From the very beginning of One Piece, Red-Haired Shanks has been established as one of the most important characters on Luffy’s journey to becoming Pirate King. However, the mystery of Shanks losing his left arm to a Sea King has always seemed illogical, especially given the current power level of the Four Emperors.
Chapter 1168 of One Piece finally lifts the veil on this event, confirming that Shanks’ decision to lose his arm played a far more significant role than initially explained.
One Piece Chapter 1168 confirms Shanks severed ties with Imu by losing his arm
Back in chapter 1152, Eiichiro Oda cleverly included a small but crucial detail that sharp-eyed fans noticed. On Shanks’ left arm, the very arm he lost saving Luffy as a child, there is a suspicious tattoo resembling the symbol worn by the Celestial Dragons’ Knights when they appeared at Elbaph. This strengthened the theory that Shanks lost his arm for a deliberate reason.
Until recently, the exact meaning of this tattoo remained a mystery, especially how Shanks came to bear it after growing up with Roger’s crew. Fortunately, King Harald’s flashback clarified the tattoo’s significance.
On the path to bringing Elbaph under World Government protection, King Harald accepted the role of Devoted Sword of God, a prestigious title for those who pledged loyalty to the Celestial Dragons. Along with this role, Harald received a mark on his left arm in chapter 1167, identical to the mark seen on Shanks’ arm fifteen chapters earlier.
Shortly after, chapter 1167 confirms Shanks is indeed a Devoted Sword of God, placing him and King Harald as candidates to become the next Celestial Dragon Knights. According to the Five Elders, the tattoo on the left arm, given to all Devoted Swords of God, is called the Shallows Covenant. It is the first of three Covenants an individual can make with Imu.
The climax comes in chapter 1168, revealing Shanks abandoned the Celestial Dragons during his final mission before officially becoming a Knight and receiving the second mark, the Depths Covenant. While the Shallows Covenant’s effects remain unclear, the Depths Covenant grants immortality, a power held by the Five Elders and Celestial Dragon Knights, symbolizing a much closer bond with Imu.
King Harald ultimately became a victim of Imu after accepting the Depths Covenant in Shanks’ place. This cost Harald the ability to resist Imu’s commands, leading to his tragic death at the hands of Loki. Though Harald’s death is heartbreaking, things could have been far worse if the Red-Haired Emperor had been caught in this plan.
Shanks’ arm could change Elbaph’s fate
Shanks has never explicitly said he allowed himself to lose his arm to a Sea King outside Windmill Village. But considering the devastating effects of the Depths Covenant on King Harald in chapter 1168, it’s clear Shanks was fully aware of the dangers tied to the tattoo and the Covenants with Imu.
Therefore, it’s highly likely that losing his arm during Luffy’s childhood was a deliberate act by Shanks to permanently sever his connection with the Celestial Dragons. Earlier, chapter 1167 also hinted that Shanks supported Fisher Tiger’s rebellion against slavery decades before leaving his role as Devoted Sword of God, actions only someone firmly opposed to Imu and the Celestial Dragons would take.
The situation in Elbaph is currently very dangerous, and it’s chilling to imagine the Straw Hats facing a Shanks wielding the Depths Covenant and Imu’s power. Shanks is already one of the strongest characters, and with Imu’s power, no one knows how terrifying he could become.
Fortunately, that hasn’t happened. As tensions rise in Elbaph, the door to a reunion between Shanks and Luffy is opening wider than ever. Shanks rarely acts, but when he does, it changes the world. Elbaph could be the battlefield where Shanks finally proves the true meaning behind the sacrifice of his arm all those years ago.