One Piece: Red Sketch Gives Sneak-Peek at Shanks

By Evan Valentine

One Piece: Red is giving the Straw Hat PIrates a number of new outfits for the fifteenth movie of the Shonen series, but the main selling point of the next film is the return of Red-Haired Shanks, who has yet to come into contact with Luffy and his Straw Hats following the early days of the franchise. Now, a new preview sketch gives us an extremely brief look at the man who helped forge Luffy's dream, as the movie is set to arrive in theaters in Japan this August and will surely have big revelations in store for the Grand Line.

The current timeline of this film remains a mystery, with fans left wondering if the return of Shanks will take place following the War For Wano Arc or before it. Needless to say, with recent chapters seeing Luffy gain his ultimate form via his Gear Fifth, which allows him to not just transform into a cartoonish form, but allows him to even transform the environment around him to take on a more rubbery aesthetic, it would be interesting for Shanks to see Monkey at this current level. As Shanks is set to make his return with a new crew at his side, will Red see Shanks and the Straw Hats as allies or enemies?

Twitter User New World Artur shared the promo image of what appears to be Shanks, as the movie prepares to arrive in theaters in Japan on August 6th, with the film sure to have ramifications for the world of the Grand Line and the life of Luffy as he continues his quest to become king of the pirates:

Here's a previous quote from creator Eiichiro Oda on the character of Shanks and the questions that are being asked when it comes to his return:

"Speaking of Shanks, the truth is that he's still a character of many mysteries. What's his relationship with the girl on his crew? Will he meet Luffy? This is the first time Shanks has properly appeared in a movie after all...oh he will appear! They tried to stop me from announcing anything, but I went and said it, so I win!"

What surprises do you think lie in wait for the return of Shanks? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Grand Line. 

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