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Surrounded by a mysterious yet charming aura, Shanks is a true icon of One Piece. His true goals and motivations are yet to be fully explained, making the number of unanswered questions about the captain of the Red Hair Pirates even larger than his charisma.
Shanks recently declared to Benn Beckman, his strongest and most loyal subordinate, his intention to go for the One Piece. However, this led many fans to question why he waited so long.
The latest chapter of One Piece may have seriously hinted at the answer to this question, clarifying Shanks' apparently inexplicable behavior.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1083 and reflects the writer's personal views.
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Buggy's flashback may have explained why Shanks waited to partake in the rush to the One Piece
Shanks has always had enough power to compete for the One Piece
Some readers criticized Shanks, calling him an opportunistic coward who waited for two of his potential contenders, Kaido and Big Mom, to be defeated at the hands of other pirates rather than challenging them himself.
However, such an interpretation appears to be significantly flawed. Shanks certainly didn't lack the power to fight the other Emperors. Considering his feats, it may be strongly argued that he is more powerful than them.
When Kaido, assisted by King, tried to enter Marineford to kill Whitebeard, Shanks and his men had no problem confronting them, forcing them to retreat. This is just one of Shanks' many outstanding demonstrations of power.
Admittedly, Shanks' reputation for strength is immense. He is one of the very few characters who can fight on equal grounds with "Hawk Eyes" Dracule Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman.
Their rivalry is, for all purposes, an analogy to that between Roger and Whitebeard. The ferocious fights between Shanks and Mihawk resonated throughout the entire Grand Line. Even Whitebeard acknowledged the clashes between the two swordsmen as legendary battles.
After Shanks lost his left arm to protect Luffy, Mihawk lost interest in fighting him. Still, Shanks maintained enough strength to clash on par with Whitebeard as well as block a magma-enhanced punch from Admiral Akainu.
Even Ryokugyu, a Marine Admiral strong enough to beat former Warlord Edward Weevil, didn't dare challenge Shanks. After Shanks released his Conqueror's Haki, Ryokugyu felt himself outmatched. Seemingly paralyzed, he gave up without even attempting to fight back.
Combining his Haki mastery and his fearsome swordsmanship, Shanks is a foe that only the absolute strongest One Piece characters can compete with. He is one of the most hyped Conqueror's Haki users in the series.
Unleashing his Color of Conqueror, Shanks can even overwhelm Future Sight users, stopping them from using their Color of Observation. This capability, which earned him the moniker of "The Observation Killer," is even more dangerous considering that Shanks is a Future Sight user in his own right.
The "Red Hair" can see ahead in the future, foreseeing his enemy's moves, while his opponent is prevented from using Observation Haki. With this, Shanks gains a notable advantage.
Shanks is one of the very few characters who can coat their attacks with Conqueror's Haki, a power that was described as the signature ability of the absolute strongest fighters. Enhancing his sword Gryphon with Haki, Shanks can unleash devastating strikes.
One Piece 1079 saw Shanks single-handedly slaughtering Kid and Killer, beating the two Worst Generation members with a single blow. Before Kid could do anything, Shanks used Future Sight to anticipate him. He quickly jumped on Eustass Kid's ship and struck him with Divine Departure, a Haki-enhanced slash.
Shanks' attack cut through Kid's Railgun and caused him to immediately lose consciousness.
Shanks proved himself to be a much deadlier and more effective fighter than Big Mom, accomplishing over the course of a few seconds what she failed to achieve in a prolonged battle. Shanks beat Kid and Killer together with a single blow of a technique that is likely far from being the best in his repertoire.
With the crucial help of Trafalgar Law, Kid was able to withstand and, at times, overpower several direct attacks from Big Mom. Even after Big Mom used her Devil Fruit abilities to empower herself further, Kid was able to endure the damage and continue fighting.
Undoubtedly, Shanks doesn't pale in comparison to the other Emperors. If anything, he overshadows them. Together with Dragon, Mihawk, Akainu, and Blackbeard, Shanks is one of the mightiest active characters in the series.
