Shanks - a (former) Shichibukai ???

bedrock

As I recently felt irritated by the (shitty) translation of my local OP-edition I checked a chapter with Stephens scripts (vast differences!). The sentence that really struck me in Stephens script (Vol. 25, chap. 233 - the Gorusei meeting) was:

"…Allowing Red-Hair to rampage will allow him to slip further away from us, and he's not the type of man who thinks about how he affects the world..."

"Slip ... away" implies that he (Shanks), in some respect, is close to the WG?! In what way can a pirate be close to the WG if not as a Shichibukai?
"Slip further away" should mean that he already distanced himself from the WG in the past. Perhaps he quit as a Shichibukai or simply no longer listens to their demands.

It really struck me like lightning, but I can´t believe that others haven´t noticed this before. But when I tried forum search I didn´t find an according thread. So please help me out - am I misunderstanding the scene or could it really be that Luffys childhood hero is/was a dog of the WG?

Angel emfrbl

I doubt being like Luffy, Shanks has ever been a shichibukai. He seems to be a free roaming pirate.

bedrock

I just thought about his aquaintance with Mihawk (another Shichibukai)…

Urokråke

Certainly interesting, but highly unlikely. Shichibukai work alone, although they may keep in touch with their former crew like Don Flamingo. Shanks had a kick ass crew when we first saw him, and he still does. If you substract the time it must have taken to gather all those guys from Shanks age at that time (25-30?) he must have been pretty young to hold the Shichibukai title. It's almost inconcievable, even for One Piece.

Pluss, Shanks don't seem like the type.

I think the Gourousei meant that they're keeping an eye on him, and have the power to oppose him if he starts causing trouble. I remember that Oda said in a couple of SBS's that Lucky Roo was (one of?) the fastest men in One Piece and Ben Beckman was (one of?) the smartest. Also, a "newbie" Red Hair pirate has a 96 million bounty. Through the series, the captain of a crew is always the strongest, so Shanks must be the same. These facts show that the Red Hair pirates are very strong indeed.

So I think the Gourousei meeting was discussing just that, if Shanks were to hook up with Whitebeard, the power of the two combined would be a huge threat that the World Goverment would have great difficulty with. Hence, he would "slip away" from them.

But assuming your theory is true, there are some more circumstancial evidence for it.

-He knows Mihawk, and carries a sword. Perhaps he was once the Greates Swordsman in the World Shichibukai, but Mihawk beat him. Maybe he was in the East Blue training to get his spot back with his former nakama, but he lost his arm and gave the ambition up and became a pirate again instead.

Jounin7

IMO this is a hard topic to debate…

So far to what i know Shanks was at one time was a little below mihawk and could actually keep up decently with him.. Now that is saying alot since we know mihawk is a shicibukai, the best swordsman, and can easily cut ships..

So to me if Shanks was close to that then he could be a probable shicibukai.. But it is true that it doesnt seem that the shicibukai are spose to stay with there crews which shanks does..

I think with the whole meeting and everything, I think that they have more or less caught up with shanks enough to keep an eye on him and his movements.. And since WB is so strong shanks is most likely also really powerful, so they fear the alliance..

sabret00the

Fantastic find. I have no idea really. If he was a Shichibuiki then it was before he formed the Red Hair crew of current. It would also explain his infamy.

Jounin7

but he had the crew when luffy was a young child.. So if he did it would be right before then which is unlikely or after but i dont think you can become one for like 5 years then quit..

bedrock

@Urokråke:

… Shichibukai work alone, ...

Mhh, is that really so? I can´t recall where this was explicitly stated. It may be Mihawks style, but I really can´t imagine all the Shichibukai roaming the seas in rowing boats without a crew…
Remember Lafitte? - when he applied for the free Shichibukai position, it seemed clear to me that he thought of the Blackbeard-crew as a whole.

Jounin7

actually they might possibly work alone.. Or it would be the 7 warlords and their crews lol…

Anyways i think they become a warlord then they keep in touch with there crew

bedrock

another piece:
"Rockstar: Nah, I'm still just like, a recruit.
Although I used to be a pirate, originally.
A pretty well-known one, in my opinion…" (Stephans script Chap. 234)

When Rockstar says it like this, does this mean he is no longer a pirate after joining Shanks??

neg

Well, if you assume that WB is part of the revolutionaries and Shanks, as the quote of the Gorusei let us think, and also what we have seen of him, is just the type of pirate that wanders around without any connection to world politics, they can fear the encounter of the two, which would mean Shanks becoming a revolutionary, and thus "slipping away" from them by taking position in the conflict.

bedrock

@neg:

…"slipping away" from them by taking position in the conflict.

this "taking position" is what really strikes me - for a "normal" pirate there should be no need to "take positon" in any way. The WG is simply the ENEMY ! (remember: they are the guys promising loads of money for anyone who chops of your head:sad: ) If a pirate has to "take position" in his relation to the WG he seems to drop out of normal "pirate-logic", meaning he has a different relation to the WG than other pirates.

Sorry if I´m unclear:blink:

neg

Shanks is having a friendly discussion with Mihawk, which, as a Shichibukai should be, say, chasing him. Also, he has is crew, which everyone pointed out as being proof that he is not one of the 7 and I agree with. So, having this kind of relationship with him only means to me that he has some agreement to ignore one each other so far that he might break encountering WB

Jounin7

That really doesnt make since BECAUSE

If shanks was a FORMER shikibukai then it doesnt mean that he if free of his deeds…. So thats couldnt be a reason for Mihawk talking to him

If shanks IS a shikibukai then he wouldnt be meeting with WB and the WG would fear them of having an alliance cause it wouldnt happen

Angel emfrbl

He seems to be someone who only strikes under a few circumstances. Higuma couldn't make him fight him until he held Luffy as a hostage… Then Shanks and his crew stepped in.

