@onemoment:
Shanks made his own crew and went to the Grandline 22 years ago, on the day of Roger's execution.
Ah, no. Then he would've never showed up at Luffy's village.
Here's my thought:
1a. Through a plea bargain, Roger surrenders himself and his crew is granted Amnesty/exoneration. They depart Loguetown and go their seperate ways.
1b. After witnessing their captain's capture/execution, the Gold Pirates flee for their lives. In exchange for amnesty/exoneration, the more powerful pirates are asked to join a new organization sponsored by the WG, the Shichibukai.
2. Shanks smuggles himself aboard a Marine ship heading for West Blue.
3. Once he reaches West Blue, he steals a boat and heads for his hometown.
4. Using his home as a base of operations, Shanks gathers a crew and trains hard.
5. Years later, Shanks enters the Grand Line to confront Whitebeard. A boastful, younger Teach claims he can beat Shanks. Shanks wins the fight, but not without having his eye scarred.
6. Before anything can happen, Mihawk, who is now a part of the Shichibukai, shows up. Shanks recognizes him and challenges him to a duel.
6. The fight ends in a draw, with Mihawk certain to win if the fight continues.
7. Shanks flees the Grand Line. Mihawk attempts to persue him, but his halted by Whitebeard.
8. After fleeing the Grand Line, Shanks ends up in East Blue. Deciding to lay low for a while, he makes a base in Fuschia Village, meeting Makino, Luffy, Ace, and Woop Slap.
9. Following the events with Luffy, Shanks leaves and re-enters the Grand Line.
10. Shanks finds Whitebeard, who reveals that the key to One Piece is in the New World. Whitebeard acts surprised about Shanks' loss of an arm.
11. Shanks and Whitebeard enter the New World Seperately. Most of it is uninhabited, with sparse colonies populating the islands.
12. Two other pirate crews enter the New World, looking for One Piece.
13. All four of them race toward Raftel. On the island prior, they find that their log pose will take years to set. Whitebeard, having left a nakama on the island with the log pose, has the advantage.
14. Shanks attempts to parlay with the other two pirates, but they refuse to cooperate.
15. Realizing that fighting each other would cause a stalemate, the four pirates place a nakama on the island prior to Raftel and have them wait for the log pose to set.
16. In the internim, they go about terrorizing/conquering/training in the New World.