Character Discussion Evil Shanks doesn’t make sense

[Electricmastro]

100% this. I think this is the entire point of his character. Luffy thinks the world of Shanks (even if he wants to fight him). It would be amazing if the central point of Shanks isn't just for Luffy to "surpass", but to realize that he's not exactly who he thought he was. Not a by the books "evil" human, but a questionable man whose methods Luffy doesn't or wont agree with. We'll see them butt heads for this exact reason. Shanks probably believes he can mold Luffy into this person, maybe he even misunderstood Roger and Luffy's true dream, hence why he has "bet" his arm on him, yet still does interestingly mysterious shit.

I think its becoming very apparent considering his standing with the World Government. Oda wouldn't make him mysterious if he was the EXACT character we expected him to be from Chapter 1, or even 580 when he stops the war (and even that was odd)

Post automatically merged: Apr 18, 2021

You can read my responses. Evil is a dumb gesture by people not reading the story. "Not who he seems" is another story entirely. Oda does not commit to mysteriousness without a purpose.

Shanks meeting the Gorosei is meant to be a huge, questionable plot twist in the story. The fact that Oda made him say "certain pirate" instead of what people expected him to say "Blackbeard" is gearing up for another plot twist. These are narrative tropes many authors use.

Even Luffy for as confident and as positive as he can be in wanting to see the best in people is still capable of having the disagreeable negatives of reality crashing down on him and affect him. In any case, I’m sure Luffy will get to know Shanks a bit better the day they meet again, better than when he first met him when he was seven years old.

 

[Sky]

There's a lot but here's a "short" summary:

- Shanks meeting with the Gorosei is case #1 instance of there is something going on with this character that we don't know about. This was done purely to shock the reader in their expectations of Shanks. Secondly, Oda omitted the pirate he talked about with them. Because of prior history with Shanks doing so Whitebeard about Blackbeard, people think its him. However due to omitting the name, chances are its not. This has a high chance of being set up for a plot twist, because it's a narrative technique used in plot twist (built to make you expect something when it's not)

- The Story of OP starts with Shanks and the Strawhat. Oda has multiple iterations of the 2 in 3 versions of Romance Dawn that involve the two (in in version 2 of the chapter, the lack of Shanks to keep him as a surprise later on). Oda knows the ending to his series. These concepts are as old as the series itself. It's safe to say they are related to the ending.

- Shanks reacts very "competitively" to Luffy anytime he's mentioned. What I mean by this is ominous smiles/words he mentions ("time for us to meet soon" with a pretty nasty looking face)

- Mihawk just lost his Shichibukai status. Virtually the only known pirate Mihawk can ally with in the coming climax is in fact Shanks. He's not going to randomly wait for Zoro wherever, he likely expects to find Zoro where he expects to find Luffy. Zoro's fight with Mihawk is entirely telling that Blackbeard is likely not the final antagonist because Shiryu having invisibility powers and no black blade should make it very clear he's not Zoro's final fight either.

- Shanks is very likely based off of Shimizu Jirocho, an infamous Yakuza from the 1800s. Like Jirocho, he respectfully buries his rivals/enemies, stops wars non-violently, has a mysterious past, and a host of other similarities. His bounty is a direct reference to the Yakuza and Oicho Kabu, a game Yakuza frequently play. Like a Yakuza, he "bet" his arm on Luffy, ala a Yakuza losing their finger when they lose a bet with nothing else to give or are punished. Finally, his crew literally does not call him Taisho/Captain, they call him Kashira/Boss. This has been on purpose since Chapter 1. He's never been referenced as "Captain" ever.

So still long, but moderately summarizing my point.

Yeah....no. I think it’s just stretching things and overreacting to them too much. The reference you mentioned even if true doesn’t prove shanks evil...oda is known for manipulating his references...example: Blackbeard & whitebeard being based on same reference

beside you make him look evil even though you claimed you think he is just twisted and has his own way of perceiving things

Anyways act 3 should be ending soon so we should know who shanks was talking about.

 

[Paperchampion23]

Yeah....no. I think it’s just stretching things and overreacting to them too much. The reference you mentioned even if true doesn’t prove shanks evil...oda is known for manipulating his references...example: Blackbeard & whitebeard being based on same reference

beside you make him look evil even though you claimed you think he is just twisted and has his own way of perceiving things

Anyways act 3 should be ending soon so we should know who shanks was talking about.

Literally say he's not evil.

You clearly did not read a single word i put down in that post properly.

 

[WesMidnight]

Shanks is most likely playing the Gorosei.
His tears for Roger were real.
Shanks needs to bear this struggle as the man who Roger was waiting for is still self actualizing his strength and journey.

 

[Taper]

Yeah....no. I think it’s just stretching things and overreacting to them too much. The reference you mentioned even if true doesn’t prove shanks evil...oda is known for manipulating his references...example: Blackbeard & whitebeard being based on same reference

beside you make him look evil even though you claimed you think he is just twisted and has his own way of perceiving things

Anyways act 3 should be ending soon so we should know who shanks was talking about.

Go read about the trickster archetype that's what he is essentially describing. Like a Jack sparrow, Hisoka, Joker, Loki etc.

 

[Sky]

Literally say he's not evil.

You clearly did not read a single word i put down in that post properly.

I did read it properly. You said shanks grins when he sees Luffy bounty poster...

 

[ShinichiMugi]

Roger gave him his hat. And if a man like Roger trusted Shanks,no way that he is evil

 

[Paperchampion23]

I did read it properly. You said shanks grins when he sees Luffy bounty poster...

And what does that have to do with him being "evil" as you put it? Ive never said the word so stop trying to use it to spin your argument.

He literally grins menacingly when he reacts to Luffy's 1.5 billion poster. Zoro makes the same faces when he intends to fight people or have conflict. Luffy makes the same faces virtually every fight.

They are gearing up for a showdown, regardless of Shanks' "intentions". Luffy has proclaimed multiple times that he intends to fight Shanks. But no logical person is saying Shanks is at all "evil".

 

[Gari]

"Shanks Mastermind" theory

 

[Finalbeta]

I bet he presumably stayed in contact with the Gorosei in order to preserve the integrity of the world in some way. Shanks is a wise man.

 

[uyuu]

Shanks being a good guy but protecting some object that Luffy must get, for example a key to Raftel or a Red Poneglyph, since it will put his territory or protected citizen in a vulnerable position, works too as a trigger for a fight / davy back fight/ competition i guess. It doesnt have to be good luffy vs evil shanks, it can also be good luffy vs good shanks, the winner getting a treasure or artifact.

 

[Blackbeard]

This is one piece mind you, you would think oda has higher standards then writing a seemingly a terrible fan fiction plot .

He is just twisted in someway IMO but not evil...if you think shanks is evil after at this point after all what we saw from him then I don’t know what to tell you

also if shanks was evil this means to me:

- Luffy has to defeat him which is ridiculous...what’s the point of defeating shanks when you already defeated the great pirate Charlotte linlin ?

- it will also means his conflict with Blackbeard might be as well canceled .

Shanks will be showing at the end of Big Mom third arc (elbaf) after Luffy defeated her...he acknowledges him as his superior...they have fun Davy back fight for couple chapters and that it imo.

after that shanks vs Blackbeard and yea..

Oda busts a nut as big as Smoothie for every unpredictable plot point even if the execution was rubbish, it's not unfeasible.