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Shanks is a central figure in One Piece, having set Monkey D. Luffy, the franchise’s main protagonist, on his path to piracy. As one of the Four Emperors, Shanks is a pirate with the power to shape the seas. Yet, he has maintained a neutral position, favoring a diplomatic resolution of conflicts and allegedly preserving the global balance. That said, whenever something big happened, Shanks was always involved, whether directly or not.
Granted, One Piece mostly portrays Shanks as a kindhearted person who avoids needless violence. However, the fact that the story never disclosed his true intentions makes his character enigmatic, almost indecipherable. This demeanor shrouds Shanks in a mysterious yet charming aura of ambiguity.
The intrigue intensifies as Shanks is Luffy’s mentor and role model as well as a former member of the late Pirate King’s crew, yet he was born into a household of malicious Celestial Dragons, the Figarland Family. One Piece chapter 1152 deepens the mystery surrounding Shanks, with a controversial revelation that could potentially reframe the unforgettable scene in which the “Red-Haired” pirate protected Luffy at the cost of his own left arm.
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Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1152.
The latest One Piece chapter may have just explained why Shanks lost his arm to a mere sea monster
The mysterious tattoo
In One Piece chapter 1152, a flashback set 14 years before the present narration shows a younger Scopper Gaban, the former number three of the Roger Pirates, sharing a bath with Shanks in the hot springs. As the two talk amiably, Shanks, who already has the scar on his left eye, appears to have a tattoo on his left arm, just above his elbow.
This is the same arm that Shanks will lose while protecting Luffy from the sea monster at the beginning of One Piece. The tattoo isn't shown up close, but from what can be seen, it looks strikingly similar to the Abyss mark sported by the Holy Knights.
This detail sparked massive fan interest, with the debate focusing on the extent of Shanks’ relationship with the World Government. When One Piece chapter 907 was released, the unexpected scene in which a man identical to a hooded Shanks met the Five Elders in Mary Geoise already triggered a lot of controversy.
Based on the current knowledge, the Shanks look-alike was probably Saint Figarland Shamrock, his older twin brother, and the other son of Saint Figarland Garling. The story also revealed that Shanks was raised by the Roger Pirates, but returned to Mary Geoise once, before leaving the Holy Land and renouncing his Celestial Dragon status to live like a commoner.
Interestingly, in One Piece chapter 1152, Shanks mentioned that during his time in Mary Geoise, he met and befriended King Harald, the sovereign of Elbaph. Shanks wanted to share some important information with Harald before it was too late, but couldn’t discuss that in Mary Geoise, so he left it and went to Elbaph to meet him again.
Shanks then lamented that he wanted to form a pirate crew with Buggy but couldn’t, prompting Gaban to say that it was his fate as “the destined boy”.
Shanks and the World Government
Shanks has always appeared as the embodiment of freedom, and that’s exactly what captivated Luffy about him. However, the latest One Piece chapter seemingly reframed his character as someone who, at least in the past, had some tie with the sinister World Government.
Yet, Shanks left Mary Geoise after visiting it, which suggests that he was disgusted by his family, the other Celestial Dragons, and the World Government as a whole. Also, Shanks had no problem telling Gaban that he had been in Mary Geoise or showing him the Abyss-like tattoo on his arm.
As for Gaban, he was neither surprised nor concerned about this. So, it’s likely that Shanks’ roots were common knowledge among the Roger Pirates. When Gaban referred to Shanks as the “destined boy”, he may have been alluding to the fact that Gol D. Roger instructed Shanks to act on his behalf.
After finding the legendary One Piece treasure, Roger realized that he was “too early”, so it’s not farfetched to think that he entrusted Shanks with a plan. This would explain why Roger, right after visiting Laugh Tale, told something to Shanks – who, at the time, was just a boy – only for him to burst into tears.
