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The protagonist of One Piece 1079, the last chapter before Eiichiro Oda's break, was undoubtedly Shanks. The captain of the fearsome Red Hair Pirates inflicted a brutal defeat on Eustass Kid, who tried to threaten his allies.
Impressively enough, Shanks beat Kid with a single blow, showcasing his absolute superiority over the Worst Generation member. With Shanks already being a fan favorite, such a feat further increased his appeal within the community.
Despite being a true icon of the series, not much is known about Shanks, who is still shrouded in a mysterious yet charming aura. However, One Piece 1079 may have left an interesting cue regarding the roots of "Red Hair." Follow this thread to find out more.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1080. Parts of it also reflect the writer's personal views.
Many One Piece fans are speculating that Shanks' use of "Divine Departure" is not a mere coincidence
Shanks vs Kid was one of the most one-sided battles in the series
The Red Hair Pirates have already inflicted a significant beating on Eustass Kid and his men in the past. Benn Beckman, the second-in-command of the Red Hair Pirates, annihilated Kid and cut off his left arm.
This event should have been a lesson for Kid, but his hot-headed attitude led him to make the same mistake twice. To make things even worse, this time, Kid directly threatened the lives of the weaker members of the Red Hair Pirates fleet.
Fugar, Gerotini, Pururu, and the other captains of the fleet allied to the Red Hair Pirates are very weak. They managed to survive in the New World only because Shanks protected them. He allowed them to bear his flag, which acted as a deterrent.
In return for the protection that Shanks granted them, they tried to hold the Kid Pirates off when they arrived in the sea around Elbaf. However, Kid decided to use Damned Punk, his strongest technique, to kill them all.
Using his Future Sight ability, Shanks foresaw Kid's intentions. A pacifist and fun-loving man, Shanks becomes merciless when his dear ones are threatened. Enraged by Kid's plan, he decided to personally crush him once and for all.
Compared to Shanks, Kid was so slow that he barely seemed to move at all. Before Kid could finish charging his attack, Shanks jumped on his ship with his sword drawn and struck him with Divine Departure, a devastating slash enhanced by Advanced Conqueror's Haki.
Impressively enough, a single blow was all it took for Shanks to beat Kid alongside his right-hand man, Killer, who tried to help his captain withstand the attack from "Red Hair."
Shanks and Roger are the only known users of Divine Departure
No one was surprised by the outcome of the battle between Red Hair Pirates and Kid Pirates. However, One Piece fans were left in awe at Shanks' use of Divine Departure, one of the signature techniques of Gol D. Roger, the late Pirate King.
Back in the day, Shanks was Roger's apprentice. He also inherited the latter's signature straw hat, which he would eventually entrust to Luffy, saying that he reminded him of a younger version of himself.
Shanks is indeed the metaphorical bridge between Luffy and Roger.
Many fans assumed that Roger and Shanks shared a notable connection, with the former inspiring the latter. One Piece 1079 saw Shanks use a technique from Roger's repertoire, implying that their fighting style is very similar.
Shanks and Roger didn't eat a Devil Fruit. Instead, they rely on Haki-enhanced swordsmanship. Both are mighty masters of Conqueror's Haki and use a cutlass as their weapon of choice. Roger's sword is called "Ace," while Shanks' is called "Gryphon."
Divine Departure not only emphasizes the connection between Shanks and his former captain and master Gol D. Roger. Most observant readers have noticed that this immensely powerful technique may hint at something even more surprising.
Divine Departure connects Shanks, Roger, and the Celestial Dragons
After One Piece 1079 featured Shanks using Divine Departure, which was first showcased by Roger, fans immediately started speculating. The technique's original Japanese name is "Kamusari," which literally translates as "departure from the gods."
One Piece author Eiichiro Oda rarely does anything by accident. Divine Departure may be a reference to Shanks being born as a Celestial Dragon but rejecting such heritage. Celestial Dragons are hailed as gods. Thus, Shanks literally "departed from the gods."
Since the release of One Piece Film: Red, it's heavily rumored that Shanks is a former Celestial Dragon from the Figarland Family. Based on Uta being known as the daughter of Shanks, the Five Elders questioned if she was part of the Figarland Family. This can only mean that Shanks is, at least according to their knowledge, a member of the same kin.
Admittedly, Shanks being a former Celestial Dragon makes sense. As a one-year-old infant, he was found by Roger and Rayleigh in God Valley.
Thirty-eight years before the current narration, some Celestial Dragons and their slaves were in God Valley. To protect them from the Rocks Pirates, Monkey D. Garp, and Gol D. Roger formed a temporary alliance.
With the incident involving Celestial Dragons and Shanks' parents never being shown, fans started speculating that "Red Hair" may be the son of two nobles. Many years later, the Five Elders, the highest-ranked Celestial Dragons, seem to hold Shanks in special regard.
Despite him being a notorious pirate, Shanks was allowed to privately meet the Five Elders in their very home, the sacred soil of Mary Geoise. Such circumstances further corroborated the theory of Shanks having a Celestial Dragon heritage
It needs to be taken into account that Divine Departure was originally created and named by Roger, who owned the very rare Will of D. and thus may have named Divine Departure as a reference to D. wielders being natural enemies of the Celestial Dragon.
Final Thoughts
The number of unanswered questions about Shanks is as big as his charisma. Considering the major impact he had on Luffy, as well as his status as Yonko as well as his Yin and Yang-like rivalry with Mihawk, fans are eager to learn more about him.
One Piece 1079 featured Shanks single-handedly slaughtering Kid and Killer, beating them with a single blow. Fans widely praised "Red Hair" for his outstanding demonstration of power.
Using Divine Departure, one of Gol D. Roger's signature attacks, Shanks revealed himself as the heir to the late Pirate King in both power and ideals. This technique recalls both Shanks' alleged Celestial Dragon heritage and Roger's aversion towards such a group of people.
From his enigmatic relationship with the Five Elders to his retrieval during the God Valley incident, Eiichiro Oda left several hints at Shanks being born as a Celestial Dragon. After Roger returned from Laugh Tale, Shanks asked him something, only to shed tears after his answer.
Shanks' reaction may have been generated by Roger disclosing to him his true origins. Shanks has his own agenda, but he seems to be a very honorable man who behaves in a completely different way compared to the wicked Celestial Dragons.
