This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc.
Summary
TheOne Pieceserieshas finally entered its Elbaf arc, and fans absolutely cannot wait to see what Oda has to deliver as the Straw Hat Pirates begin their actual adventure across the land of the Giants. This absolutely massive country was introduced in the story over two decades ago and finally, now, fans have got their first glimpse of it.
Among the many intriguing characters that fans know that Oda will introduce in Elbaf, There are the Giants, such as Loki, who are inspired by godly figures from mythology. However, at the same time, there are characters that fans are very well aware of that will go on to play an important role here as well, and Shanks is one such character. Of course, fans know that Shanks is deeply connected to Elbaf, which means that Luffy and Shanks’s reunion is finally going to happen here.
Luffy and Shanks’s Fated Reunion In One Piece
Luffy and Shanks are destined to meet before the former becomes the Pirate King. This is inevitable, especially in the Final Saga, where the Yonko are the four main players aiming to get their hands on Roger’s treasure. Up until now, Shanks was not in the race for theOne Piece. However, the moment he realized that Luffy had defeated Kaido and had now become a Great Pirate, he knew that the time to sit by idly had come to an end and that now, he had to move and attempt to claim theOne Piece. Shanks finally decided to get serious,which means that the Final Saga is going to be absolutely massive for him. At the same time, the fact that Luffy beating Kaido triggered this change of plans for Shanks essentially means that whatever he has in his mind has to do directly with the straw hat captain.
Return this hat to me once you become a Great Pirate! – Shanks
Luffy and Shanks go way back. At the very beginning of the series, in the Romance Dawn Arc, fans could see Shanks inspiring Luffy to become the pirate in the first place. Shanks also knows that Luffy is the one who ate the Gomu Gumu no Mi, and of course, there are other secrets that Shanks knows that fans are not aware of either. Above all, Luffy’s promise to Shanks about surpassing him and creating a pirate crew greater than his own is proof of the fact that these two will inevitably clash in One Piece. Although they are rivals at this point, fans know that they foster a very close relationship with each other and that regardless of how their battle goes, they are still going to love each other, no matter what.
Shanks will always have Luffy’s back, and at the same time, Luffy will never tolerate any disrespect directed towards the red-haired Yonko. After all, the hat that Shanks gave Luffy is his treasure and fans also know that this treasure has to be returned to him at some point in the story.
Shanks And His Connection To Elbaf Hints At An Impending Battle
Shanks Has Connections To Elbaf And Could Fight Luffy There
The reason as to why Luffy vs Shanks is as close as it is, is simply because Shanks has deep connections to Elbaf. Fans already know that Shanks has many inspirations drawn from Norse Mythology in general. But more than that,he is the protector of Elbaf. Just as Luffy is the protector of Wano, Shanks has a deep ties to the land of the Giants, and the Giant Warrior Pirates specifically are his allies. Shanks recently stopped in Elbaf, and fans saw him defend the country when Eustass Kid tried to attack. With a single swing of his sword, he dismantled Kid and his entire pirate crew, and showed everyone that he was there to protect the country from any threat.
I will never let anyone harm this land! – Shanks
Now, Luffy is not a threat to Elbaf, which means Shanks doesn’t have to be on guard. However, at some point,Shanks might come back to Elbaf, and when that happens, the person standing in front of him will be Luffy, the man he inspired to be the Pirate King.
Shanks and Luffy’s reunion is closer than ever before and regardless of whether fans want to accept it or not, the time is ripe for these two characters to battle each other and for Luffy to prove that he is a pirate worthy of competing with Shanks, and at the same time, reaching the next level by surpassing him.
The only prerequisite for Shanks meeting Luffy was for the latter to become a Great Pirate. The Great Pirate title is only given to a select few individuals in One Piece, especially the likes of the Yonko. Now that Luffy is a Yonko, he most definitely has this title, which essentially means that Shanks has no qualms about meeting him. While he rejected the chance to see him in Wano, that was simply because Shanks had to tend to other business, such as teaching Bartolomeo a lesson. He has successfully done that, which means now, the only one that could potentially stop him from reuniting with Luffy is Blackbeard. Regardless of whether Shanks and Blackbeard clash, a meeting with Luffy is inevitable and will most likely happen in the Elbaf.
How Will Shanks Vs Luffy Pan Out?
Shanks Will Eventually Be Surpassed By Luffy
Undoubtedly, Shanks versus Luffy is going to be one of the biggest fights in all ofOne Piece. In fact, it might even be the biggest battle in the entire series, given how much buildup it has behind it. Naturally, this is going to be a battle where both of these fighters are not going to be hostile. However, they will still fight with all their capabilities. For Shanks, the claim about wanting to claim the One Piece is a serious one and he absolutely will not let Luffy stand in his way. At the same time, Shanks also wants to test Luffy to see If he’s truly strong enough to go and claim theOne Pieceand whether he has actually managed to surpass him or not.
Perhaps, Shanks planned all of this long ago and will simply step out of his way once he realizes that Luffy is up to the task. Perhaps, Shanks has another layer that fans do not know anything about. There are countless possibilities that arise here. But, one thing that fans can be absolutely certain about is that whatever there is to know about Shanks is likelygoing to be unraveled in the Elbaf arcofOne Piece.
Similarly,Luffy will want to surpass Shanks, no matter what. He has already made up his mind to defeat Shanks and, at the same time, show him that the crew that he has acquired is better than the one that he has. Luffy’s battle against Shanks is going to be one of magnificent proportions and it will certainly live up to all expectations, if not surpass them. Fans simply need to sit back and wait for Shanks to return to the Warland, and when that happens, this magnificent battle can finally begin.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and theManga Plusapp. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1130, is set to be July 27, 2025.
