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"Red Hair" Shanks recently declared his intention to claim the One Piece. Starting as an apprentice in the Roger Pirates, he gathered his crew and eventually became one of the Four Emperors.
Powerful enough to intimidate Marine Admirals, Shanks can fight Dracule Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman, on equal grounds. Surrounded by a mysterious yet charming aura, he is Monkey D. Luffy's mentor.
Deeply tied with many of the most prominent characters and involved in the major events in the series, Shanks is bound to be an absolute protagonist of One Piece's endgame. Still, his true goals are ambiguous.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to Chapter 1086.
In One Piece, Shanks plays a major role in every plot-moving event
What is Shanks' true objective?
Until his recent claim for the One Piece, Shanks has always maintained a neutral position. All his actions sought a diplomatic resolution of conflicts, avoiding needless violence as much as possible and aiming to preserve a balance in the world.
So far, Shanks is indecipherable. Friendly and cheerful even with strangers, he seems to be a kindhearted man. However, he appears to have an enigmatic side, as his behavior is somehow shady, giving rise to countless speculations about his true motives.
When something big happens, Shanks is always involved, whether directly or indirectly. It could be said that the entire One Piece story wouldn't exist if not for Shanks, as he inspired Monkey D. Luffy, the series' protagonist, to start his own pirate adventure.
Shanks is connected to some of the most important characters
Shanks had enough acquaintance with Edward Newgate "Whitebeard," the World's Strongest Man and a serious rival to Roger, to personally warn him about Marshall D. Teach "Blackbeard" being too strong for Ace to deal with and potentially threatening Newgate's own position.
Whitebeard and Shanks ended up clashing, as the former felt that the latter's recommendation hurt his pride as an experienced pirate captain. However, deep within himself, Newgate likely knew that Shanks' advice was correct.
Shanks prevented Kaido from attacking Newgate before the latter could make his way toward Marineford. After Ace and Whitebeard died, Shanks stepped into the battle, persuading everyone to stop fighting and effectively saving the lives of the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Shanks was the apprentice of Gol D. Roger, the legendary King of Pirates. Thirty-eight years before the current narration, a one-year-old infant Shanks was found by Roger and Rayleigh in God Valley after the conclusion of the homonymous incident.
A testament to their special bond, Shanks inherited Roger's signature straw hat, which he would entrust to Luffy many years later. Roger inspired Shanks significantly, as their fighting style is very similar, based on Haki-enhanced swordsmanship rather than on Devil Fruit usage.
Roger's sword is called "Ace," while Shanks' is named "Gryphon." Both are cutlasses which they imbue with their Advanced Conqueror's Haki to perform a slash called Divine Departure, further highlighting their connection.
Returning from Laugh Tale, Roger whispered a few words to Shanks, leaving the latter in tears. Many years after the Pirate King's death, he may still be acting on behalf of those words. After meeting Luffy, Shanks spoke of him with Silvers Rayleigh, Roger's right-hand man.
Although a relatively weak fighter, Buggy has exploited his opportunistic nature and a series of misunderstandings to become one of the Four Emperors. Despite their recurring squabbles, Buggy and Shanks were once friends who started their pirate careers together. They parted ways on the fateful day of Gol D. Roger's execution.
Buggy asked Shanks if they were going to seek the One Piece. However, Shanks said he dismissed that ambition, at least for the time being.
Disappointed by Shanks' change of mind, Buggy cut ties with him. He felt betrayed by Shanks, whom he admired for his great potential, hoping that he would become the next Pirate King after their captain Roger.
Nowadays, although light-years weaker than Shanks, Buggy somehow has the same status of Emperor as him.
As the figurehead leader of the Cross Guild, Buggy is connected to Dracule Mihawk. The tremendous battles between Shanks and Mihawk once resonated throughout the entire Grand Line, to the point where even Whitebeard acknowledged the level of their clashes.
After Shanks lost an arm, Mihawk seemingly stopped being interested in fighting him and is waiting for an even stronger challenger, who most likely will be Roronoa Zoro. Since the beginning of the series, Mihawk has been set as the green-haired swordsman's final and greatest opponent.
