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The person who inspired One Piece's protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, to start his pirate adventure is "Red Hair" Shanks, a true icon of the series. Powerful enough to fight on equal grounds with Dracule Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman, Shanks is one of the Four Emperors.
Shrouded in a mysterious yet charming aura, Shanks' actions are somehow ambiguous, leading One Piece fans to speculate about his true motives. In chapter 1054, Shanks recalled the moment when, several years before, he protected Luffy at the cost of his own arm.
Based on Shanks' attitude, some readers theorized that on that occasion, the captain of the Red Hair Pirates purposely let his arm be eaten, as that was part of his plan to manipulate Luffy. Follow this thread to find out more.
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Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga for anime-only viewers.
"Did Shanks lose his arm on purpose?" is one of the most asked questions by One Piece fans
Shanks was the highlight in chapters 1054 and 1055 of One Piece
After the conclusion of the Onigashima raid, the Red Hair Pirates arrived in the seas around Wano. Gazing at Luffy's new bounty poster, which showed him in his Gear 5 form, Shanks reminisced about the night when he and his crew raided the World Government ship that was transporting the Gom-Gom Fruit.
He then started thinking back to the time he spent in Foosha Village. After remembering how Luffy immediately became interested in him, Shanks recalled the moment where he saved the young boy from the Lord of the Coast, a Sea King monster, losing his left arm in the process.
While thinking of these events, Shanks seemed delighted, or, at the very least, not disappointed. The "Red Hair" then decided that he wouldn't reunite with Luffy for the time being but instead go after Bartolomeo, who was wreaking havoc in one of their territories.
Shanks then addressed his right-hand man, Benn Beckman, and revealed to him that the time for them to enter the competition for the One Piece treasure had finally come. Meanwhile, Marine Admiral Ryogyoku arrived in Wano with the intent to attack Luffy and the others, exploiting the fact that they were still recovering from the effort of the recent battle.
The Red Scabbards tried to stop Ryogyoku, but he easily beat them. Suddenly, Shanks unleashed his insanely powerful Conqueror's Haki so that Ryogyoku could feel his threatening presence. Intimidated by Shanks' overwhelming might, the Admiral decided to give up his previous intent and leave Wano. Shortly after, the Red Hair Pirates left the country as well.
A man like Shanks hardly moves by chance
The CP9 agents on board the World Government ship raided by the Red Hair Pirates believed that the Devil Fruit they were carrying was just the Gom-Gom, a Paramecia that allows the user to turn his body into rubber. In truth, it was something much more unique: the Mythical Zoan, which grants the abilities of "Sun God" Nika.
Fearing that Nika could ever reappear, the World Government tried to hide the real power of this Devil Fruit by reclassifying it as a Paramecia. Whether the Red Hair Pirates were aware of this or not is still unconfirmed, but there are significant chances that they were.
Some apparently trivial clues left in chapter 1054 seem to hint at this. One Piece author Eiichiro Oda had the CP9 agents emphasize that it didn't make sense for the Red Hair Pirates to attack them and wonder what importance the alleged Gom-Gom Fruit could ever have for them.
Moreover, Shanks always seems to be one step ahead, understanding things before they happen. Taking everything into account, the issue with the Devil Fruit, which Luffy would later eat, is hardly coincidental. The same may apply for when the "Red Hair" saved the future captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Popular belief is that, when talking with Whitebeard, Shanks declared he "bet" his arm for the sake of the new era, as if he let the Sea King chop it on purpose. Still, the term may just have a metaphorical connotation. The official VIZ translation has Shanks say that he "gave" it, hinting that he was forced by the situation.
Regardless, it has always seemed strange that Shanks, who, even at the time of the event, was already an exceptionally powerful fighter, could lose an arm to a mere Sea King, whom Luffy, at the very beginning of his journey, was able to defeat with a single punch.
Not just One Piece readers, but even characters within the story itself, wondered how such a thing could happen.
Is the connection between Luffy and Shanks just a coincidence?
Ever since the Red Hair Pirates arrived in Foosha Village, Luffy has been running around after them. After protecting Luffy at the cost of his own arm, Shanks entrusted him with the straw hat he received from Roger, which became the child's most prized possession, even inspiring him to name his crew.