Perhaps, those words were instructions for the future “Red-Haired” pirate Emperor. In this sense, Shanks was the “destined boy” chosen to find and protect the only hope for a true salvation: the new Joy Boy. As someone with the blood of Celestial Dragons and yet the mind of a free man, Shanks was the person fated to pave the way for Monkey D. Luffy.
By visiting Mary Geoise, Shanks could obtain pivotal information. This is likely how he came to learn about the Human-Human Fruit Model: Nika, decided to steal it, and let Luffy eat it so that the boy could eventually become Joy Boy. This also explains why Shanks cried at Roger’s words, sickened by the thought of having to blend in with the Celestial Dragons to infiltrate the World Government.
Unable to tell Buggy what he had been called to accomplish, Shanks had to reject Buggy’s proposal to seek the One Piece treasure together as they had planned to do. This caused Buggy to cut ties with Shanks, ending their friendship in a way that probably still haunts Shanks. Compelled by a mission greater than his personal desires, the “Red-Haired” had no other choice.
Shanks made his choice
As the second coming of Joy Boy and the man who wields “Sun God” Nika’s surreal power, Luffy is the “chosen one” in this story. As per the latest chapter, however, Shanks is also a man bound by destiny. For him, predestination means that he is born to set the path for the true hero, silently watching over him until he is ready to change the world.
In all likelihood, this is the task that Roger entrusted to Shanks: ensure that the kid destined to finish their work would inherit Roger’s will and bring everything to completion. Silvers Rayleigh, Scopper Gaban, and Crocus are helping Shanks advance the mission that was bequeathed to him by Roger.
Aware of his purpose, Shanks accepted his fate and orchestrated events following a precise plan, so that the protagonist of the One Piece world’s new era would emerge at the right time. In fact, the timing and alignment of many circumstances are far too precise to be dismissed as mere coincidence.
Fate works in mysterious ways, but it’s clear that the Red Hair Pirates didn’t steal the Human-Human Fruit Model: Nika on a whim, especially as the World Government was hiding it under the name of Gum-Gum Fruit. The fact that Luffy – a child, but not just any child, as the son of Monkey D. Dragon and the grandson of Monkey D. Garp – ended up eating that Devil Fruit is also probably no coincidence either.
Luffy’s encounters with Crocus, Rayleigh, and Gaban are also part of a scheme to guide the young pirate toward his fate. Similarly, Shanks’ timing in abandoning his passive demeanor to join the rush for the One Piece – right after Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit powers, revealing himself as the next Joy Boy – is emblematic.
The moment when Shanks will meet Luffy again is drawing nearer. Meanwhile, Shanks has always shown interest and appreciation for Luffy’s advancements, while the young pirate has never stopped idolizing the “Red-Haired”. Shanks was a sort of catalyst for the events that shaped Luffy’s journey, and based on One Piece chapter 1152, Luffy changed Shanks’ life too, albeit unbeknownst to him.
One Piece begins with an iconic scene in which Shanks protects a child Luffy from the Sea King, losing his left arm in the process. Perhaps there’s not much more to it than a dramatic twist for narrative impact: an experienced pirate selflessly endangers himself to save a kid he just met. However, fans often find this scene as poignant as controversial.
Luffy, at the very beginning of his adventure, could defeat the same monster with a single, casual punch. So, it’s strange that Shanks, already an exceptionally powerful and world-renowned fighter at the time, couldn’t stop the Sea King without having to immolate his body, sacrificing a limb.
For this reason, fans have always theorized that Shanks allowed the monster to take his arm deliberately, as a calculated move to impress Luffy and form an indissoluble bond with him. However, in light of the latest One Piece chapter, it’s also entirely possible that Shanks let the Sea King eat his arm also to get rid of the Celestial Dragon tattoo.
By doing so, Shanks would accomplish a dual purpose: severing all ties with the Celestial Dragons and cementing a connection with Luffy. The loss of the arm would assume a new meaning, symbolizing the rejection of Imu's faction. Poetically speaking, if this holds true, Shanks would be the first person that Luffy freed.
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