 If I ask you the question, how did Shanks get his iconic scar? Your answer would be simple. Blackbeard gave it to him. But what if I asked again? How did Blackbeard give Shanks his scar? The answer to this question may very well be, what triggers the biggest war since Marineford? And at the center of this war are the four biggest pirate names in the world, which have now been recently updated. Four individuals with deep-seated histories with one another, four men whose destinies are inextricably intertwined with the upcoming final saga promising to eternally link their names for all to witness. The previous era of whitebeard, Kaido, big mum and Shanks, who were introduced as the first version of the Four Emperors of the Sea in the series, is no more, with Shanks being the only one left from the original Emperors. And like the previous Yonko, our current group of Four Emperors share a long history with each of them crossing parts with one another throughout their pirate careers, leaving deep impressions and a promise that this volatile and intriguing web of relationships will ultimately come to a head. With these four individuals becoming embroiled in an all-out legendary war, forever changing the one-piece world as we know it. And while it will eventually come down to a battle between Luffy and Blackbeard, the first spark will be lit through the dark and mysterious relationship between Shanks and Blackbeard, unveiling a secret story that has been brewing in the background for years, finally exploding to start what may be the conflict of the century. Hello, Manakamatachi, this is Joygirl, and this is a question 15 years in the making. A story that despite being first presented to us all the way back in chapter 434, we still don't know how exactly Shanks got that iconic scar. Admittedly, for the large part, it's a story that many of us don't spend too long questioning. The detail about Shanks' scar, having been given to him by Blackbeard, is significant to the extent that this showcase for us that Blackbeard was someone formidable enough to leave such a deep scar on Shanks' face even before acquiring the powers of the Yamiyami no Miya, that regardless of the outcome of their battle, at one stage, at one moment at least, Blackbeard had the upper hand against Shanks to the point he could leave such a mark on his face. And while that's usually taken at face value, establishing the foreboding caution with which we should approach Blackbeard, there is a much deeper, darker story to be told. Because scars in One Piece are an extremely important element of a character's design that means much more than a simple aesthetic choice from Oda or even being the result of some ordinary injury. To the extent that scars decorate a significant recurring character in One Piece, they symbolize something that serves as a reminder of an important event or memory. In a world of conflict and constant fighting, only those scars that have a deeper meaning behind it remain a part of a character's design. They represent a significant bond or a promise to steadfast that character's will. Take Luffy's scar on his chest, for example. That mark is a constant reminder of what happened to his brother at the hands of Akayinu during the Marineford War. For Zoro, the scar across his upper body symbolizes the bridge he still has to cross in order to fulfill his dreams of becoming the world's greatest swordsman. There's a reason why fans have been wildly speculating as to how Zoro obtained that scar over his left eye during his time with Mihawk in the timeskift, believing it to contain a much richer story than just being a simple design choice. So when it comes to Shanks' scar over his left eye, it's not merely the fact that Blackbeard was able to leave a mark on Shanks that is important. After all, these men live and breathe the life of pirates where scars and injuries are just part of the trade. Shanks' dialogue and actions, however, highlight that there is a seriously horrible memory attached to whatever happened during their conflict. Because from what we know of Shanks, he's generally an easygoing guy. Despite carrying the weight of the future of the world on his shoulders, he knows how to lay back, have fun, and not take insults personally. Only getting serious when something important to him is threatened. And if we take his relationship with Buggy, for example, despite Buggy not acting in the friendliest of terms towards him, Shanks still treats Buggy like you would an old friend. But when it comes to Blackbeard, Shanks' laid back manner seems to disappear entirely. He becomes much more tense. Shanks is seeing the full extent of Blackbeard's evil. Shanks has a firsthand experience of Blackbeard's evil. In fact, Blackbeard poses a threat grave enough that Shanks found it necessary to meet Whitebeard face to face alone just to warn him of Blackbeard's danger, a meeting that resulted in a sky-splitting duel. So what did Blackbeard do that was so impactful for Shanks to feel so seriously about him? In Shanks' own words of all the battles he's faced, of all the countless scars that he's been given in his illustrious pirate career, the only one that aches is the one left by Blackbeard. And this piece of dialogue suggests that there is a special and particular reason why Shanks remembers this scar. A very personal reason. In Chapter 650, we see Jinbei feel Luffy in on the affairs of the rest of the world, including Blackbeard and his hunt for devil fruit, as well as the conflict that erupted between Akainu and Aokiji. And there's a small panel of Luffy reacting to Akainu's name, which is a subtle detail that I've always really appreciated. We see Luffy grip his chest, frowning and muttering Akainu's name. And this one small panel represents Luffy painfully remembering everything that this scar symbolizes. The loss of Ace, his failure in saving his brother, and his promise to become strong so that he never has to lose someone important to him ever again. So this idea that Shanks still feels the stinging of his scar, that this one is the only one that aches suggests a similar significance. We've never known Shanks and Blackbeard to have a close or personal relationship with neither of them particularly friendly towards the other upon their first interaction during the three-day battle between the Roger and Whitebeard Pirates during Odin's flashback. Though Shanks did seem quite intrigued by the prospect of Blackbeard never