The confusion around Shanks’ morality has been the biggest question for One Piece fans. The mystery around his intentions and his goals has led fans to think that he might be a villain after all. Be it meeting with the Five Elders or declaring his claim on the One Piece treasure, fans are more inclined towards Shanks being an antagonist who will show his true face during the final war.
Even his noble deeds, like saving Luffy by sacrificing his arm, have been questioned by fans. They have reasons to believe that Shanks could have easily saved Luffy without even breaking a sweat, but he wanted to build trust with the protagonist, which is why he played an elaborate ruse.
However, according to a theory, Shanks losing his arm has a deeper meaning than One Piece fans realize. If this theory is proven, it will remove all the allegations about Shanks that claim his role as the evil villain of the One Piece narrative.
The Controversial Loss of Shanks’ Arm
As One Piece fans know, Luffy’s story begins with his endeavors as a kid in the God Kingdom on Dawn Island. It was also a place where Shanks would come to rest and collect commodities for his next sail. Luffy was heavily inspired by Shanks, but he got caught by a bandit who decided to kill him by throwing him into the sea.
However, a Sea King called the Lord of the Coast attacked their boat and was about to eat Luffy when Shanks came and saved him. But in the process, he lost his arm. Later on, when One Piece fans found out about Shanks’ status as a pirate and his overall strength, they started questioning his intentions.
This is because Shanks is one of the most powerful characters in the series, and him losing an arm to a mere Sea King casts doubt on his character. Many fans even believed that it was all staged to make Luffy trust him the most, as he had the power of the Nika fruit at the time.
One Piece Theory Hints At The Real Reason Behind Shanks Losing His Arm
According to a theory posted by u/OPconfused, Shanks knew the importance of the Nika Fruit and its power to reshape the entire One Piece world. However, he also knew what kind of responsibility this power carried along with it. Thus, when Luffy ate the fruit, Shanks was left with the question of whether to let Luffy die a peaceful death or entrust the future in his hands.
In the last moment, Shanks chose the latter and went on to save Luffy. But, as he was filled with the guilt of letting Luffy die, he sacrificed his own arm to prove or instill this feeling within him. This is also the reason why Shanks motivated Luffy to become a pirate, as he wanted to see what kind of potential the future Pirate King has.
When Luffy unlocked Gear 5, it gave a sense of relief to Shanks that he entrusted the right person. The theory has a lot of valid points, and it also negates all the assumptions about Shanks being a major One Piece villain.
One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
