One Piece fans have believed that Shanks might be a villain for the longest time, but it looks like a character from Elbaph might clear all the rumors.

SUMMARY

Ever since Shanks has met the Five Elders fans have believed him to be the villain of One Piece.
However, it looks like THE Elbaph arc might free Shanks from all those allegations.
An upcoming introduction of a certain character might help clear Shanks’ character in One Piece.

For the longest time, One Piece fans have argued about Shanks’ status in the series, as his role has been kept a mystery by Eiichiro Oda. While initially he was believed to be a wise character who wanted to help Luffy get on his journey to become a great pirate, this opinion suddenly changed when he was seen having a secret conversation with the Five Elders.

“Red-Haired” Shanks from One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

It led to the fans believing that Shanks might be the main villain of the series who is just pretending to be a nice character. The general idea now is that Shanks will betray Luffy in the end and either take him down or kill him to take the One Piece treasure all for himself. If this actually happens, it would be the biggest plot twist in One Piece.

However, it looks like Shanks has been cleared of the allegations regarding him being a villain. These allegations have been cleared because of a major development in One Piece Chapter 1132, which proved that Shanks might not be the villain but a guide who was placed by Gol D. Roger to help Luffy become the next Pirate King in One Piece.

One Piece Chapter 1132 Might Have Hinted At a Major Elbaph Revelation

December 1, 2024, saw the release of One Piece Chapter 1132, where a lot of new information about Elbaph and the Giants was revealed. While the manga majorly focused on the Straw Hat Pirates’ experience in Elbaph, there was a small panel that focused on the same mysterious character who was seen initially with Crocus and then at the beginning of Elbaph.

This mysterious character evidently holds a lot of importance in One Piece, as he has connections to one of the former Roger pirates and also to the most mysterious island in the One Piece world. Not only that, he also knows about the Straw Hat Pirates and has been allegedly waiting for them for a long time.

The Mysterious Character of Elbaph | Credit: Viz Media

Though it may take some time before Oda reveals him, fans speculate that the character in question is none other than Scopper Gaban, a key member of the Roger Pirates. This theory stems from Oda’s pattern of introducing Roger Pirates at pivotal moments in Luffy’s life in One Piece, and Elbaph is undoubtedly one of those critical moments.

Scopper Gaban in Elbaph Might Clear Villain Allegations From Shanks

If the assumptions about Gaban being in Elbaph turn out to be true, then it would save Shanks from all the allegations about him being a One Piece villain. This is because it would prove that Roger has intentionally placed his crewmates in important phases of Luffy’s journey to help him find the One Piece treasure and, in a way, liberate the world.

Shanks was the first member of the Roger Pirates that Luffy met. He was the one who inspired Luffy to become a pirate and live a life of freedom. After that, Luffy met Crocus before entering the Grand Line. And just before entering the New World, Luffy met Rayleigh. And now that Luffy’s journey toward Laugh Tale has essentially started, it would make sense for Eiichiro Oda to introduce another member of the Roger Pirates.

There is also a possibility that Roger might have a bigger mission for Shanks, as his role in One Piece is not yet finished. He will return in the final war, and if the above-mentioned speculations turn out to be true, he might help Luffy win this war and become the next Pirate King of One Piece.