The world of One Piece has seen the rise and fall of many powerful pirates. In the Great Pirate Era, that is the current time period, the most prestigious thing that a pirate can aim for is the title of Pirate King. Gol D. Roger, the previous Pirate King, ushered in a new age where every single sailor on the seas started to aim for the grandest of treasures, that is the One Piece itself. In this era, becoming the Pirate King is more difficult than ever. As fans know, Luffy is currently on the path of claiming the grand treasure of the One Piece and establishing himself as the King of the Pirates of this new era.

However, while Luffy will eventually want to become the Pirate King, another Pirate King stands in his path, and this person is none other than Shanks. While on the surface level, this might seem rather confusing to the fans, the fact is that Shanks is already the embodiment of the true Pirate King in the world of One Piece. It is he whom Luffy must surpass to finally achieve his goal.

Gol D. Roger Was The Last Pirate King Whose Death Ushered In A New Age

Roger Completed The Circumnavigation Of The World

Gol D. Roger Most Advanced Haki Users In One Piece

Roger was the first in 800 years to reach Laugh Tale
He found out the true history

When one speaks of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger immediately comes to mind in One Piece, and this is because this man went on to achieve the impossible by completing the circumnavigation of the entire world, finding out the true history, the purpose of the Poneglyphs, as well as the secrets of the Will of D. Roger did the unthinkable and became the Pirate King, which also made him the greatest pirate in centuries. Be it wealth, fame, or power, Roger was on the pinnacle of piracy and he couldn't be matched by many others. Oda himself has placed Roger on a pedestal, even above the likes of Whitebeard and Rocks, and that is quite telling.

You want my treasure? You can have it! I left it all at that place. — Gol D. Roger, One Piece

As many fans might know already, Roger was suffering from a terminal illness, which is why he used whatever was left of his life after he became the Pirate King to usher in a new age. At the same time, Roger could not fulfill the will of D., and so began the Great Pirate Era from his execution platform. Roger announced the existence of the One Piece to the whole world, which gave rise to the time period in which the story exists today. Now, all the pirates are fighting for power on the seas and aim to reach the final island where the One Piece lies. By doing this, they would go on to become the next Pirate King after Roger.

Shanks Stands As The Unnamed Pirate King Of The New Era

Shanks Represents True Freedom On The Seas

Most fans are aware of the fact that Luffy will go on to become the next Pirate King. However, the essence of Pirate King doesn't just lie in claiming the treasure that Roger left behind. As stated previously in the story, the Pirate King is the man who is the freest on the seas. In other words, by establishing a certain level of strength and freedom, one can essentially be the embodiment of the Pirate King. Luffy is the Sun God Nika and the Warrior of Liberation, so he is already on the path of becoming the Pirate King in that sense, but currently, he is not the freest on the seas. The person who currently roams the seas with incredible freedom is none other than Shanks.

I don't want to conquer anything. It's the freest man on the seas who is the Pirate King! — Monkey D. Luffy

Shanks' crew epitomizes freedom, which is ironic, given that he often felt shackled by his bloodline of the Celestial Dragons. Still, Shanks has tried his best to break free of that bloodline and fulfill the goal that Roger gave him. Shanks has claimed the Gomu Gomu no Mi and even found the next Nika that was due to descend on the world. In doing so, Shanks has rebelled against his own destiny and established a level of freedom that no figure learned in the past would have even dared to imagine. Shanks is a true rebel in that sense and the freest of all in the world.

On top of that, Shanks also possesses tremendous strength, and without strength, one truly cannot be free to protect one's own freedom. Given that Shanks is one of the strongest in the whole world, with power rivaling even the likes of Joy Boy, it makes sense as to why Oda portrays him as the freest on the seas. Added to that is the fact that Shanks is the apprentice of Gol D. Roger. Roger entrusted his dream to Shanks, and at the same time, gave him an incredibly important task as well.

The entirety of the Roger Pirates believed Shanks would go on to become the next Pirate King, and even Buggy, his sworn brother, believed Shanks would be the next King of the ages, but Shanks was not interested in the title. This is because the title holds little meaning to him, and the essence of Pirate King is something that Shanks already embodies. No matter which way fans look at it, Shanks’s character, is the perfect archetype for the Pirate King, and in just about every way he represents what the Pirate King is truly going to be.

Luffy Can Only Become The Pirate King By Surpassing Shanks

Luffy Vs Shanks Is Inevitable In One Piece

It is because Shanks represents the Pirate King itself that Luffy will have to face him as his final test. At the current moment, both Shanks and Luffy feel as if they are competing for the One Piece, but Shanks' true goal is not to claim the treasure itself, because otherwise, he would have done so long ago. Shanks only wants for Luffy to unlock his full potential and free the world, just like he freed him 12 years ago.

In essence, Shanks wants Luffy to become the Pirate King, and he cares little about what the title of Pirate King represents. In terms of what it truly means to be the Pirate King, Shanks is the perfect embodiment of it already. It is for this reason that Oda has chosen Shanks to be the final stepping stone in Luffy's journey, and inevitably, these two will clash at some point in the future.

Shanks might show hostility towards Luffy in this battle, but it is only because he wants to test him and ensure that he goes on to become the savior of the world. Shanks is fulfilling the goal Roger entrusted to him, and it is because of that responsibility that he truly does not care about claiming the title of Pirate King. If fans look at it on a deeper level, the world of One Piece already has the new Pirate King who lives in the shadows, and it is none other than the Yonko Red Haired Shanks.

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