On Proximity Japan, we've already established that Shanks is one of the best characters in Oda's One Piece series. The red-haired pirate is an epic badass and one of the most beloved characters in the entire series. And that's why we decided to tell you a little about Shanks—that is, to be more precise, another aspect of his incredible story and history. In this article, we'll tell you if Shanks has ever eaten a Devil Fruit and if he's actually eaten one himself.

Shanks actually had contact with Devil Fruits during his life, as far as we know. As a member of Roger's crew, he handled the Bara Bara no Mi, which led to Buggy accidentally eating it. Later, his own crew found the Gomu Gomu no Mi and wanted to sell it before Luffy accidentally ate it. Shanks himself is never a Devil Fruit, as far as anyone knows.

The rest of this article will focus on Shanks and his story in the series, as we'll tell you if he ate Devil Fruits and if he ate Devil Fruits in the One Piece series. The story in question is quite interesting and rather hilarious at the same time, so if you don't know the full story of One Piece, we must warn you that there are going to be spoilers in the following paragraphs.

Does Shanks have a Devil Fruit?

Shanks actually contacts a Devil Fruit twice. One was when he was transporting the Bara Bara no Mi found by the Roger Pirates, while the other was when his crew found the Gomu Gomu no Mi. Let's see what happened in both cases.

The first story begins with a flashback of Buggy, which begins with Buggy and Shanks, then two young pirates, arguing over who is colder, at the North Pole or the South Pole. After being separated by Silvers Rayleigh, their pirate ship attacks another ship. Buggy then defeats one of the people on the ship and finds a treasure map in his shirt, and he keeps the map secret.

Later, after a party, Shanks and Buggy sit together and Shanks tells him that he's going to form his own pirate crew. He then tells Buggy that the Devil Fruit he just found is worth a lot. Buggy then devises a plan to steal it. The next day, Buggy eats a fake Devil Fruit in front of everyone, while keeping the real one hidden because he could sell it for 100,000,000 Berries.

However, Shanks surprises Buggy and puts the Devil Fruit in his mouth to hide it. After being surprised again, he accidentally swallows the fruit. Buggy angrily yells at Shanks. Buggy dives in, but after eating the fruit, he can no longer swim. Shanks jumps in to save him.

The second story was shown through a flashback of Luffy. Young Luffy is in a bar full of pirates. Shanks makes fun of Luffy for being a child, but he thinks he's a man. Yasopp notices that he has a child the same age as Luffy. A bandit named Higuma enters the bar, breaks down the door, and orders sake.

The bartender, a young girl named Makino, says that she only has the pirate glasses left in the bar. Shanks warmly offers him a bottle, but the bandit smashes it on the pirate, claiming that he is wanted for 8,000,000 berries. They leave the bar and all the pirates start laughing. Luffy becomes angry because Shanks hasn't retaliated against Higuma, and so in a fit of anger, he spots a purple fruit in a small box, the Gomu Gomu no Mi, and eats it.

When Shanks notices this, he shakes Luffy and orders him to spit it out, but it's too late and the effects are already taking their toll. Shanks tells Luffy that he ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi, a Devil Fruit, and that he is now a rubbery man and won't be able to swim. Later, Luffy finds himself in trouble when he is caught by the bandits. Makino runs to the mayor to call for help, and the mayor yells at the bandits to stop.

Higuma decides he's going to kill Luffy because he's upset him, but Shanks and his crew arrive. One of the bandits points a gun at Shanks's head and orders him not to move, but with breakneck speed, Lucky Roux kills the bandit. Everyone is shocked when Shanks explains that they are pirates and not children at heart. All the bandits charge at Shanks, but Ben Beckman hits them all with his shotgun.

Higuma, frightened, throws a smoke bomb and runs away. He flees to the sea in a boat, where he throws Luffy into the water. The young boy, after eating the Gomu Gomu no Mi, is about to drown because he can no longer swim. As the bandit mocks Luffy's plight, a sea monster appears behind him and devours him in one fell swoop. The sea monster then returns for the little boy, but Shanks saves him from the sea monster and repels the beast with a glance.

Luffy starts crying because Shanks's left arm was eaten by the animal. Shanks replies that everything is fine, as long as Luffy is safe. Later, Shanks and his pirates pack their things and are ready to leave. The young boy decides that he is going to become a pirate and have a great adventure. Shanks then gives his straw hat to Luffy and tells him to return it when he becomes a great pirate.

Did Shanks eat a Devil Fruit?

As far as is known, Shanks has not eaten a Devil Fruit during his life, which begs the question: how is he so strong? Shanks's true abilities remain unknown, as he has yet to be seen seriously engaged in battle. However, as a member of the Four Emperors of the New World, his raw physical power is considered immense, and he is known to be one of the four strongest pirates in the world. Shanks did not fear Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world, and even had enough strength to oppose him, while some pirate captains trembled at the mere mention of the latter's name.

He was able to swim ten years before Luffy embarked on his adventure, meaning he didn't consume any Devil Fruits while competing with Mihawk. The Five Elders also stated that he was one of the few people capable of stopping Marshall D. Teach. His power must be quite great since Admiral Akainu had fought many men and some sea warlords at Marineford until he reached Luffy, but didn't challenge Shanks when the emperor appeared.

He also appears to be an excellent swimmer, having reached young Luffy in the middle of the sea before the Lord of the Coast could devour him. According to Buggy, Shanks was a powerful fighter from a young age, and if he hadn't been "naive," Buggy would have taken him into his crew.

As a member of the Four Emperors, Shanks is not only a key figure in piracy, but also one of the most feared in the New World: his name alone exudes great power, as Buggy himself has proven; his claim that he previously shared a "brotherly bond" with Shanks was one of the many things that earned him the respect of the former inmates of Impel Down.