One Piece Officially Explains Why Shanks Didn't Meet Luffy In Wano

Luffy and Shanks’s meeting has been anticipated since One Piece’s first chapter, but one Straw Hat ally has ruined the chance for a happy reunion.

Luffy and Shanks could have finally reunited in Wano, but One Piece has finally shown why the Red-Haired Pirates and the Straw Hats could not meet yet. After defeating Kaido and unlocking Gear 5 Luffy has officially earned his place as one of the Four Pirate Emperors. While many would agree that the Straw Hat Captain has made good on his deal to become a great pirate before returning his hat to Shanks, one of Luffy’s most loyal followers has prevented the reunion 24 years in the making.

A week after Wano’s liberation, Pirate Emperor Red-Haired Shanks and his crew arrived on the island’s borders. Luffy and his crew continue to recover and party after a hard-earned win against Kaido and Big Mom. Now that he has cemented himself as an Emperor of the Sea, there are even people in Shanks’ crew who want to see Luffy again

However, episode #1081 of One Piece had Shanks explain why he has “no intention of seeing Luffy.” It turns out that Bartolomeo, Luffy’s biggest fan and a member of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, has burned the Red Hair Pirates flag on an island protected by Shanks, swapping it with the Straw Hats one. With this gesture, he has now complicated the Emperor’s long relationship and upset any fans excited to see the two finally reunite.

Luffy’s Number One Fan Might Have Started A War With Shanks

Compared to One Piece‘s fans, most citizens who live across the series oceans are not aware of the emotional history between Luffy and Shanks. Bartolomeo is currently sailing the seas as the captain of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet’s second ship, and he knows nothing about the mentor who inspired his idol to become a great pirate. Unfortunately, he’s stirred up trouble that has rippled into a situation that would make Shanks’s crew look bad to his many followers if he had rendezvoused with Luffy.

The manga does bring up Bartolomeo’s crimes in chapter #1054. However, the anime adds a new layer to it, explaining why this happened. It turns out Bartolomeo is not aggressively claiming new territories for the Straw Hat. He just happened in an island protected by Shanks and, after seeing the Red-Haired Pirate Flag, exclaimed: “The Emperor of the Sea?! I don’t care!“, burning it and replacing it with Luffy’s own flag. While in the manga this seemed like a convenient but silly plot device to postpone the much-anticipated reunion, the anime at least explains it a little better by making Bartolomeo’s actions the fruit of chance (and his hilarious personality).

Shanks’s Goal Is The One Piece, Not A Reunion With Luffy

Shanks’s surprising appearance in One Piece episode #1081 is the first time viewers have seen Luffy’s mentor in the anime series in many years. While the episode primarily focused on Momonosuke and his Scabbards defending Wano from Admiral Green Bull, it also made time for a well-animated flashback of Shank’s fond memories of the young man to whom he entrusted his most prized possession. However, in the same episode Shanks also shockingly declares that it’s time to go after the One Piece, which makes him Luffy’s most dangerous rival.

Bartolomeo’s actions have conveniently postponed the series’ most anticipated reunion, but as Luffy‘s story progresses and fans see the young troublemaker grow into a Pirate Emperor, his meeting with Shanks keeps building up into what is going to be without a doubt one of One Piece‘s most memorable moments.

Watch the latest episodes of the One Piece anime on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

Src: screenrant.com