Eiichiro Oda loves keeping mysteries in One Piece, and Shanks’ motive is one of them. On the outside, he seems like a well-wisher of Luffy, but nothing is as it seems, and One Piece has proved again and again that even trustworthy characters can turn the tables anytime.
As the precarious finale of One Piece approaches, it is evident that Shanks will have a huge role to play in it. But will he stand with the Straw Hats, or will he eventually become the ultimate antagonist? Still stands for a debate.
Will Eiichiro Oda Make Shanks Go Against Luffy in One Piece?
After being out of sight for almost 90% of One Piece, Shanks is finally seen making a move during the Elbaf arc. This is mostly owing to the fact that Elbaf is under Shanks, just like other Yonkos have their own territories. As the finale for One Piece approaches, Shanks might finally be mobilizing for One Piece, and his direct opponent will be none other than Luffy himself.
Shanks previously had an audience with the Five Elders about a certain pirate, but no one knows for sure who it was. There is a possibility that he was discussing details about Luffy. Now that the Straw Hat will be a direct opponent, Shanks might need all the help he can get.
There is no doubt that Shanks will be one of the big players during the Elbaf arc. He has already acquired the Road Poneglyphs from Kid, and he might do the same with Luffy by deriding all the details from the Straw Hats after defeating them. Shanks might even be the last test to see if Luffy is ready to be deserving of the One Piece or not.
Is Shanks Mobilizing the Giants Against Luffy?
The Sun God Nika is an entity that has been worshipped by slaves in hopes of freedom. Similarly, the giants also have a spiritual connection with Nika. Since Elbaf is Shanks’ territory, there is no way he is not aware of their faith. A fan theory states that since he already knows that Luffy has eaten the Nika fruit, and his motive could be to lure Luffy in and use him to mobilize the giants in his favor.
According to the theory, Shanks might be playing everyone like a fiddle. He might not even be a real pirate and is only acting like one so that no one would suspect his identity as someone working for the World Government. Or, his ultimate goal might be to overthrow the current world order to reign upon everything by himself. Whether he is acting independently or is in cahoots with someone is yet to be known.
Shanks also has a whole crew of non-Devil Fruit users. His crew is a strong one, there is no doubt about it, but are they nearly as strong as Shanks? What if Shanks is hiding his identity from his crew as well and is only wearing a mask? He might have chosen such individuals based on how quickly he could get rid of them when the opportunity presented itself.
You can read One Piece on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
