The race to find the wealth and treasure of Gol D. Roger has reached its final stage with the beginning of the finale saga in One Piece, and the only main contender who is the closest to becoming Pirate King is the protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. He is almost done with his exploration of Egghead Island and will soon start his journey toward Elbaf.
![Monkey D. Luffy - One Piece | Toei Animation](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/17121030/l-intro-1667316814.jpg)
Although, among the Worst Generation, Luffy is the only one who has come close to One Piece, there is one other character who has declared that he is going to find the One Piece treasure. This character is none other than Red-Haired Shanks, the Emperor of the Sea. Shanks’ declaration of claiming the One Piece has raised many eyebrows.
However, the One Piece theory proves that Shanks is only coming for One Piece because of a plan that was devised by the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, 25 years ago. This plan required him to wait for the right moment, and this moment has finally come.
The Shock That Shanks Gave To One Piece Fans
Despite being a mysterious character with very little screen time, Shanks’s aura is so strong that even his name can send chills down the spine of any One Piece character. His strength, not only as an Emperor of the Sea but as a pirate itself, makes him the perfect successor of Gol D. Roger for the title of Pirate King.
However, the enigmatic character has never shown interest in finding One Piece until chapter 1054, when he decides to claim the One Piece treasure out of the blue. This shocked the One Piece fans, who were already doubtful of his intentions in the story, and they started finding out the reasons behind his uncanny declaration.
![Shanks Declares to Claim One Piece | Viz Media](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20083723/WhatsApp-Image-2024-07-20-at-6.07.02-PM.jpeg)
Many believed that because Big Mom and Kaido were defeated, Shanks saw the opportunity to go for the treasure. But as the strongest Emperor, he never needed to fear the other Yonkos. Other One Piece fans believed that it had something to do with Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation, which unlocked his Nika powers.
One Piece Theory Reveals Gol D. Roger’s 25-Year-Old Plan
According to a theory posted by A_ManOf_Cultur on the One Piece Fan Page, when Roger reached Laugh Tale and found out that he was too early, he decided to make Joy Boy’s return possible. Thus, he asked his other crewmates to fulfill his plan, as he himself was going to die soon because of the disease.
![Gol D. Roger With Shanks | Toei Animation](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20084118/gol-d-roger-with-shanks.jpg)
He asked Oden to open the gates of Wano so that Joy Boy could find Pluton. He asked Rayleigh to train the next Joy Boy and make sure that he reached the New World, and he gave Shanks the most difficult job, which was to find the next Joy Boy and pave the way for him to reach Laugh Tale and finally acquire the One Piece treasure.
Thus, Shanks has been waiting for 25 years because of his captain’s orders, and now that Luffy has become Joy Boy, he declares to claim the One Piece treasure and give it to Luffy just like Roger decided. This would be the final step in Gol D. Roger’s plan and thus reveal the history to the entire world.
You can watch One Piece on Crunchyroll.