This is why Oda delays Luffy and Shanks meeting

Summary

• Luffy becoming a great pirate is crucial to his reunion with Shanks.

• Oda strategically prolongs their meeting to increase its significance.

• Their meeting will be a key moment in the transition between pirate eras.

While the original scene has been adapted several times, the first chapter in the One Piece The manga series depicts a scene where Shanks gives his straw hat to Luffy and tells him to return it when he becomes a great pirate king. This simple and gentle gesture of trust sets a precedent for events in the One Piece when Luffy aspires to become the Pirate King.

Through small and large victories, Luffy left his name deep One Piece knowledge and called himself one of the strongest pirates. While now many around the world consider him a great pirate One Pieceeffectively fulfilling his promise to Shanks, the duo still haven't met, and this seems to be more due to Oda delaying the meeting than the terms not being met.

Luffy and Shanks reunion symbolism

Why it matters

After Shanks gives Luffy his Straw Hat, he makes Captain Straw Hat promise to return it once he becomes a great pirate. The end of Kaido and Big Mom's reign undoubtedly pushed Luffy into the realm of the great pirates, but their reunion still hadn't happened. But what makes it so important? Luffy and Shanks' reunion won't just be the return of the Straw Hat or the meeting of the two emperors; it will be more like the culmination of Luffy's journey and the transition between pirate eras.

At that point, Luffy would not just be someone who looked up to Shanks as a mentor, but someone who could stand beside him as an equal. Moreover, Shanks always imagined himself as a kind of balance between the old and new generations. Although he was quite young, he was never interested in heralding the next generation, but rather in removing obstacles for the youth. The meeting will undoubtedly be depicted as the end of an era and will mark a pivotal moment in the One Piece series, making it even more important.

Long Awaited Reunion: Why Luffy and Shanks haven't met yet

Narrative The importance of time in their meeting

Luffy and Shanks will meet again after Luffy becomes a great pirate. It was an agreement between Captain Straw Hat and Red Shanks. From initially becoming the Fifth Sea Emperor, defeating Kaido and officially becoming a member of the Four Yonko and even facing off against Horase, Luffy has proven time and time again that he is already a great pirate. However, despite his many remarkable feats, Luffy seems to “always miss Shanks a little bit”, as was even seen with Elbuff, where Luffy arrived just as Shanks left.

Undoubtedly, Oda deliberately dragged out the meeting to make it much more important and significant. Shanks is the main character of the series and Luffy's life in general. Moreover, their reunion is more than a chance encounter; it is the change of an era, and therefore it must carry sufficient weight. Luffy is undoubtedly strong, but he must grow up to be Shank's equal, and it's clear that Captain Straw Hat isn't quite there yet, whether it's in his and his crew's overall fighting prowess or their knowledge of the world and the secrets it holds.

As well as having a fair amount of weight to it, it's important to note that Oda's narrative deals a lot with perfect tense, or at least as close to it as possible. When Oda drops a bomb, he tends to drop a very big bomb, and it's entirely possible that Luffy and Shanks' meeting will take place in the middle of an overarching storyline rather than a simple but meaningful encounter on a random island. Some fans also speculate that when the duo meet, there will be a battle, but they won't necessarily fight randomly or as allies, but as rivals.

How Oda Uses Suspense Through Delayed Payouts

Foreshadowing their meeting

Throughout One Piece series, Oda slowly but surely laid the groundwork for their fated meeting. It shows that no matter how it happens, it is bound to happen. In the meantime, fans are left to speculate about how and in what situation the two pirates will end up together.

Oda's use of suspense in the teases, but the delay in their meeting is no doubt intentional. During the Wano and Elbuff arc, Shanks could have met the Straw Hat Pirates if he wanted to, but both times he chose not to, revealing that if not Luffy, then Shanks definitely has “the perfect moment” in mind. Moments like the look on Shanks' face after Luffy was unofficially announced as the Fifth Sea Emperor or when Shanks arrived in Wano make their meeting inevitable. As always, Oda dropped these breadcrumbs to keep fans waiting.

What could their long-awaited meeting mean for the end game of the story?

A meeting with high stakes

The fact that Oda postponed their meeting serves as both a narrative choice and a strategic move that will undoubtedly affect the endgame of the series. A lot of mystery surrounds Redhead Shanks, whether it's what he knows about Joy Boy and the truth of the world, or his connection to the World Government. Once they are reunited, key information is sure to be revealed, and the world is sure to undergo major changes, whether they become allies or enemies. Their eventual reunion will no doubt tie together years of plot threads and unanswered questions, making the moment when they finally meet all the more important.

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