One Piece: Why Won't Shanks Meet With Luffy - CBR

The following contains spoilers for One Piece Chapter 1054, "Flame Emperor", by Eiichiro Oda, Stephen Paul and Vanessa Satone, available in English from Viz Media.

Chapter 1054 of One Piece revealed that Shanks is just outside of Wano's borders, but he has no intention of seeing Luffy and congratulating him on defeating Kaido. Instead, he wants to go claim the One Piece. It's a mystery what he could be planning, and raises questions regarding a potential showdown between Luffy and the King of the Pirates.

Shanks has been in Luffy's life since Luffy was a child, and would become his role model. He would be one of the driving forces for Luffy becoming a pirate and striving to become a strong captain. They have a strong bond, so Shanks' lack of interest in visiting Luffy after the latter's victory against Kaido is rather shocking, especially for the older members of his crew, who know how close the two are. Shanks shrugs it off as simply doing his duty, since someone (Bartolomeo) claiming to follow Luffy burned their flag and raised Luffy's in its place. That's an act that can't be ignored.

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After reminiscing about their past, Shanks instead suggests to Beckman that they claim the One Piece. For many pirates, this is the ultimate treasure. Right now, Shanks and Luffy are equals, as they are both Emperors of the Sea. However, Luffy's said before that he wants to surpass Shanks and become King of the Pirates, not just an Emperor. Since Shanks is a fellow Emperor and Luffy's mentor, they would eventually have to clash for Luffy's dream to come true.

Shanks has always known that he and Luffy would face against each other. It wasn't until Luffy said that he wanted to surpass Shanks that he began taking the little boy seriously about becoming a pirate. Luffy's intentions have always been clear. Luffy is also aware of this and his character arc has focused on showing that he is very much looking forward to this inevitable moment. The suggestion to go claim the One Piece is in a sense his declaration of war, even if Luffy doesn't yet realize it.

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Their battle will most likely mark the end of Luffy's journey in becoming Pirate King. He's made a huge impact on the world, sparking change against an oppressive system. Having the two face off over the title of King of the Pirates would be a fitting conclusion, with both men going all out against each other, though not necessarily to the death. This is likely one of the reasons why he decided not to go visit Luffy. He knows Luffy wants a fight, and right now he's in no condition to do that. Luffy would probably prefer it this way as well, wishing to see his friend only once he feels ready. Now is not that time.

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The only person that could ruin Shanks's plans is Blackbeard, who has two Devil Fruit powers and wants to usher in his own era. It's entirely possible that Shanks is taking Blackbeard into consideration when planning how he wants to face Luffy. Shanks knows that Blackbeard is a major threat, even believing so before the war at Marineford. He's faced Blackbeard in combat at least once before, though that was before Blackbeard took Whitebeard's Devil Fruit. There's also the Navy, but Shanks has stated before that he considers Blackbeard a bigger threat than anyone else.

Shanks has been preparing himself to face his friend in battle, and it will still be an emotional reunion. Meeting with Luffy now would undermine the progress Luffy has made since it's not the end of his adventure. There are still obstacles to face and people to meet. The two will have their reunion when the time is right. After all, Luffy has to give the Straw Hat back to him when they finally do meet.