One Piece 1080: Was Shanks a hypocrite in the previous chapter?

Shanks is one of the most debated characters in the community (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, One Piece)
Shanks is one of the most debated characters in the community (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, One Piece)

One Piece 1079 left fans hyped as the chapter featured the battle between Red Hair Pirates and Kid Pirates, which resulted in the immediate annihilation of Kid and Killer at the hands of Shanks.

The entire One Piece community praised Shanks for the strength he demonstrated. He single-handedly slaughtered Kid and Killer, beating them with a single hit. Still, some fans blamed his behavior, calling him a hypocrite.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1080 and reflects the writer's personal views.


Some One Piece fans accused Shanks of being a hypocrite for his behavior in the latest chapter

The events narrated in One Piece 1079

Shanks defeated Eustass Kid with a single blow (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, One Piece)
Shanks defeated Eustass Kid with a single blow (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, One Piece)

Aiming to meet the "man marked by flames," an individual in possession of key information regarding the One Piece, the Kid Pirates headed to Elbaf. However, Kid, Killer, and the others bumped into the Red Hair Pirates.

Knowing of the arrival of Kid and his men in Elbaf, Shanks, who hates needless violence, tried to resolve the conflict through diplomacy instead of resorting to brute force. Arrogant and relentless as usual, Kid rejected Shanks' proposal and decided to challenge him and his crew.

Despite being the most balanced group among the various Yonko crews, featuring several powerful individuals among their most prominent members, the Red Hair Pirates also include a fleet of weaker pirates.

The captains of the Red Hair Pirates fleet are indeed average. They are so weak that they only managed to survive in One Piece's New World because Shanks protected them. Seeing them bearing Shanks' flag, no one dared to attack them.

In return for the protection that Shanks granted them, the members of the Red Hair fleet tried to hold the Kid Pirates off when they arrived in the sea around Elbaf. Seeing their arrayed ships, Kid decided to destroy them all.

Thus, Kid started charging his most destructive technique, the Damned Punk. Kid's ruthless attempt to destroy Gerotini, Pururu, Fugar, and the other allies of the Red Hair Pirates proved to be the worst choice he could ever make.

Using his Advanced Observation Haki, Shanks could foresee that Kid would have directed his attack against the members of the Red Hair Pirates fleet, killing them all. To protect the lives of his weaker subordinates, Shanks decided to crush Kid immediately.

Before Kid could even finish charging his technique, Shanks swiftly jumped on his ship and drew his sword Gryphon. He struck Kid with Divine Departure, a devastating slash enhanced by Advanced Conqueror's Haki.

A testament to the power of Shanks' attack, it beat Kid in a single shot. The latter immediately lost consciousness, alongside Killer, who tried to help him. The remaining members of the Kid Pirates begged Shanks for mercy. They even surrendered him copies of their Poneglyphs.

However, Shanks jumped away from their ship "Victoria Punk" without saying a word. A few moments later, Dorry and Brogy, two giants allied with him, struck the ship and destroyed it. At the end of the chapter, the narrator's box declared:

"The Kid Pirates have been exterminated."

Why some fans accused Shanks of hypocrisy

Some One Piece fans called Shanks a hypocrite (Image via Toei Animation, One Piece)
Some One Piece fans called Shanks a hypocrite (Image via Toei Animation, One Piece)

Shanks attacked Kid and mercilessly slaughtered him, despite the latter being a young rookie. This led some fans to call him a hypocrite, recalling that he stood as a defender of the new generation of pirates only a few chapters before.

When Admiral Ryokugyu attacked Wano, aiming to take Luffy's head, Shanks, who was surveilling the country with the intent of intercepting Blackbeard, stopped him in his tracks. Ryogyoku easily beat the Nine Red Scabbards. Not even fazed by Yamato, the Admiral headed to the city, where the Straw Hat Pirates and the other members of the Wano Alliance were celebrating the triumph over Kaido, Big Mom, and their subordinates.

