THE DARK STRUGGLE OF SHANKS: THE PROMISE TO THE CAPTAIN

Hello once again everybody and welcome back to another theory for your entertainment. This time I shall be talking about the past of everyone’s favorite ginger, Red Hair Shanks.

However, despite how simple-minded he appears at first, Shanks is a complex person with some rather difficult to understand views; for example, he believes if two people share very different views, it is better they go their separate ways

Here is a simple timeline to help you all get the jest of this topic.

Gol D. Roger was diagnosed with a incurable disease 28 years ago and this is around the time Shanks joined his crew. One year after Roger went on his last voyage, he was attacked by Shiki’s fleet and we saw a young Shanks with Roger’s hat.

Roger was solving the lost history of the Void Century and he knew he’d never fulfill the promise of his predecessors because of his disease. Surely Roger world pass down his will to a younger generation right? He didn’t know how long he had left after all. In West Blue(where Shanks is from). Roger meet a young Shanks and saw himself in the young lad. Not knowing if he himself will be able to fully discover the history and fulfill an ancient promise, Roger passed his will(straw hat) onto Shanks believing he was “The One.”(borrowing this line from ramenboy). I take the fact that Roger gave his hat to Shanks as a big red( no pun intended) flag that Shanks is a ‘D’.
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Now this is things get interesting. As I said earlier, Roger gave his hat to Shanks believing that he was the one to solve the history and fulfill the promise, because he himself was going to die soon. As you know, Roger lasted longer than he thought and actually solved the history which means Shanks knows about the Void Century and Raftel’s location. Roger didn’t have enough time to wage war on the WG but shouldn’t Shanks who knows everything and is good at making friends try to fulfill the promise by now? Instead, he made no such attempt and passed the straw hat on to Luffy. Don’t you find that strange?

Simply put, Shanks believes that he has no such right to fulfill his captain’s dream. Why is that you ask? Because of Marshall D. Teach.

We know that Teach gave Shanks that scar on his eye but the question is when he do it? 25 years ago, the Roger pirates disbanded and an entire year later, Roger gave himself up to the marines. It was during that year of absence that Shanks got the scar. At Roger’s execution 24 years ago, we couldn’t see Shanks’ eyes.

Why did Roger disband his crew for a year? To say goodbye.

Roger was willing to tell WB how tog et to Raftel and told him the history. Why? Because obviously trusted him and they were good friends. The Roger and WB pirates probably got along with each other during that year as well.

During this year of absence, Shanks meet Marshall D. Teach(probably didn’t know he was a BB pirate) and they became good friends or even best friends. From what we’ve seen in OP, guys can become best friends in just a month(Norland and Ginger Shandian).

Know how Teach is synonymous with the number 3? 3 skulls on his jolly roger, 3 possible DFs, 3 names of the real life Blackbeard etc..? I think Shanks and Teach were a trio; there was a third person in Shanks and Teach’s group and it was the third person that was killed by Teach.

Roger was someone who would kill a man’s entire crew for insulting his friends and we know how Luffy is. Shanks is just like when it comes to friends.

Marshall D. Teach is very ambitious and has a “join my crew or die” personality. Teach probably asked the 3rd person to become apart of his plans but he refused. Upset. Teach tried to kill the 3rd person but Shanks intervened. However, the 3rd person was killed anyways and it caused Shanks to unlock the Conqueror’s Haki. Shanks tried to avenge the 3rd person but was instead scarred by Teach and he escaped.

Shanks was unable to protect his friend and was betrayed by another. The event had a major effect on the mind of Shanks. How bad was it?

When Shanks was thinking about Luffy’s lost, it seemed like he was speaking from experience.

Shanks is supposed to be “The One” when he couldn’t protect a single friend? Shanks thought he was unworthy for such a task. This caused Roger’s plan to change. The original plan was for Roger to die peacefully and Shanks will inherit Roger’s will and fulfill the promise but because Shanks felt he didn’t deserve such a task, Roger decided to give himself up and start the Great Pirate Age.

Shanks then made a new promise to Roger: He will find “The One” who will inherit Roger’s will and fulfill the promise and Shanks was 27 years old, the promise was kept.

Now lets fast forward to Shanks’ conversation with WB.

Both men were discussing how Blackbeard should be dealt with but it ended with both men exchanging blows. Obviously its because they both felt that dealing with Teach was their sole responsibility but that’s not the only reason.

Both men were trying to fulfill Roger’s will in their own way.

WB
-Knew the history of the Void Century
-Wanted to make Ace, Roger’s son, the pirate king
-Believed Teach’s actions was his fault since he lived under his nose for 25 years

Shanks
-Knows the history of the Void Century
-Wanted to make Luffy, Ace’s “Brother”, the pirate king
-Believed Teach’s actions was his fault since he failed to stop Teach 20+ years ago
-Shanks knew that if Teach attacked Ace, Luffy would go after BB as well and Shanks didn’t want that.

As you know, WB died but his “sons” were saved by Shanks who now protects the remaining WB pirates.

Shanks DOES NOT want Luffy and BB to fight each other. Shanks strongly believes that dealing with the traitor Teach is his responsibility and the promise to his captain can only be fully realized when Luffy becomes the pirate king. Shanks knows that Luffy chooses his own path and fights his own battles but Marshall D. Teach is the sole person that Shanks will make sure Luffy never encounters.

*Theory by Vandenreich