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As the Elbaph arc ofOne Pieceproceeds, fans are of the opinion that someone or the other is in great danger, And if there’s one person who carries the biggest death flag on their head, it’s Shanks. Eiichiro Oda has been giving Shanks a little too much attention lately, leading fans to suspect the author’s intentions even more.
Shanks is one of the major characters inOne Pieceand also an extremely powerful one. The death of such an impactful character is bound to shake up the fandom.
Fan Theories State Shanks Might Die in the Elbaph Arc
Shanks has played a pivotal role in Luffy’s journey. It was because of the Red Hair Pirates that Luffy acquired the Nika Devil Fruit. Shanks not only lost his arm to save Luffy, but he has often appeared at moments when the Straw Hat was in distress. Thus, thedeath of Shankswill be a huge loss for Luffy, which might bring him to the brink of destruction, just like Ace’s death did. After the loss of Ace, Luffy returned more powerful than ever, andEiichiro Odacould beplanning something similar with Shanksto give Luffy one last boost of rage, which would be enough to defeat the final villains.
Not Luffy or Shanks, Blackbeard Will Have to Face an Even Bigger Obstacle Before He Gets His Hands on the One Piece at Laugh Tale
There have also beenseveral death flags in theOne Piecemanga that lead fans to believe Shanks could die soon. In one of the color spreads ofOne Piece, Shanks is seen having a chat with Sabo and Ace. Ace has already passed away, while Sabo was presumed to be dead for plenty of chapters. Positioning Shanks with them could indicate his impending fate.
Bartolomew burnt the Jolly Roger of Shanks inOne Piece, and afan theory statesit could be a death flag for Shanks. According to the theory, when Blackbeard died, his flag was burnt by Brownbeard. Thus, the burning of a crew’s flag might mean destruction in the series. While Shanks has already taught Bartolomew a lesson, he might not be the person to look out for.
Shanks Might Die at the Hands of Blackbeard inOne Piece
According to a fan theory, Shanks’ death will be at the hands of Blackbeard. The resultant rage that will build up inside Luffy will edge him towards a Gear 5 rampage, in which Blackbeard will be killed. A battle between Shanks and Blackbeard is inevitable.
Now that Blackbeard is rising toward the position of the ultimate antagonist inOne Piece,a huge event is required to hype him up. And what better way to do so other than for the pirate to defeat Shanks? Given that Shanks is one of the most powerful pirates in existence, defeating him would be a huge feat for Blackbeard.
One Piece: The Biggest Hint Oda Has Dropped About Shanks’ True Loyalty Was Him Joining the Race to Find the Treasure After Kaido’s Death That is Actually an Elaborate Setup
There has always been tension between Shanks and Blackbeard. The two met for the first time after a skirmish between the Whitebeard and Roger Pirates, and both were on opposing sides. Later on, Blackbeard gave Shanks his three scars, which led Shanks to recognize him as a threat. When Shanks confronted Blackbeard at Marineford, the latter retreated because he was not ready to face Shanks at the time.
Shanks is already looking for Blackbeard inOne Piece, and it could be for a rematch.The rivalry, coupled with the bunch of death flags,could mean it is time to bid Shanks a premature goodbye.
One Piecemanga is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1558
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
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Eiichiro OdaOne PieceShanks