Even as Shanks is going off to see Whitebeard, they stated they won't fight the WG unless the WG tries to fight them.

sabret00the

@bedrock:

Mhh, is that really so? I can´t recall where this was explicitly stated. It may be Mihawks style, but I really can´t imagine all the Shichibukai roaming the seas in rowing boats without a crew…
Remember Lafitte? - when he applied for the free Shichibukai position, it seemed clear to me that he thought of the Blackbeard-crew as a whole.

Jonny and Yosuku state that "they abandon their crews".

GearSecond

Shanks wouldn't.

Besides Slipping Away just means that the World Governemnt are too chicken to take them on, but yet still able to watch them, and they don't want Shanks to go into hiding to the point of no more information on him, Sorta like Baroque Works, The World Governement would hate for him to gather a giant Don Krieg type fleet, only stronger, able to take them on with perhaps Dragon's revolutionaries or something, and go into hiding so noone knows where they are or much more about them, other than they suddenly dissapeared.

Angel emfrbl

@sabret00the:

Jonny and Yosuku state that "they abandon their crews".

It would be better if you quote chapter reference or anime episode…

Angel emfrbl

This post is deleted!

sabret00the

@Angel:

It would be better if you quote chapter reference or anime episode…

i know but would you believe i'm actually shocked when i can remember character names properly, what hope is there for actual chapters.

bedrock

@sabret00the:

Jonny and Yosuku state that "they abandon their crews".

I tried to look it up; the only occasion they talk about the shichibukai is when Yosaku, Sanji and Luffy sail towards Arlong Park (afaik). Couldn´t find it so … closest thing was:

"Yosaku: Because of Jinbeh's participation in the Shichibukai,
he has set someone terrible loose in East Blue." (Stephens script ch.69)

But this seems ambigious to me, it might be just the part of his crew that didn´t want to become "governement pets" and left Jinbei on their own decision?
Besides I would think it stoned-crazy if the WG actually requested to send away strong crews that would be willing to fight for its cause:wassat:

Or did I miss the relevant part of the text?

Polygon

It was never actually stated whether or not the Schichbukai have to leave their crews.

Generic_Soda

@Urokråke:

Certainly interesting, but highly unlikely. Shichibukai work alone, although they may keep in touch with their former crew like Don Flamingo. Shanks had a kick ass crew when we first saw him, and he still does. If you substract the time it must have taken to gather all those guys from Shanks age at that time (25-30?) he must have been pretty young to hold the Shichibukai title. It's almost inconcievable, even for One Piece.

Pluss, Shanks don't seem like the type.

I think the Gourousei meant that they're keeping an eye on him, and have the power to oppose him if he starts causing trouble. I remember that Oda said in a couple of SBS's that Lucky Roo was (one of?) the fastest men in One Piece and Ben Beckman was (one of?) the smartest. Also, a "newbie" Red Hair pirate has a 96 million bounty. Through the series, the captain of a crew is always the strongest, so Shanks must be the same. These facts show that the Red Hair pirates are very strong indeed.

So I think the Gourousei meeting was discussing just that, if Shanks were to hook up with Whitebeard, the power of the two combined would be a huge threat that the World Goverment would have great difficulty with. Hence, he would "slip away" from them.

But assuming your theory is true, there are some more circumstancial evidence for it.

-He knows Mihawk, and carries a sword. Perhaps he was once the Greates Swordsman in the World Shichibukai, but Mihawk beat him. Maybe he was in the East Blue training to get his spot back with his former nakama, but he lost his arm and gave the ambition up and became a pirate again instead.

I coulda sworn seeing somewhere that shanks and Mihawk were rivals… It's implied in (don't remember the damn episode) the anime that they knew each other when Mihawk brought Luffy's wanted poster.

Polygon

@Generic_Soda:

I coulda sworn seeing somewhere that shanks and Mihawk were rivals… It's implied in (don't remember the damn episode) the anime that they knew each other when Mihawk brought Luffy's wanted poster.

**I think it's stated in the Datafiles that Shankss and Mihawk were rivals.

And that Shanks didn''t get weaker frfom losing an arm. I don't understand how he would any way.**

Cryogen476

@Octogon:

It was never actually stated whether or not the Schichbukai have to leave their crews.

I actually assumed that they didn't have to because Donflamingo still has his "new age" crew following him.

Angel emfrbl

Just because you abandon a crew doesn't mean to have to acknowledge they don't exist anymore. Bellamy's ship still carries Flamingo guy's flag alongside his own.

Strange but I only seem to recall the 4Kids dub saying the Shichibukai abandon their crews. :/

bedrock

@Angel:

… Strange but I only seem to recall the 4Kids dub saying the Shichibukai abandon their crews. :/

Ah, good info, that would explain why this seems to be such a widely spread common knowledge (me, I never had the chance to watch 4kids). And at the same time - from what I´ve heard about this dub - it seems save to assume that it´s most surely wrong/made up by those 4kids-&@$!@/ß.

kljs

it would be a shock if Shanks IS one of the mysterious unmentioned yet Shichibukai…...
being a Shichibukai, doesn't mean the World Government doesn't have taps against you.......
just a thought...

anyway, I don't think Shanks is a shichibukai in the first place.... maybe he was offered the title, but he refused it......