One Piece chapter 1082 may have shed light on Shanks' true intent
Shockingly enough, One Piece 1082 revealed that Buggy, who, through a continuous comedy of errors, was somehow declared one of the Four Emperors after being mistaken for the leader of the infamous Cross Guild, aimed much higher than anyone could ever expect.
After hearing the news that Shanks had finally decided to join the rush for the One Piece, Buggy got angry and simultaneously excited. In a comical yet determined manner, he declared that, as an Emperor like Shanks, he wanted to compete for the same goal.
Through a subsequent dive into Buggy's shared past with Shanks, readers were finally able to comprehend the former's unexpected attitude and grasp a better understanding of the latter's true intentions.
Both Buggy and Shanks started their pirate careers as apprentices in Roger Pirates. Despite regularly arguing over trivial matters, they were friends. However, 24 years before the current narration, they parted ways.
After reaching Laugh Tale, Gol D. Roger decided to surrender himself to the Marines. On the fateful day of the former's execution, Shanks and Buggy were in Logue Town to see their captain for the last time.
Buggy asked Shanks if they were going to seek the One Piece, as they had already programmed before. However, Shanks rejected the proposal, saying that he dismissed that ambition, at least for the time being. He offered Buggy to join his future crew, but the latter angrily refused.
In truth, Buggy admired Shanks and hoped that he would take after Roger and become the next Pirate King. Deeply disappointed by Shanks' change of mind, Buggy decided to cut ties with him, feeling somewhat betrayed.
However, Shanks may have had a precise reason to act that way. Back in the day, he was Roger's apprentice. A testament to their special bond, Shanks inherited his captain's signature straw hat, which he would eventually entrust to Luffy.
When the Roger Pirates reached Laugh Tale, Buggy and Shanks didn't go with the rest of the crew, as the former became ill, and the latter stayed with him. After Roger returned, Shanks asked him something, only to shed tears after the Pirate King's answer.
So far, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has never revealed what Roger said to Shanks, but there's no doubt that the Pirate King's words left a mark on the future captain of the Red Hair Pirates. These words were likely why Shanks waited until now to make his move.
Despite reaching Laugh Tale and finding the One Piece, Roger knew that he arrived too early. He may have entrusted Shanks, his beloved apprentice, with the task of waiting for the right moment, meaning the respawn of Joy Boy.
The legendary Joy Boy was expected to return around 800 years after the Void Century. After Luffy achieved his Gear 5 transformation, awakening the true powers of his Human-Human Model: Nika Fruit, it was stated that Joy Boy finally returned.
Interestingly enough, several years ago, the Red Hair Pirates attacked a World Government ship to steal the Gom-Gom Fruit. It is yet to be revealed if they were aware of the Gom-Gom being the Mythical Zoan Fruit of Nika, but this is unlikely to be a coincidence.
This would also explain why Shanks was so interested in Luffy, to the point where he willingly sacrificed a part of his body to protect him. Shanks later left Luffy free to live his own adventure, allowing him to see if the young pirate possessed the potential to properly handle the return of Joy Boy.
Final Thoughts
So far, Shanks is indecipherable. He seems to be a good person who despises needless violence. However, at times, he also appears to have a somewhat shady side. Despite being a notorious pirate, he has a somewhat privileged relationship with the World Government.
Many fans began to speculate that Shanks has a Celestial Dragon heritage, a theory that may be further corroborated by the latter's still unexplained ties with the Figarland Family.
What is certain is that Shanks doesn't lack power. He was clearly emphasized as a major fighter who even overshadowed his fellow Four Emperors. If he didn't partake in the rush for the One Piece until recently, there must be a much deeper reason.
Reinterpreting the information currently available to readers, Shanks likely acted following precise instructions from his former captain, Gol D. Roger, who told him to wait for Joy Boy's return before making any move for the One Piece.
Whether this will lead to a future clash between Shanks and Luffy is yet to be seen. Throughout the series, Shanks has always been shown to be happy with Luffy's accomplishments, but they are now contenders for the same goal.
