Much has been written about Shanks here on Proximité Japon, but he's truly such an amazing character that he fully deserves our full attention. This article will also focus on Shanks, as we'll be explaining the relationship between him and Luffy in One Piece. Namely, Luffy and Shanks have a very close bond, and Shanks is quite protective of Luffy, but it's essential to explain why, and that's what we'll do in this article for your enjoyment.

Luffy and Shanks are very close friends. Shanks has known Luffy since he was a child and saved his life, which is also how he lost his arm. He tried to convince Luffy not to become a pirate, but still gave him Roger's Straw Hat, one of his most prized possessions. As far as is known, Luffy and Shanks are not related.

The rest of this article will focus on Shanks and Monkey D. Luffy, as we'll explain how the two are connected and why they share such a close bond. If you're not familiar with the entire story of One Piece, we must warn you that there are spoilers in the following paragraphs.

Who is Shanks to Luffy in One Piece?

Luffy considers Shanks his hero, an idol in fact. He has adopted some of the red-haired pirate captain's traits. For example, like Shanks, Luffy pays no attention to insults. At first, Shanks didn't take Luffy seriously because he was just a boy, laughing at his wish to become a pirate, calling him "Anchor."

Later, when Luffy defended Shanks and his team to Higuma and later declared that he would assemble his own team, Shanks began to take him more seriously. Benn Beckman told Shanks that Luffy was going to do something on his own, which Shanks confirmed after noticing the young boy's resemblance to himself even though he was the same age as Luffy.

Shanks treats Monkey D. Luffy very well, as he stated to Silvers Rayleigh in the Sabaody Archipelago. He sees him as his former captain, Gol D. Roger. Although he often teases him in Foosha Village, saying he'll never become a pirate and that he swims like an axe, etc., Shanks actually likes how Luffy strives to become a pirate.

He inspired Luffy to become a pirate, and with his jokes, he awakened a dream in the boy: to become the pirate king and find the greatest treasure in the world, the One Piece. This is why Monkey D. Garp blames Shanks for Luffy becoming a criminal. Furthermore, on Whitebeard's ship, Shanks claimed that Luffy was his bet for the New Age.

Shanks believes in Luffy and knows he will surely achieve his goal. Thanks to this belief, Red Hair even gave him his straw hat, which he inherited from his captain, Gol D. Roger, and which was very dear to him. Shanks yearns to see Luffy again. However, although he had the opportunity to do so at Marineford, he refused the idea because it would have broken his promise.

Shanks considered Luffy a future pirate, and he was incredibly happy to learn of Luffy's first bounty, even organizing another party, even though he was moving away from the previous one, and also worried about him after the Marineford War. He mentally addressed Luffy, telling him that it was okay to cry and that the Straw Hat Pirates could handle it.

Shanks was also responsible for Luffy eating his Devil Fruit: Red Hair brought the fruit back from a trip and planned to sell it; Shanks left it on the bar next to Luffy and turned away while the boy ate it, thinking it was dessert. Everyone was surprised when they heard this, and Shanks began to panic.

Are Shanks and Luffy related?

Originally from the West Blue, Shanks was found in a treasure chest taken by the Roger Pirates after the God Valley Incident when Shanks was one year old. Thirty years ago, when he was nine years old, Shanks was spotted among the Roger Pirates with his partner Buggy. They were both reading the newspaper, and Shanks watched the news angrily as they continued to focus on the Whitebeard Pirates.

At this point, he already had his straw hat, presumably Roger's. After Roger's death, Shanks formed his own pirate crew and became captain. Thirteen years ago, Shanks and his crew attacked a World Government ship guarded by Who's-Who, who was then a CP9 agent, and stole the Gomu Gomu no Mi.

Shortly after, Shanks arrived on Dawn Island, where he met a strange young man named Monkey D. Luffy. Intrigued by the boy and enjoying his stay in Foosha Village, he decided to make the island his crew's base for a short time, which turned out to be a year. One day, while meeting with his crew on his ship, a young Luffy, tired of being rejected by the gang, held a knife to his eye to prove his manhood, much to Shanks's dismay.

Later, they went to Party's Bar, where Shanks teased Luffy about his inability to swim, and where Luffy accidentally ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi. That same afternoon, a gang of local bandits led by Higuma arrived and began insulting and harassing Shanks, which he didn't mind at all. Luffy, on the other hand, became very frustrated that Shanks didn't retaliate, and later went to ask Higuma to apologize to Shanks.

The bandit leader was very angry and was about to kill Luffy, until Shanks and his crew arrived. Higuma was forced to take Luffy hostage and then threw him into the ocean but was soon devoured by the Lord of the Coast. Luffy was also about to be eaten, but Shanks saved him at the last second, losing his left arm in the process.

As Shanks and his men prepared to leave the village, Luffy decided to form his own pirate gang, surpass Shanks's, and become the next Pirate King. They promised to meet again, and Shanks left Luffy his straw hat (currently Luffy's most prized possession) as a parting gift on the condition that he return it when he became king.

As you can see, there is no direct relationship between Shanks and Monkey's family. Shanks was born into a completely unrelated family and first met Luffy much later in life. There is absolutely no familial connection between them, at least as far as we know. Oda could change things later, but from what we know now, Shanks and Luffy are not related.