Introduction from one piece Shanks, who appears in Chapter 1 of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 34, published on July 18, 1997, is one of Shueisha's most important characters. one piece This is a work that Eiichiro Oda put a lot of effort into. In 1999, Eiichiro Oda stated that Shanks' frequent appearances in the manga would only occur towards the end. now, one piece In the final story, we see the red-haired emperor more directly involved in the main story than ever before.
Although most of Shanks' story is still unrevealed, it's nice to see Eiichiro Oda expand his personal character significantly in the final story. In One Piece Episode 1189, Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 35, which was officially released on July 26, 2026, Eiichiro Oda finally personally revealed the final goal of the red-haired Emperor Shanks. Naturally, he wants to take down the king of the world, Nero or Imu.
One Piece Episode 1189, Shanks' goal to defeat Nero or Immu confirmed
Shanks has been a mysterious character since his appearance. one piece. His entire character arc over the years has certainly confused a few. For example, when Ace was captured by Blackbeard at the end of One Piece Episode 441, many people were confused as to why Shanks was standing by. Likewise, on April 5, 2010, at the end of One Piece Episode 580 Paramount War, the red-haired Shanks reappeared and took on the role of making peace between pirates and marines, stopping the war once again. In Wano, Shanks didn't make a single move to free the country from Kaido's clutches until Monkey D. Luffy did it himself. It all has to do with Shanks' Gol D. Roger, and we get a glimpse of it in the Oden flashback that started in One Piece episode 959 and ended in episode 974.
“After Roger returned from Raftail, Red Taro [Shanks] “I asked him something, but later I cried.” — Oden mentions the secret conversation between Roger and Shanks in One Piece Chapter 968.
There was a strong hint that Shanks, who was raised by none other than Pirate King Roger, was looking for someone who could become the incarnation of the sun god Nika and liberate the world. one piece Chapter 1189 certainly does that by directly revealing the Red-Haired Emperor's endgame goal. In a brief flashback to Loki and Shanks, we finally get to see the Red-Haired Emperor's endgame goal. When Loki went on a journey with his friends to find the person who killed Harald and take revenge, Shanks stopped him and told him that the person who controlled Harald like a puppet and killed him was none other than Nero or Imu, the King of the World.
Loki: What do you want, redhead? Are you trying to stop me from getting revenge on my father?
Shanks: I considered Harald a friend. I will be right there with you. But now think carefully! The government attempted to take control of Elbaf. That is not their end goal… Ready for war!
— Shanks warns Loki to attack only when the time is right. One Piece Episode 1189
Shanks also directly told Loki that the Imu's attack on Elbaf meant that he was preparing for war and that it was not yet time to attack the Nerona Imu. In other words, Shanks himself is preparing for the final war against Nero or Imu. As confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1167 on December 1, 2025, everything he has done over the years, including returning to the Marijoa Shrine 15 years ago, was to get more information from Imu. In other words, Shanks' ultimate goal is to fight and defeat the king of the world, Nero or Imu, when the time comes. Shanks is a meticulous planner and knows that his plan to take down Imu requires the appearance of the sun god Nika, which happened in chapter 1044 on March 28, 2022. Now it's time for Shanks to make his move and orchestrate the king's downfall once and for all.
“The one who controlled and killed Harald is the king of the world! The power of the king is immeasurable. Going to the Holy Land will only deepen the mystery rather than reveal it. If it were that simple, someone else would have already done it. It is not time to fight yet.” — Shanks reveals the Immu and prepares for the final war. One Piece Episode 1189
Why Oda fights Shanks and Immu in the final saga
In Episode 1189 of One Piece, Shanks' true purpose is finally revealed to us, but at the same time, an incredibly dangerous confrontation unfolds for him in the future. With Shanks directly targeting Nerona Imu, King of the World, it's almost undeniable at this point that Shanks will be trading blows with him at some point in the future.
Shanks dedicated his life to the task Roger entrusted to him. one piece Episode 968 Shanks was instrumental in facilitating the return of the sun god Nika and preparations to defeat Imu. Now all that's left is to face Yi Mu head-on, and for that, he's been building up his strength over the past few years.
“Hey Ben, I guess it’s time…time to get your one piece!” — Red-haired Shanks finally moves, One Piece Episode 1054
As it stands, Shanks is an incredibly powerful warrior and perhaps the most powerful mortal in the world of One Piece, but his power still pales in comparison to that of the world's king, Nerona Imu. In One Piece Chapter 1189, Shanks saw for himself that Imu's power was immeasurably powerful and that he could not fight him without a timely attack. The red-haired emperor also knew that now was the right time to attack, so he had been preparing meticulously for the past ten or fifteen years. Such a large-scale setting makes the battle between Nerona Imu and Shanks inevitable at the end of the story.
Shanks' death is a possibility in the future of One Piece
With One Piece setting up a potential battle between Shanks and Nerona Imu in its latest episode 1189 release, the Emperor's death has officially become more likely than ever. Shanks is a very important character to Luffy who has been his idol since the beginning of the story. Luffy's deep love and care for Shanks was emphasized repeatedly in the Elbaf arc, especially in the first few chapters. Eiichiro Oda was able to use Shanks as a means of furthering Luffy's growth by causing him to fall into the hands of Immu, the king of the world.
Of course, nothing is set in stone, and Shanks may very well survive, but needless to say, a showdown with the King of the World will certainly take a huge toll, potentially resulting in his death. Either way, we're very excited to see Shanks' storyline move forward and a showdown with the world's strongest man in store for him.
All the latest manga chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece series can be read through Manga Plus and Biz Media.
