Aye, Shanks has always been Roger's heir. Thats why hes the perfect one to test and challenge Luffy for Pirate King and the One Piece too. Both of them inheriting Roger's will, one of them more directly and the other indirectly. I'm sure Oda is saving Shanks for last for that too. Luffy vs Shanks on Laugh Tale for the One Piece would go SO HARD!
Shanks V Luffy is inevitable.
Blackbeard was never built to be Luffy's final obstacle to his goal. Haki transcends all. Shanks is Luffy's penultimate opponent and Imu final.
I believe Shanks had aspirations to get the OP, but he too realised why Roger was "too early". He was waiting for Joy Boy to awaken.
 
Aye thats true, becoming Joyboy and the Warrior of Liberation or w/e, is something even beyond being pirate king, like an antithesis/counter to the tyrant who rules the world, Imu ofc.

Out of the two, Shanks feels more like a potential pirate king, Luffy is too young and Shanks is diplomatic, measured, chill, he does whats necessary when its necessary and tries to keep the balance and such. Hes fair, noble, just and obviously extremely strong too ofc.
Actually, I think this is the dark face of Shanks, although he saw cruelty, he did not fight like dragon
Of course, he might be careless like Garp, or he really doesn't have the power to harm five elder
 
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