Arrival of "Shanks" in Elbaph all but confirms Eustass Kid's return to One Piece

The Elbaph Arc from One Piece is slowly becoming a fan favorite. Before the arc was released, One Piece fans eagerly awaited its release for many reasons. Apart from answering some of the series' most pressing questions, it has reunited fans with characters they have not seen in a while. Some characters haven’t been seen since the Grand Blue, while others go way back.

One character that has reaffirmed his major character status in One Piece is Shanks. Shanks is a major player in the One Piece world as he is a Yonko, but he has not made a strong mark on the story. All this has changed in the Elbaph arc.

In this arc, Eustass Kid went to Elbaph and battled with Shanks. The fight led to Kid’s entire crew being defeated and their ship destroyed. Since then, Eustass Kid hasn’t made an appearance in One Piece. Fans are contemplating that as a lookalike Shanks makes his appearance in Elbaph, Kid might just reappear.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinion and may contain spoilers.

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Is Eustass Kid alive in One Piece?

Eustass Kid using his Devil Fruit abilities (Image via Toei Animation)

Eustass Kid, a pirate from the worst generation, kickstarted the Elbaph arc with his loss to Shanks. This fight was a result of his previous loss against Shanks during the time skip and revenge for Shanks cutting his arm. Shanks easily beat Eustass and instructed the giants, Broggy and Dorry, to destroy Kid’s ship.

Since that battle, Eustass Kid hasn’t been seen, and even Jinbe’s sharks could not find any humans in the ocean. While some fans have claimed he is deceased, Oda doesn’t kill off his characters like that. If a character has not been shown to die, he is not dead. In the Arabasta arc, Luffy was presumed to be killed by Crocodile, but he survived and eventually battled against Crocodile.

Kid is one of the most resilient characters in One Piece, second only to Luffy, and this trait is one of the reasons he might still be alive. Fans have also contemplated that a lack of a body means he might be somewhere else on Elbaph—most likely in the Underworld. The Underworld is where Loki, the Prince of Elbaph, is imprisoned and where fans speculate Kid to be.

If Kid is in Elbaph’s Underworld, he might take the same route he did during the Wano arc. This will lead to him slowly recovering until he gets strong enough to leave. Kid’s hypothetical recovery will put him in contact with one of the most nefarious characters in One Piece, Loki, and an alliance between the two characters is very likely. If Kid and Loki can escape the Underworld, the world of the series will see a huge shift.

A mysterious masked figure was also spotted with Shanks's look-alike and searching for Loki. These two characters are most likely allied to the World Government and might be interested in Loki for his Devil Fruit. This might lead to a huge battle that will attract the attention of every pirate and warrior on Elbaph.

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Final thoughts

The presence of Shanks and his lookalike in Elbaph might spark one of the biggest battles in the entire One Piece. Due to Kid’s deep-seated resentment for Shanks, he won’t even need to hesitate before he attacks.

Though he might be unable to defeat the World Government agents on his own, he just needs to use his Devil Fruit ability to release Loki. Loki and Kid’s proclivity for destruction might also lead the two characters to cause collateral damage that will shake the entire Elbaph.

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