The world of ONE PIECE is so vast and complex that it allows the formulation of theories on a daily basis. Fans at each chapter embark on various kinds of ruminations and sometimes hit the center while others don’t. And in recent days a theory has emerged that could forever change the way we see emperor Shanks the red.
Fan MysticJohn developed a theory and posted it on Reddit in which he reveals the true identity of Shanks the Red. The emperor is a figure present in ONE PIECE from the first chapter and someone could have taken it for granted, but he could also hide unthinkable secrets. Let’s start from the conclusion: according to the fan, Shanks is the son of Rocks D. Xebec.
A completely opposite direction then compared to fans who think of Blackbeard as the son of the one who wanted to become the king of the world. Shanks is 39 years old while the God Valley incident in which Rocks D. Xebec died was 38 years ago. As well as Blackbeard then, who is 40 years old, Shanks was already alive on the occasion of that great battle.
The theory continues by stating that Roger took Rocks’ baby once the enemy pirates were defeated as he did not want to leave a child without guilt abandoned to his fate. The same mentality that was later adopted by Garp when Ace grew up. Roger could not entrust the boy to the government or the marines as they would have killed him immediately.
The ONE PIECE fan then goes on to list the physical characteristics of Shanks and focuses in particular on the color of his hair which for now has a unique color in the world of ONE PIECE. We then move on to the flashback with Oden, where Roger picks up baby Hiyori saying that he hasn’t been holding a baby for a long time. According to the fan, the reference is to when he took Shanks in his arms for the first time during the battle.
This would add a new symbolism to the clash between Shanks and Blackbeard, where the former would be the biological son of Rocks while the latter would like to become his spiritual heir. What do you think of this ONE PIECE theory? Could Shanks really be the son of Rocks D. Xebec? The fan does however note that even Buggy could be.
Shanks’ True Identity from r / OnePiece