Shanks is a powerful pirate, however, he didn’t want to follow in Gol D. Roger’s steps and become the Pirate King.

Shanks is one of the most important characters in One Piece although his screen time in the story would suggest otherwise. Introduced in the very beginning, Shanks is the captain of a very famous crew, the Red Hair Pirates, who rule as one of the Yonko crews in the New World. More importantly, Shanks was the man responsible for setting Luffy out on the path to becoming the Pirate King.

By giving him his trusted Straw Hat and asking him to return it to him one day when he becomes a Great Pirate, Shanks essentially sets the gears of the story into motion. Being strong enough themselves, Shanks didn’t necessarily need to entrust Luffy with his hat, yet, he did this anyway and this is deeply tied to why he did not want to become the Pirate King, in the first place.

Shanks As Roger’s Apprentice

Mysteries around Shanks’ past remain unknown to the fans so far. What the fans do know, however, is the fact that Shanks was found by the Roger Pirates on God Valley, 38 years ago, on the day that Rocks D. Xebec fell. Where he came from and who his actual parents were has not been revealed and probably won’t be revealed in One Piece ever. Yet, what matters is that he was raised on the crew of the Pirate King and he ended up becoming Roger’s apprentice, along with Buggy. While both of them were known to be skilled pirates, only Shanks was considered to be one with tremendous potential.

In fact, the vast majority of the crew considered Shanks to be the next king after Roger. Buggy, who was always in Shanks’ shadow, also considered him to be the next king after the execution of their captain, Roger. Yet, Shanks didn’t intend to become the next Pirate King, even though he might have at one point. Much of this likely changed after Roger reached the Final Island. When he accomplished this ginormous feat, he found out the truth about the World Government, the history of the D., as well as claimed the One Piece. Upon returning, Shanks asked him a question and fans do not know what this question was, nor do they know the answer that Roger gave him. Yet, after this, Shanks’ role in the story seems to have gone in a particular direction.

Shanks Role In The Story

For the vast majority of One Piece, Shanks has played the role of a mediator. In fact, shortly after the execution of Roger, when Buggy asked him if he wanted to make his own crew and aim for the One Piece, Shanks answered that he did not want to do that anymore. This had nothing to do with Roger’s execution but more likely to do with the fact that Roger entrusted something to him, along with his Straw Hat. Shanks seemed like a man on a mission, even though he was just a kid back then. Slowly, he started gathering his crew and ended up creating the Red Hair Pirates, who fans no to be incredibly powerful right now.

After years upon years of training, Shanks got to the level where he is today and he established himself as a Yonko of the One Piece world. But, once again, that was not his primary goal at this point in the story. Shanks was, curiously, looking for something. Even before becoming a Yonko, he started searching for the Gomu Gomu no Mi and when he did get his hands on this fruit, he did not eat it but kept it with him for some reason. Shanks then went to the East Blue, which is the weakest of all the four seas, and it is rather strange for a pirate as powerful as Shanks to settle there for one year.

He was looking for someone, that is for sure, however, whether this person was actually Luffy or someone else, fans do not know. Yet, in a twist of fate, it was Luffy who ended up eating the Gomu Gomu no Mi and Shanks then entrusted his straw hat to him. From there, right up until the events of Wano, Shanks continued to play the role of a mediator and bet everything on the new era. This is especially surprising since Shanks himself is in his prime, yet he has bet everything on the era that is to follow, in a way, indicating that his role is to raise the next king, not become it.

Shanks In The Final Saga

In the Final Saga of One Piece, Shanks has indeed started to move for the very first time. He is no longer playing the role of a mediator and has actively stepped up his game in order to get to the Final Island, Laugh Tale. Shanks told Beckman that it is time to claim the One Piece and he did back his words up by absolutely dismantling the Kid Pirates. Taking their Poneglyphs, which are at least two, according to the knowledge of the fans, Shanks is now actively fighting for the One Piece. However, how much of this is actually true remains to be seen. It is possible that taking the next king, that is, Luffy, all the way to the Final Island and actually seeing him surpass Roger would require Shanks to do more than just sit on the sidelines.

Luffy is now a Great Pirate and in order to test whether he is a man fitting of the title of being Roger’s successor, Shanks would need to test that out for himself. In a way, Shanks is the final obstacle in Luffy’s path before he becomes worthy of being the next king and that is precisely what his role is in the series. Shanks never intended to be the Pirate King nor does he want that title right now, even though his words might suggest otherwise. This is because Roger told him that he was too early, as was Shanks. Even Oden knew that one of the people from the Worst Generation who will go on to take down Kaido and open the land of Wano will be the one to become the next Pirate King. Roger knew that both Shirahoshi and the next king would be born around the same time. Shanks is also likely privy to some of this information, which is why he knows that he will never become the next Pirate King and instead, he must spend his time raising the next king.

Src: gamerant.com