Shanks stopped Ryogyoku in his tracks. He unleashes the power of his Conqueror's Haki, sending a strong wave towards the Admiral. Realizing that if he had gone further, he would have had to fight Shanks and his men, Ryogyoku felt himself outmatched.

Shanks told Ryogyoku to leave Luffy and the others to rest and asked him if the "New Age" frightens him that much. Intimidated by Shanks' superior might, Ryogyoku gave up his previous intent and backed off. As such, fans criticized Shanks for having protected the new generation of pirates from Ryogyoku and not refraining himself from brutally beating a member of the same bunch.


Shanks is not to be blamed, if anything, he should be praised for his integrity

Shanks is one of the most honorable individuals in the One Piece series (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, One Piece)
Shanks is one of the most honorable individuals in the One Piece series (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, One Piece)

Admittedly, it's hard to criticize Shanks for his behavior. He wasn't a hypocrite at all since he wasn't interested in fighting Kid. It was the latter who intended to challenge him. Shanks tried to resolve the conflict through diplomacy, sending Rockstar, a member of his crew, to advise Kid that if he handed over his Poneglyphs and left, they wouldn't attack. Kid foolishly rejected the proposal, marking his demise.

Ryogyoku was opportunistic. He intended to attack Luffy and the others with the intent to exploit the fact that they were still recovering from their previous battle. This dirty move was the only reason that led Shanks into stopping him.

Shanks has always been happy with Luffy's achievements, but he hasn't followed his journey to protect him. The Straw Hat Pirates' captain has risked his life several times, and "Red Hair" wasn't there to help him. He let the young pirate live his own adventure. However, Shanks stepped in to protect Luffy and the others only because he deemed Ryogyoku's behavior towards them to be unfair. Otherwise, he likely wouldn't interfere.

Compared to Ryogyoku, Shanks acted very differently when confronted by Kid. Not only did he try to avoid clashing with the rookie, but when he understood that there was no choice other than to fight, he acted honorably.

Before doing anything else, Shanks ensured that Kid was in full health. Shanks didn't want to fight an opponent who was in his best condition. This emphasized his righteous attitude, which is completely different from that of Ryogyoku.

In the past, the Kid Pirates have already suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Red Hair Pirates. Benn Beckman, the second-in-command of the Red Hair Pirates, annihilated Kid and cut off his left arm with the intention of dissuading him from challenging them ever again.

This event should have been a lesson for Kid, but his hot-headed attitude led him to make the same mistake twice. However, Kid came back for more, and to make things even worse, he threatened Shanks' weaker subordinates.

Shanks is a powerful individual, but he hates needless violence. When he felt that a battle would be senseless, he avoided fighting, even when his honor was insulted. However, Shanks temporarily puts aside his pacifist nature when his friends or those under his protection are threatened. In such circumstances, he becomes a cold-blooded fighter.

Using his Future Sight, Shanks noticed Kid's intention to kill the members of the Red Hair fleet. This made Shanks angry and prompted him to completely crush Kid once and for all, even destroying his crew and ship.


In summation

In One Piece 1079 Kid left Shanks with no choice but attacking him decisively (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, One Piece)
In One Piece 1079 Kid left Shanks with no choice but attacking him decisively (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, One Piece)

Shanks stopped Ryogyoku from attacking the tired and still recovering members of the Wano Alliance because the Marine Admiral acted dirty. Conversely, nothing bad can be said of Shanks.

His behavior towards Kid can hardly be criticized. He tried to avoid fighting, but Kid, cocky and arrogant as usual, rejected his proposal. Shanks even asked if Kid was in good shape, not wanting to hurt a foe who was weakened from the start.

Shanks is carefree and fun-loving, but at times he can be surprisingly serious and mature. When his dear ones are threatened, he temporarily becomes a completely different person. As such, when Kid revealed his wicked intent, Shanks was disgusted and enraged. He had no choice but to beat him to protect his weakest subordinates. Objectively, it can be said that Kid dug his own grave.

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Edited by Priya Majumdar
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