A distinctive trait of Shanks returns in One Piece 1079

"Red Hair" Shanks is one of the most iconic One Piece characters. Throughout the series, he has always been surrounded by a charismatic aura that makes him special in the eyes of fans.

Shanks was introduced in the very first chapter of One Piece. He has rarely appeared since then, but each time he was featured in the story, it was for unforgettable moments.

The latest installment of the series, One Piece 1079, featured Shanks showcasing his immense power. He single-handedly defeated Kid and Killer, leading into the annihilation of the Kid Pirates.

The chapter also highlighted a very prominent trait in Shanks' personality, which fans had already gotten to know since his first appearance in the story. Follow this thread to find out more.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1079 and reflects the writer's personal views.

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One Piece 1079 emphasized that Shanks has no mercy for those who threaten his friends

Shanks hates needless violence

Shanks has his personal moral code (Image via Toei Animation, One Piece)

Very few One Piece characters have a greater reputation than Shanks, the captain of the Red Hair Pirates. A former apprentice to Gol D. Roger, the late Pirate King, Shanks eventually became one of the Four Emperors.

Shanks is the one who inspired Monkey D. Luffy, the main character of One Piece, to become a pirate, gifting him the straw hat that Roger left him. He is also the only known swordsman who was able to match the all-powerful Dracule Mihawk in a fight.

Shanks is the youngest of the Four Emperors, yet he seems to be the most prominent among them. A testament to his charisma and power, his presence was enough to immediately end the war at Marineford, with no one stepping up to challenge him.

Despite possessing such outstanding might, Shanks is a calm and carefree man who hates violence. His favorite activity is traveling and partying around with his beloved crew.

Shanks has such an aversion to needless conflicts that he tries to avoid them even at the cost of his own well-being. He truly is a pacifist, holding himself back from using violence even when his honor is insulted.

However, Shanks steps in to fight without a second thought if his friends or those under his protection are threatened. In such circumstances, he will temporarily put aside his pacifist nature and turn into a fierce warrior who engages any foe mercilessly.

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Romance Dawn emphasized such attitude

Shanks showed his way of doing in the very first chapter of One Piece (Image via Toei Animation, One Piece)

Shanks' personality has highlighted this trait since his first comparison in One Piece, during the Romance Dawn Arc, which is set twelve years before the current narration of the series. Shanks, his crew and Luffy, who was a child at the time, were partying in the village of Foosha.

They were interrupted when a group of bandits, led by Higuma, broke into the bar and demanded sake. Shanks and his crew had drank all but one bottle of it, which he amicably offered to Higuma.

However, Higuma smashed the bottle over Shanks' head, claiming that one bottle of sake wasn't enough. Instead of attacking the bandit for revenge, Shanks tried to clean up the mess. Considering him a coward, Higuma toppled some food on him and left while mocking him.

Afterward, Shanks, Benn Beckman and the other members of the Red Hair Pirates laughed over such humiliation. Luffy, who idolized Shanks but was disillusioned by how he refused to fight back even after being offended, ran away.

On his way, Luffy met Higuma and insulted him. As the bandit was preparing to kill Luffy, Shanks appeared nearby. Higuma warned Shanks to stay back, and when Shanks began to approach him, one of the bandits put a gun to the latter's head.

Showing immense cold-bloodedness, Shanks didn't do anything. He merely told the bandit not to point a gun at anyone to scare them, because by doing so, he is also putting his own life on the line. Moments later, Lucky Roux, one of Shanks' subordinates, shot the bandit in the head, killing him.

When the other bandits claimed this was dirty, Benn Beckman answered that they are no saints, and Shanks pointed out how he and his men are pirates. As such, they act how they decide to.

Before Benn proceeded to beat up the bandits, Shanks declared his moral code:

"You can pour drinks on me, you can throw food at me... you can even spit at me. I will just laugh that stuff off. But... good reason or not... nobody hurts a friend of mine!"

After more than a thousand chapters, such an attitude played a significant role, guiding Shanks' actions in the latest installment of One Piece.

