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For the longest time,One Piecefans 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.
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 theOne Piecetreasure all for himself. If this actually happens, it would be the biggest plot twist inOne 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 inOne PieceChapter 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 inOne Piece.
One PieceChapter 1132 Might Have Hinted At a Major Elbaph Revelation
August 18, 2025, saw the release ofOne PieceChapter 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.
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This mysterious character evidently holds a lot of importance inOne Piece, as he has connections to one of the former Roger pirates and also to the most mysterious island in theOne Pieceworld. Not only that, he also knows about the Straw Hat Pirates and has been allegedly waiting for them for a long time.
While there might still be some time before Oda introduces him, fans have guessed that this character is none other thanScopper Gaban, one of the prominent members of the Roger Pirates. This guess comes from the fact that Oda has introduced members of the Roger Pirates at the most crucial moments in Luffy’s life inOne Piece,and Elbaph is definitely one of them.
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 saveShanks from all the allegationsabout him being aOne Piecevillain. This is because it would prove that Roger has intentionally placed his crewmates in important phases of Luffy’s journey to help him find theOne Piecetreasure 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 forEiichiro Odato introduce another member of the Roger Pirates.
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There is also a possibility that Roger might have a bigger mission for Shanks, as his role inOne Pieceis 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 ofOne Piece.
One Piecemanga is available to read on Viz Media.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
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