Warning: Contains spoilers for One Piece chapter #1152.One of the most confusing moments inOne Pieceis, ironically, also one of its most iconic: Shanks losing his arm to a Sea King to protect Luffy. AsOne Piecehas fleshed out its world over the years, the idea that someone like Shanks could be hurt so severely by a Sea King has gotten increasingly hard to justify, and to many, it’s become a blatant plot hole.
Shanks losing his arm has gotten increasingly hard to explain, butOne Piecemight have finally done just that. Chapter #1152 sets up more exploration into Shanks’ past and character through another flashback arc, and while there currently isn’t much to see,one small detail inOne Piecechapter #1152 might have finally resolved the issue of Shanks losing his arm. It’s still too early to say anything definitive on the matter, but fortunately, that doesn’t make it any less great to think about.
One Piece Finally Reveals The Real Reason Shanks Lost His Arm
How One Piece Finally Resolved Its Biggest Shanks Question
One Piecechapter #1152 features a flashback to when Shanks still had his left arm, during which it’s shown that Shanks used to have a tattoo. Said tattoo bears a clear resemblance to the insignia of the Holy Knights of the World Government, meaning thatShanks was associated with the Holy Knightsat some point, likely when he lived at Mary Geoise for an unknown amount of time.
That reveal completely changes the context of Shanks losing his arm. While protecting Luffy was still the main goal, ifOne Piecechapter #1152is to be believed, thenShanks willingly let the Lord of the Coast eat his arm to erase any record of his ties to the Holy Knights, which both protected his past and likely made him immune to being possessed by Imu in the same way Gunko has been possessed.
Not only does all of that perfectly justify how someone as strong as Shanks could lose his arm to a Sea King, but with Shanks’ previous explanation of betting his arm on Luffy and the new generation,Shanks losing his arm can now be seen as symbolic of him trusting Luffy to defeat Imu and the Holy Knights if he’s unable to do so. All of it comes together to resolve one ofOne Piece’s biggest questions, and it does so in a truly perfect way.
One Piece Makes Shanks' Past A Bigger Mystery Than Ever
Shanks Remains One Piece’s Most Enigmatic Character
With chapter #1152’s big reveal, Shanks’ past just became all the more mysterious. Considering Shanks’ power and the deep ties to the Holy Knightsthe Figarland familyhas, it probably wasn’t that Shanks was a simple bystander, but thatShanks was part of the Holy Knights while he lived on Mary Geoise, although he obviously would have quit by the time of the flashback.
That doesn’t mean Shanks ever agreed with the Holy Knights, though. Between being abandoned by Garling as a baby and whatever Roger told Shanks before his death,there’s too much going on with Shanks for it to make sense that he ever seriously worked for the Holy Knights, and the full details of their relationship are bound to come out as the current arc progresses.
Overall, the reveal of Shanks’ tattoo was the biggest thing aOne Piecefan could ask for. Not only does it further the mystery of Shanks’ backstory in an interesting and natural way, but with what little is known about the Holy Knights,Shanks’ tattoo can now be used to perfectly alleviate one ofOne Piece’s most frustrating plot holes. The entire twist is a perfect testament to how greatOne Pieceis as providing payoff to the smallest things years after the fact, and hopefully, the full reveal will keep that going, as well.