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Shanks showcased his moral code again in One Piece 1079

When Kid menaced to kill Shanks' weakest allies, the Emperor retaliated by ruthlessly destroying him and his crew (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, One Piece)

The Red Hair Pirates are the most balanced group among the Yonko crews. All their high-ranking members are fearsome pirates in their own right. However, the Red Hair Pirates also include a fleet consisting of much weaker individuals.

It was stated that members of the Red Hair Pirates fleet are so weak that they only managed to survive in the New World because Shanks allowed them to bear his flag, which acted as a deterrent for those who intended to attack him.

As such, they are very grateful to Shanks. When the Kid Pirates arrived in the sea surrounding Elbaf, the Red Hair Pirates fleet tried to hold them off before the arrival of Shanks, Benn and the others.

Knowing of the arrival of Kid and his men in Elbaf, Shanks, as usual, tried to resolve the conflict through diplomacy, instead of using violence. However, Kid was arrogant and relentless as usual. He rejected Shanks' proposal.

Looking at the arrayed ships, Eustass Kid immediately decided to use destroy them all using his Damned Punk. As such, Kid started preparing his attack, which required ten seconds of charge before being launched.

Kid's attempt to kill members of the Red Hair Pirates fleet proved to be the worst choice he could ever make. Shanks hates rookie pirates who think too highly of themselves and personally wrecks them. Moreover, he turns into a merciless demon when his friends are threatened.

Using his Advanced Observation Haki, Shanks could see what was going to happen in the future. After charging his attack, Kid would have used it to kill all the members of the Red Hair Pirates fleet.

Understanding Kid's wicked intentions, Shanks got angry. To protect the lives of his weaker subordinates, he decided to crush the Worst Generation member immediately. Before Kid could even finish charging his technique, Shanks quickly jumped on his ship and drew his sword Gryphon.

Unleashing the "Divine Departure," a powerful attack also used by Gol D. Roger, and consisting of a tremendous Haki-enhanced slash, Shanks struck Kid. The young pirate immediately lost consciousness, ending up defeated with a single blow.

Kid's subordinates begged Shanks for mercy, submitting to him and delivering him copies of their Poneglyph. However, he jumped away from their ship without saying a word.

A few moments later, Dorry and Brogy, two giants allied with Shanks, destroyed "Victoria Punk," the ship of Kid Pirates, causing the unconscious Kid and the rest of his crew to drown into the sea. At the end of the chapter, the narrator's box declared that "The Kid Pirates have been exterminated."

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Summarizing

Endangering the lives of Shanks' dear ones causes is really risky (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, One Piece)

As Gol D. Roger's apprentice, it seems that Shanks not only inherited the late Pirate King's fighting style and techniques, but some traits of his personality as well. Roger was indeed prone to bursting with anger when his dear ones were threatened.

This was shown in the very first chapter of One Piece, when Shanks let a group of bandits mock him without retaliating, but resorted to using lethal force against them when they endangered Luffy's life.

More than a thousand chapters later, when Admiral Ryogyoku was about to attack Luffy, his crew and the other members of the alliance, who were still resting after the tremendous battle against the Beasts Pirates, Shanks intervened decisively.

On that issue, Shanks unleashed the immense power of his Conqueror's Haki. Intimidated by Shanks' might, Ryogyoku gave up his previous intent to attack Luffy and backed up away.

Although the canonicity of such events is up for debate, the movie One Piece Film: Red featured a similar event. When the Marines threatened the life of Uta, Shanks' adoptive daughter and a former member of his crew, Shanks overwhelmed them with his Conqueror's Haki.

Feeling the immense willpower of Shanks, even Kizaru and Fujitora, two Marine Admirals, preferred to withdraw. The latest installment of One Piece, chapter 1079, featured an even more dramatic event.

Eustass Kid charged up Damned Punk, his strongest technique, aiming to destroy the ship of Shanks' allied captains. To protect the lives of his weaker subordinates, Shanks mercilessly slaughtered Kid and ordered the complete destruction of his ship.