In its decades worth of run, One Piece has left many mysteries completely open, with no way for fans to unravel them until Eiichiro Oda wishes to. From the mystery of the One Piece treasure, to Imu’s identity, fans are yet to uncover a lot of secrets. However, one ambiguous character has turned out to be the biggest headache of them all.
Shanks, one of the most prominent pirates of One Piece, is yet to reveal which side of the battle he is on. At the beginning of One Piece, Shanks seemed like the good guy who was always supportive of Luffy, but as the manga entered its final stretch, it became evident that the two characters might stand on opposing sides of a battle.
A Fan Theory Points Out a Minor One Piece Detail That Incriminates Shanks
There have been several battles in One Piece, some more important than the others. However, Toei has left one consistent detail among some of these battles. In the 26th opening of One Piece, for the Egghead Island arc, several shots from legendary battles were placed. In most of these fights, the good guy is often on the right side of the screen, while the evil (or wrong) character is on the left. This is evident in battles like Luffy Vs. Lucci, Garp Vs. Kuzan, Law Vs. Blackbeard, and more.
If the good characters being on the right side is a trait that Toei used on purpose then the battle between Kid and Shanks might serve as a major hint towards the real intention of Shanks.
In the One Piece anime, Kid was portrayed on the right side during the match, while Shanks was on the left. According to the fan theory, this indicates that Shanks might have already turned to the evil side, or has just gone through a development that has compromised his position as a good guy.
While it is an extremely fickle way of knowing who is the right and wrong person, from just judging the positions of characters in an animated opening theme, fans are desperate to clutch onto any clue they can find.
Shanks is Finally Revealing His Villanous Side in One Piece
Ever since Shanks battled Kid, questions have been raised about where his loyalty lies. In the Egghead Island arc, Shanks has outright admitted that he will be aiming for the One Piece. This will make Luffy his direct opponent and he will try his best to destroy the protagonist to reach the goal.
But who is Shanks working for? Is it the World Government or the rebel faction? Or will Shanks emerge as an independent villain? One thing is for sure: the battle against Shanks will be the most crucial one in the history of One Piece. Shanks is a legendary pirate whose haki is enough to make people unconscious from miles away. He destroyed the Kid Pirates in a single shot when he felt threatened by them.
Some theories also claim that since Luffy had accidentally eaten the Nika Devil Fruit, Shanks had to protect him till he was capable of standing up for himself. In fact, he might have realized that he needs Luffy to reach the One Piece and might soon try to manipulate him, or outright defeat him to serve his purpose. Only Eiichiro Oda has the power to reveal Shanks’ true intentions now, but fans doubt it will be anything but unsavory.
You can read One Piece on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
