of card flow, but having a huge hand does not automatically mean you are winning.
Shiki helps convert those resources into tempo.
A -3000 power reduction can make an opposing threat much easier for another Character to attack. On defense, reducing an attacker can also change how much Counter you need to spend to survive.
Then there is the simple fact that Shiki is already 9000 power with Rush.
You are not paying seven DON!! just for a utility effect. You are developing a serious attacker that can immediately affect the game.
That helps explain why Shiki sits alongside cards like Charlotte Linlin, Edward Newgate and Rocks.D.Xebec OP17-118 as one of the core pieces of the new Rocks package.
Is Shiki OP17-048 a Collector Card Too?
Unlike Gerd OP17-081, Shiki also has a legitimate collector angle.
OP17-048 is a Super Rare with an alternate-art version, giving collectors something to chase beyond the regular playable copy.
That matters in a set already packed with premium cards. OP-17 includes Manga-style chase cards, Gold Anniversary SPs, Pirate Crew Alt-Arts and several other special treatments.
Shiki’s alternate art may not sit at the very top of that collector hierarchy, but being a desirable version of a card players are actually using can give it a different kind of demand.
Is Shiki OP17-048 Worth Watching?
Absolutely.
If Rocks.D.Xebec remains one of OP-17’s stronger competitive Leaders, Shiki looks positioned to be one of the deck’s staple Super Rares.
For players, the regular version is the important one. If you are opening sealed product, our early OP-17 booster box opening guide shows just how many different kinds of hits are competing for attention in this set.
For collectors, the alternate art gives Shiki another reason to watch once English supply starts entering the market after August 28.
And with OP-17 booster box prices already drawing plenty of attention, buying the single Shiki you actually need may eventually make more sense than chasing four copies through sealed boxes.
Rush, 9000 power, repeatable power reduction, and an alternate art to chase?
Yeah, we can see why Rocks players want four.
Protecting your cards matters just as much as pulling them. If you’re looking for reliable options for One Piece, Pokémon, Magic, and other TCGs, check out our Guide to the Best Card Sleeves for Trading Cards in 2026.
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