Shanks and Buggy's history from One Piece is very interesting, and even though the two haven't been featured together much in the current timeline, they actually have a shared history that shows they were very close when they were younger. This is why fans sometimes think the two are related, but that's not the case. In this article, we'll explain Shanks and Buggy's relationship so you know exactly why they aren't brothers.

No, Shanks and Buggy aren't brothers in One Piece; they're not related. Shanks was actually born in God Valley, likely to a family of worldly nobles, while Buggy's origins are unknown, but he wasn't even born in West Blue, like Shanks, but rather on the Grand Line, and he's definitely not noble. They met as children, as they were both apprentices on Roger's ship, and they grew up together. And even though they argued from time to time, they eventually became friends, in a way, even if their friendship is far from conventional.

The rest of this article will focus on the relationship between Buggy and Shanks. The two do indeed have a shared history, and in this article, we will actually explain the nature of this relationship, as well as how it evolved and what it became. People sometimes believe that due to their closeness, Buggy and Shanks are related (even brothers), and in this article, we will provide you with the details related to this theory. Of course, there will be spoilers, so we advise you to think carefully about your approach to this article and its paragraphs.

Are Shanks and Buggy related? No, they're not!

Shanks and Buggy were both born 39 years before the present date, meaning they are the same age. Shanks was born in West Blue, on God Valley, likely to a noble family (this is a theory Oda has yet to fully explain), while Buggy was born somewhere on the Grand Line, definitely not to a noble family. Shanks was found in a chest Roger took to God Valley and was taken in by him when he was only one year old, while Buggy joined the crew at an unspecified point and the two became apprentices on the ship.

After Buggy joined the crew, they bonded over their similar age and became close friends. However, the two often argued, and Rayleigh often separated them. One day, he and Buggy got into an argument over which pole was colder, believing it was the southern one, until Rayleigh slapped him over the head and told them they were just continuing to argue, and if they wanted to know which pole was colder, they should go there, concluding that they would stop and cause trouble.

Sailing resumed, an enemy ship was sighted to the north-northeast, and the crew prepared for battle. Shanks asked Buggy if he was happy, to which Buggy replied that he was, since the ship was a treasure, and for them, stealing meant getting rich. He told him he was right in a way, so his friend shouted back that he was right about everything.

Later, while sitting with him watching the horizon, Buggy told him that one day they would leave this ship, and Shanks confirmed this, revealing that he wanted his own ship and that once he had it, he would travel the world as a pirate. Buggy laughed and called him a fool but told him that he had confidence in his abilities and would have made him his disciple if he hadn't been a child. He then asked him what interesting things they had found, so he told him about the Bara Bara no Mi.

Shanks told him that it was supposed to be the reincarnation of the Sea Devil, which is why anyone who ate it gained the Devil's ability, but the sea no longer accepted it. He further added that the captain had said that if anyone wanted it, they could eat it and that the fruit was worth 100,000,000 Berries, which left Buggy stunned.

The next day, Buggy ate the Devil Fruit in front of the rest of the crew. Shortly after, Shanks joined him, asking him what he was doing, noticing that his face was strange and his mouth was full. He left, telling him to stop eating; otherwise, he would gain weight.

However, he suddenly came back to tell him more, but Buggy then screamed, broke out in a cold sweat, and grabbed him by the shirt. Shanks noticed a piece of paper flying out, asked his friend what it was, who claimed it was his card, and jumped into the water to retrieve it.

Shanks then saved his life, but Buggy was angry with him because he thought he tricked him into eating the Devil Fruit and was indirectly responsible for losing the card. This is essentially what their relationship was like, but it shows that they weren't related, even though they sometimes fought like siblings.

What is the relationship between Shanks and Buggy?

Now that we've clarified their history, let us quickly tell you how their relationship worked. When they were children, Shanks spent most of his time with Buggy, who was, as we mentioned, also an apprentice of the crew, with whom he argued about everything. Although Buggy blames him for accidentally making him swallow the Bara Bara no Mi and causing him to lose a treasure map, Shanks seems to have always cared for him.

After their captain's public execution, Shanks asked Buggy to join his crew, but the latter refused. During the encounter with Whitebeard, Shanks reflected fondly on his old friend Buggy, and even once he met him at Marineford, he greeted him amicably, ignoring his invectives against him. On the other hand, Buggy reiterated to the Emperor how angry he still was with him and then attempted to exploit his presence and his crew to leave the island safely.

As you can see, Buggy is angry at Shanks because he feels Shanks betrayed him when he gave up on achieving One Piece for the simple life of a pirate, but he still cares for him despite this anger; moreover, he did not hesitate to exploit his "friendship with Shanks" for his own benefit, which he did on several occasions.

The two can be considered friends, and Shanks, in particular, holds no grudge against Buggy and communicates with him in a very friendly manner. Buggy's attitude is more complex, but we can still agree that he cares for Shanks even if he won't openly admit it in public.