With the Wano Country saga finally at its end, fans of One Piece are eagerly waiting to see what comes next.
Currently, the Straw Hats are still in the land of Wano, recovering from their victorious battle against the Beasts Pirates.
The last chapter (chapter 1054) showed us the power of the admiral Aramaki, the newest threat to our heroes on the island. Aramaki’s appearance may indicate the last few days of our heroes in Wano, since they will have to leave in order to begin the next saga sooner or later.
Besides the navy admiral, we also see Shanks again in the latest chapter. He seems to be near Wano and is making plans to finally retrieve the One Piece.
The series creator Eiichiro Oda has confirmed that the next saga after Wano will be the final saga. After the hints dropped in this chapter, many wonder if Shanks will be against Luffy, or if they will both be on the same side in the final saga of the series.
Will Shanks and Luffy be on the same side?
Shanks and Luffy may not be on the same side in the final saga. Shanks currently has no intention of siding with Luffy and may never do it even in the future. He needs to protect his reputation as an Emperor of the Sea and teaming up with Luffy now isn’t the right move.
Luffy defeating Kaido is enough to let Shanks know he can stand on his own feet without need of assistance.
When his crewmates tell Shanks this is the best time to meet Luffy, he says it isn’t the right time for that. Shanks must also keep his name as an Emperor of the Sea and take down the ones who challenge his power, otherwise the title would have no value.
That’s why Shanks decides it is more important that they give attention to what is currently happening in their territories rather than reminisce over Luffy.
Shanks is a professional at his craft and prefers to keep his relationships professional. Supporting or teaming up with Luffy would lower his reputation, which he definitely doesn’t want to tarnish.
So we can say that even though they are very close, Shanks and Luffy will not be on the same side in the final saga.
Will we get to see Shanks vs Luffy?
Back on Punk Hazard, Luffy said he plans to take down all 4 Emperors of the Sea. So it is understandable that he is also prepared to defeat Shanks once the time is right. With his newly acquired Gear 5 ability, Luffy would be a good match for the powerful Shanks.
Although we may see the Red Haired Pirates and Straw Hat Pirates together in the One Piece Movie: Red, both the groups will surely have a different dynamic during their eventual meeting in the final leagues of the New World.
The way the story is progressing, with its tiny clue drops and hidden cues, we can expect a battle between Red-Haired Shanks and Straw Hat Luffy on some important island during the final saga soon.
Shanks still has his secret motives and unknown history, but will Luffy go all out to defeat the Yonko? Or will their past bond see Luffy unable to take Shanks down for good?
At this point, it all depends on how Luffy will choose to handle the situation. Shanks will not hesitate to fight at full strength. He will not bring his friendship from the East Blue into the New World if they are ever at odds.
Red Haired Pirates vs Straw Hat Pirates
If the two Yonko crews actually manage to be against one another, it won’t just be their captains fighting it out. We might see a full-on battle between the Red Haired Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates in the final saga.
Shanks’ crew may not be as popular as Luffy’s group, but they are more than capable of giving the Straw Hats a hard time.
The crewmates that we know are quite deadly in their own ways. Benn Beckman could be a formidable rival for Roronoa Zoro, Lucky Roux can be a good challenge to Vinsmoke Sanji, and even though many may be against it, Yasopp can be the one final hurdle Usopp could aim to overcome in battle.
The other Red Haired crew members can also be good challenges to the remaining members of the Straw Hats, and there is always the possibility of new names being revealed from the Red Haired Pirates.
The Red Haired Pirates were able to stop Kaido from interfering in the Marineford War and even defeated the Kid Pirates under Eustass Kid.
Our beloved Mugiwaras will have a lot on their hands in the new world. But as they have shown time and time again, no challenge is too big for them to overcome. They all have their own unique quirks and abilities that allow them to adapt and improvise in order to win the battle.
About One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.
The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!
Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.
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