To rise among the strongest, Mihawk and Shanks developed their Haki rather than needing a Devil Fruit. Outside of combat, they get along well despite their polarly opposite personalities. For all intents and purposes, their connection parallels the one between Roger and Whitebeard.
After Buggy's comical and yet determined declaration of intent, the Cross Guild is going to actively partake in the rush for the One Piece. As the group's main fighting force, Mihawk may cross blades with Shanks once again.
Shanks' connections with crucial characters of the series don't end here, as he is the sworn enemy of the vicious Marshall D. Teach. Also known as Blackbeard, Teach is one of the main antagonists of the series. He is the only known person in the story to wield two Devil Fruits simultaneously.
Shanks and Teach first met many years ago when they were still young apprentices. At an unspecified time, the two fought. The outcome remains unknown, but Teach managed to wound Shanks, leaving him with a visible scar on his left eye.
Shanks deems Teach the greatest menace to the One Piece world. He warned Whitebeard about his threat and, during the Paramount War, openly challenged him to a fight. Teach didn't accept the provocation, but a clash between them, possibly involving their crews as well, is bound to happen sooner or later.
Despite being a notorious pirate, Shanks is on good terms with the World Government. He was allowed to meet the Five Elders in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. In Marineford, Sengoku accommodated his requests, declaring that he was going to accept them as long as they came from him.
These ambiguous circumstances may depend on the ties between Shanks and the Figarland Family, a household of Celestial Dragons. With the recent reveal of the Holy Knights, the silhouette of one of the nine warriors looked identical to that of the "Red Hair."
One Piece 1086 revealed that the figure belonged to the leader of the group, Garling Figarland, an old king who played an important role in the incident that took place in God Valley. Interestingly, that's the same location where a baby Shanks was found. Many fans speculate that Garling is the father of Shanks.
Last but not least, Shanks has a very deep connection with Monkey D. Luffy. The main character of One Piece decided to become a pirate for no other reason than being impressed with the "Red Hair" and his crew.
When Luffy was a child, Shanks protected him at the cost of sacrificing his left arm. He entrusted Luffy with the straw hat he received from Roger, which became the child's most prized possession, inspiring him to name his crew years later.
To this day, Luffy idolizes Shanks and respects him as his role model, childhood hero, and the man he wants to eventually surpass.
Throughout the series, Shanks seemed to support Luffy's ambitions, but they could now collide. That would not necessarily make Shanks a villain but simply a contender to Luffy, as they and their crews now compete for the same objective.
Whenever Shanks is around, something major happens, and vice-versa
Twelve years before the start of One Piece's present narration, the Red Hair Pirates stole a Devil Fruit from a World Government ship. The robbed item was the Mythical Zoan which grants its user the powers of Nika, the legendary "Sun God."
Fearing that Nika could ever reappear, the World Government tried to hide this Devil Fruit, reclassifying it as a Paramecia. It's unknown if the Red Hair Pirates were aware of this, but they likely were. Shanks always seems to be one step ahead, understanding things before they happen.
An exceptionally skilled Observation Haki user who can see in the future for ten seconds at the very least, it seems odd for Shanks to carelessly allow Luffy free to eat the Devil Fruit that he just stole from the World Government.
Suspiciously, Shanks only made his move for the One Piece after Luffy awakened the true powers of his Human-Human Model: Nika Fruit, revealing himself as the next Joy Boy; not a moment before or a second later. This is likely no accident but a precise plan connected to his true personal goal.
This is not to say that Shanks is a villain, but he could be in a grey area. While never committing acts of open malice, he has always acted as a catalyst for crucial events, including Luffy starting his adventure and eating his Devil Fruit, as well as the various developments connected to the Paramount War.
Final Thoughts
Since the beginning of the series, Shanks has displayed so many different attitudes that it is difficult to understand what he really aims for.
Undoubtedly, Shanks is among the strongest active characters in One Piece right now, together with Dragon, Mihawk, Akainu, and Blackbeard. He recently showcased his immense might by single-handedly beating Worst Generation members Eustass Kid and Killer, defeating them with just one blow. Such a feat only increased Shanks' already enormous hype.
Granted, the number of unanswered questions about Shanks remains substantial. With One Piece having entered its endgame, the moment for the "Red Hair" to reveal his true colors is drawing closer.
