Alright, we all know that in the end Luffy will meet up with Shanks, cuz it's a promise. Luffy never breaks promises. He WILL return teh pwnhat.
Since endings are always better with an important character's death and the main character in uber-omfg-you-killed-my-friend state, make predictions here on what the situation might be when Shanks gives Luffy the good ol' before-death speech.
I'll start. (And no complaints about other people's predictions. Only positive or neutral comments. Remember, they are predictions, nothing more)
Shanks and many other legends are fighting the Five Elder Stars.
BB and Luffy are dueling. Shanks is losing the fight, but Luffy cannot make it in time to help him. Finally Luffy defeats BB, only to see Shanks being delivered the fatal blow. Kneeling beside Shanks, he starts to cry.
Shanks gives the speech.
Shanks tells Luffy that a real man isn't afraid of death if it has a purpose. He's happy to see how much Luffy has grown, and he tells Luffy that he has justified his gamble. Just like how he gave his hat plenty of adventures, so has Luffy. Just as Luffy's about to return the hat, Shanks tells him to keep it for him a bit longer. "Until we meet again, in the otherworld."
Luffy says stuff like "It's all my fault again… I was too weak, so you lost an arm. Now, I'm still too weak and you're gonna die."
Shanks says "Haha, you're still such a kid :D". He dies.
Luffy grieves. Luffy goes uber-rage-99th gear.
over Shanks' death, Luffy stands dumbfounded at his idol's last words. Shanks' killer makes some off-color comment about Shanks, and Luffy decks them. After the initial exchange, Luffy wordlessly kills them, wearing a blank expression. Then he mutters
BIRD BIRD BIRD THE BIRD IS THE WORD BIRD BIRD BIRD BIRD BIRD THE BIRD IS THE WORD!!!
