Oda Drops A Hint About How Shanks Became A Yonko

This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc.

Key Takeaways

• Shanks became a Yonko 6 years ago in One Piece.
• Shanks may have helped capture Loki, tying to his rise.
• Shanks vs. Loki encounter likely happened in the past.

Shanks is one of the most important characters in One Piece, and that goes without saying. Although he has been on the sidelines for about 2 decades in the story now, with only brief stints here and there, Shanks is now a main player in the great game, and that excites all the fans. As was seen at the beginning of the Final Saga, Shanks is now serious about claiming the One Piece, or at the very least, giving Luffy a proper challenge to the One Piece. This means that Shanks will be more involved in the plot than ever before, and that is incredibly exciting for both the fans and great for the story as well.

Interestingly enough, with Elbaf arc being explored now, Shanks is at the center of attention. After all, fans know that Shanks is directly linked to Elbaf, given that he is the protector of this country, and this could very well be his own arc. More recently, in One Piece chapter 1131, Oda dropped a major hand about Shanks having come to Elbaf’s underworld before, and this could potentially be tied to how he became a Yonko.

Shanks Rise To Yonko Happened 6 Years Ago In One Piece

• Shanks Was Not An Emperor During The East Blue Days
• 6 Years Ago, Shanks Became a Yonko

Fans know very little about Shanks. He is known to have been a member of the Roger Pirates long ago, and he served as Roger’s apprentice, alongside Buggy. Out of these two, Shanks is known to have been the most talented one, and he was even touted by many members of the Roger Pirates to be the next Pirate King. This means that Shanks was strong enough to fill Roger’s footsteps and live up to the standard that he set. This also meant that Shanks could very easily have become the next Pirate King, given that the seal of approval of the Roger Pirates doesn’t come easily. Yet, Shanks had a different path laid out in front of him, possibly by Roger, and he certainly stuck to it.

The Red Hair Crew Is perfectly balanced and is almost impenetrable when it comes to weaknesses. – Brannew

After the death of the Pirate King, Shanks started his own pirate crew and decided to become a famous pirate. Over the years, he made gradual progress, and about 6 years ago, Shanks became a Yonko. At the beginning of the story, fans did not know whether Shanks was already a Yonko or not, but, what they did know was that he was quite strong. But that was 12 years ago, and he was certainly not at his peak at the time.

It was only 6 years ago that Shanks gained enough power and influence, and when that happened, he ended up becoming one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. This was confirmed directly in One Piece chapter 957, titled Ultimate, where all the bounties of the Emperors and even legendary figures were revealed to the fans, and at the same time, more information was provided about the various Yonko crews in the series.

It was stated by Brannew that Shanks only rose to the position of Emperor 6 years ago and in that short span of time, he has consolidated his position in the New World as a mighty pirate, with a crew that seems to have no weaknesses at all.

Why Shanks Becoming A Yonko Could Be Tied To Loki

Shanks Could’ve Helped Capture Loki Long Ago

The most important thing to notice from Shanks’s Yonko introduction is that he became an emperor around 6 years ago in the One Piece world. Oda specifically chose this number and it was highlighted once again in Elbaf in chapter 1131. It was stated that Loki had been imprisoned in Elbaf for about 6 years. Curiously enough, six years is the exact amount of time that Shanks has been an Emperor. It was also stated to the fans that Shanks recently came to Elbaf, specifically, the underworld of Elbaf, for the very first time. It is not too hard for fans to connect the dots here, and the conclusion that they come to is that Shanks’s rise to an Emperor has something to do with Loki.

You mean the chicken pirate? Yes, he came here. – Loki

To take things one step further, fans also know that the World Government had put a special bounty on Loki long ago. Naturally, this bounty could not have been placed after Loki was imprisoned, given that he wouldn’t have been seen on the seas ever since and the World Government would have no reason to put a reward on his head. This was clearly from when Loki was still free and potentially even active on the seas, which means that, at the very least, this bounty was put on his head around 6 or more years ago.

So, as has been established already, Loki’s bounty of 2.6 billion berries was given to him about 6 years ago, which is also when Shanks rose to Emperor and most definitely had his own territories, such as Elbaf. This means that Shanks could’ve had something to do with Loki’s capture, and perhaps this capture was seen as a legendary feat in the eyes of the World Government. Perhaps, this feat is why Shanks was made a Yonko of the Sea, especially because capturing Loki wouldn’t have been easy for anyone. Given that a special bounty was issued for Loki, there must be a reason why the reward is so high, and if this threat was taken out by Shanks, all the while claiming Elbaf under his protection, it would certainly make sense as to why Shanks was made an Emperor around this time.

As was confirmed in One Piece chapter 1131, Loki and Shanks recently met in the underworld of Elbaf, and this might just be where they fought long ago. In the end, Loki was imprisoned successfully, and he seems to have some sort of a grudge against Shanks as well. Perhaps, this stems from being defeated by Shanks long ago, or at the very least, being pushed back by Shanks, which led to his imprisonment.

Did Shanks Vs Loki Happen In One Piece?

Shanks Vs Loki Is A Very Likely Encounter

It is highly likely that Shanks versus Loki happened 6 years ago in One Piece. But, at the same time, fans also know that the information provided to them suggested that it was the Giants of Elbaf who succeeded in imprisoning Loki in the underworld. As was mentioned in One Piece chapter 1130, every single Giant pooled their strength together and succeeded in imprisoning Loki in the Underworld. Then, the possibility of Loki having escaped once rises.

Perhaps Shanks thwarted an escape attempt from him, and they engaged in a small battle. Regardless, Shanks and Loki certainly seem to have fought long ago, and this fight could potentially be the reason why he was made an Emperor of the Sea. This could also be the time when Shanks declared himself as the protector of Elbaf, which would be yet another big move in the eyes of the World Government, and would explain why they made Shanks an Emperor.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1132, is set to be December 1, 2024.