To this day, Luffy still idolizes the "Red Hair", while Shanks has always shown interest in and appreciation for the young pirate's advancements. Interestingly, Shanks acted as a sort of catalyst for crucial events in the One Piece story, among which are Luffy starting his adventure and eating his Devil Fruit.
Shanks only made his move for the One Piece after Luffy awakened the real powers of his Devil Fruit, revealing himself as the next Joy Boy. Neither a moment before, nor a second later. Admittedly, the timing is too coincidental to be ignored.
It's highly possible that all these events are part of a precise plan connected to Shanks' true goal, which may be linked with the mysterious words that his former captain, Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, told him after visiting Laugh Tale.
Some readers speculated that Shanks was looking for Ace, the son of his captain, but he came to know that he was in Monkey D. Garp's care. Meanwhile, he stumbled upon Luffy. As it's well known that "Devil Fruits choose their owners", Shanks realized that not Ace but Luffy was the one fated to awaken Nika's powers and become the new Joy Boy.
As Dragon's son and Garp's grandson, as well as someone born with the D. in his name, Luffy definitely wasn't meant for normal things. From that point on, it changes relatively little whether Shanks allowed his arm to be chopped to manipulate Luffy or if he was forced to sacrifice it by the quickness of the situation.
What matters most is that Shanks stepped in to save Luffy from the Sea King so that the child could grow up and eventually fulfill his potential, becoming the reincarnation of Joy Boy. The "Red Hair" also got in touch with Silvers Rayleigh, Roger's former right-hand man, to tell him about Luffy.
One Piece fans have always wondered why Rayleigh was so interested in Luffy, whom he protected from Admiral Kizaru and later personally trained, while, on the other hand, he relatively ignored Ace, even though the latter was Roger's son.
Rayleigh's conduct would make much more sense if he were told by Shanks that the person who inherited Roger's will was not Ace, the Pirate King's biological son, but another child, Luffy. Thus, Shanks and Rayleigh would be acting to ensure that Luffy awakens Joy Boy's powers and finds the true One Piece, the one that Roger said he arrived too early for.
Shanks is absolutely pivotal for One Piece's plot
One Piece author Eiichiro Oda declared that he didn't plan for Shanks to lose his arm when he saved Luffy, but he was recommended to include that event in order to make the scene more dramatic. However, this doesn't mean that once he decided to add that moment, he put it there without giving it a more hidden meaning.
Granted, it's not inconceivable that Oda just wanted to emphasize Shanks as a loving father-like figure who sacrificed himself to protect Luffy. It makes Shanks look like an admirable man who selflessly endangers himself to save a kid he just met, without much to read behind the lines.
Following this interpretation, the scene is just meant to create narrative impact, triggering the bond between Luffy and Shanks, with the "Red Hair" being happy to sacrifice his arm as long as it allowed him to save Luffy. Still, it really seems absurd to think that a man of Shanks' caliber couldn't solve such a situation with less risky action.
In One Piece, characters significantly weaker than Shanks have been shown to intercept threats much more dangerous than the Lord of the Coast without having to immolate their own bodies. Nevertheless, for narrative purposes, even the most nonsensical things can happen.
Until chapter 1055, Shanks has always maintained a broadly neutral position. He sought a diplomatic resolution of conflicts, avoiding needless violence and aiming to preserve balance in the world. This made Shanks rather indecipherable.
He seems to be a kindhearted person, but he is also very enigmatic, with somehow shady behavior, especially as his true motives have never been revealed. In any case, when something big happens, Shanks is always involved, whether directly or indirectly.
Summing up, is Shanks One Piece's biggest mastermind?
Considering that he inspired Luffy, the franchise's main character, to start his own adventure, it could be said that the entire One Piece story wouldn't exist if not for Shanks. Whether he lost his arm on purpose or not remains unclear, but it's unquestionable that, had he wanted, he possessed all the capabilities needed to avoid such an outcome.
Thus, it's not that farfetched to think that he let himself be maimed to impress Luffy. While it may be shocking, the assumption that Shanks intentionally had Luffy eat the alleged Gom-Gom Fruit and then cultivated the young boy's potential makes a lot of sense, especially after the reveal of Gear 5.
