Introduced at the very beginning of One Piece, Shanks is a beloved character who has played a major role in Luffy's journey towards becoming the Pirate King. Back when Luffy was merely a 10-year-old child, it was Shanks who ended up inspiring him to become a pirate. Despite several attempts to try and impress him, the red-haired pirate never allowed Luffy to join him on a voyage to the sea, however, he did something much bigger than that by giving him a dream to chase.

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Not long after, Shanks saved Luffy's life and entrusted his hat to him, asking him to return it to him when he becomes a Great Pirate one day. Ever since then, Luffy has only gone from strength to strength and proved himself on the high seas. Currently, he stands level with Shanks as one of the Yonko of the Sea, and now, as the story heads into its final phase, the two are all set to face off against one another. However, what exactly will Shanks' role be in the last arc of One Piece?

Shanks As A Peacekeeper

One Piece Shanks with his sword

For the majority of the time, Shanks has played the role of a peacekeeper in One Piece. This was evident from his laid-back demeanor. Even to the World Government, Shanks hardly ever felt like someone who would do something reckless. Yet, there have been times when Shanks has taken drastic action and shown his real personality. When the Gomu Gomu no Mi was on the CP9 vessel, Shanks attacked the Government ship and stole it, showing that he does indeed have some interesting motivations. Later on, when Ace was on the hunt for Blackbeard, Shanks broke through a Navy fleet to engage Whitebeard and asked him to stop Ace. He even intervened when Kaido was on his way to Marineford and allowed the Whitebeard Pirates to try and save Ace. Finally, Shanks made his presence known in Marineford, where he stopped the war with his mere aura. In the world of One Piece, Shanks is highly respected by everyone, including the Marines and even the Gorosei, which is rather out of the ordinary and suggests that there is more to Shanks than fans know so far.

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It is quite clear to see that Shanks has played the role of a peacemaker so far in One Piece, however, his character is about to take a drastic turn now that the story is entering its final arc. In One Piece 1054, fans finally got to see Shanks once again, and in the surrounding seas of Wano, he declared his intention to go seize the One Piece. Finally, Shanks is making his move after years of laying low and playing the role of a peacemaker. Now, his role is going to be much different and he's certainly going to be a crucial figure in the final arc.

Shanks's Role In the Final Saga

One Piece 1054 Shanks

Shanks is clearly a character with some hidden motivations, though not necessarily bad. It is evident that he, in fact, knew about the Gomu Gomu no Mi being the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, which is why he attacked the ship in the first place. It is also quite likely that he was on the quest to search for Roger's successor, which could've been who he was saving the fruit for. In a twist of fate, Luffy ended up eating the fruit and so Shanks entrusted his hat to him. Now, the two stand on the same level, and Luffy has fulfilled his promise to the red-haired pirate. Yet, instead of meeting Luffy, Shanks has decided to go for the One Piece. This clearly indicates that Shanks' role in the final arc of One Piece is going to be somewhat in opposition to Luffy. This isn't all that surprising given the fact that Luffy has also exclaimed to take Shanks down previously.

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At some point in the final arc, the two will face off against each other and fight. Although Luffy is now a Yonko, Shanks would likely want to test his skill for himself and see what he's truly worth. What's even more interesting is Shanks' role after his meeting with Luffy. Having declared that he wants to go for the One Piece, Shanks will now be in contention for the grand treasure as well. However, there are quite a few things that indicate his rivalry with Luffy is going to be on a friendlier note. While Shanks is certainly going to want to oppose Luffy to the best of his abilities instead of just giving him a free run to the treasure, he is also betting on Luffy at the same time.

Shanks smiling

Shanks saved Luffy because he said the same words as Roger and surprised him. On Whitebeard's ship, Shanks openly exclaimed that he bet his arm on the new era, implying that he knows Luffy is the only one capable of pulling off what Roger couldn't. As such, Shanks will definitely oppose Luffy but eventually also put his faith in the Straw Hat Pirate. In the war against the Government, Shanks could well show that he isn't a peacekeeper anymore and has finally decided to go all-out in a bid to change the tides of the era. After all, he did say it's time for him to make his move. His role remains interesting as ever but now, fans will get to enjoy him taking the center stage to test Luffy and possibly even open the path to the One Piece after.

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