sleeping, for him that equaling to fun and more adventures. But we never even saw the two speak to one another. However, is a broken camaraderie part of the history between these two men? Is it actually possible that as their parts continue to cross, they formed some sort of relationship, a bond, and given what we know of Blackbeard's nature, biding low and waiting his time before betraying his brethren, is this what Shanks experienced? Is that why Shanks could so confidently inform Whitebeard of Blackbeard's nature that he's a shrewd and cunning creature that will pounce when others least expect it? Was it the first betrayal that Blackbeard committed? Not to his brothers under Whitebeard, but a relationship that he and Shanks potentially forged at some stage in the past? Or is it a story that is more similar to how Luffy got his scar? A story that perhaps involves Shanks losing not just the fight, but maybe losing the life of someone close to him? Is that the reason why this is such a personal matter that he keeps close to his chest? Or are we about to come full circle and perhaps the battle between Shanks and Blackbeard concerned the devil fruit that is now possessed by Luffy? Blackbeard says himself that he memorized all the shapes of the devil fruits so that he could instantly recognize the one that he's after. The time Blackbeard spent studying devil fruits might have led him to the discovery of the true nature and capabilities of what would eventually become Luffy's devil fruit. And although he says it was the yummy yummy no me that has been after his whole life, it's also possible that he was after the hito hito no me model Nika himself as well. And while we now know that Shanks faced the CP9 to acquire the devil fruit, it's also possible that he became involved in a battle with Blackbeard for it. In any case, for whatever the reason the scar means as much as it does, one thing's for certain. The history between these two men will result in an epic showdown. Blackbeard says it himself at Marineford. When he retreated at Shanks' challenge to him to battle, commenting that this is not yet the time to fight Shanks, not yet. Very foreboding words for the saga to come. Whatever happens, this fight won't be just between these two pirates. This is a conflict wherein each of the four emperors will become embroiled in this legendary battle. Because not only does Shanks have a deeper connection to Blackbeard, but there also may be more to the relationship between Buggy and Blackbeard than meets the eye. While Shanks might be the one who knows the extent of the danger that Blackbeard poses, he wasn't the first to recognize Blackbeard's darkness. Instead, it was Buggy who in his apprentice days along with Shanks was involved in that three-day battle with the Whitebeard pirates, during which time it was Buggy who uncovered Blackbeard's monstrous nature of going without sleep. And while Shanks found that fact somewhat exciting, it was Buggy who acknowledged the creepy, dangerous significance of Blackbeard's peculiar nature. In addition to this, there is also the possibility that Buggy may have an even deeper connection to Blackbeard through the ever-dark and mysterious crew that was the Rocks Pirates. While the recent development of Buggy being named one of the Yonko caused a great shock, it really isn't something that should have come as such a surprise to us at all. Because despite his initial appearance as an early series villain, somewhat dismissed as a comical punchline, it became more and more obvious as the story continued that Oda had big plans for Buggy, one of which seemed to be the running sideplot of Buggy's pursuit of Captain John's treasure which had been spanning over several arcs. And ever since the introduction of this side story, I've personally been speculating that Buggy has a much richer backstory than we're currently aware of. Although Buggy was initially introduced as a villain with the simplest understanding of what treasure means, in an arc which centered around the idea of how treasure can symbolize more than just golden riches, through the exploration of Buggy going after Captain John's treasure, there is cause to believe there actually may be a deeper reason why Buggy has been chasing this treasure, a much more personal reason. And this had seemed especially plausible after finding out that Captain John was a part of the Rocks Pirates, making him another one of the legendary figures in the series connected to a deeper and much more significant lore. The God Valley incident remains a very mysterious event in one piece history. One that has resulted in a widely speculated possibility of either Buggy or Shanks being present at God Valley, given their age, meaning they are both only one year older than the incident. An idea that is also possibly supported by the seemingly flyaway comment made by Roger, that it has been a while since Roger held a baby, leading to speculations that Roger was referring to either Buggy or Shanks, or both. And given the obvious connections that Blackbeard has with the mysterious enigmatic Rocks D. Zabeck, an ominous relationship that has now been addressed through the road to Laugh Tale material itself, where after years of fan speculating on the possible connection, the additional series material teased the possibility of the connection between Blackbeard's ship, the Saber of Zabeck, signifying a deeper relationship to the legendary figure. And so, if Buggy has some deeper relationship to either Captain John or the events at God Valley, then it's also possible his story is more intricately related to Blackbeard's as well. And despite his outward treatment of Shanks, when Push comes to shove, it's highly likely that Buggy would ally with his longtime acquaintance and former crewmate, thereby bringing him into the fold. Or perhaps the way that Buggy becomes involved in this conflict is if the only reason why Buggy became a Yonko in the first place is because Shanks went to the Gorosei to discuss Buggy, suggesting the clownic figure to be a much more important individual than anyone realized, thereby saving him from capture as speculations present. And all that we've mentioned so far are the pieces needed for a clash of the ages. One that wouldn't be complete unless it includes Monkey D. Luffy, a legendary tale that for readers started with Luffy and Shanks, and their highly awaited reunion now on the horizon. Luffy has finally caught up with Shanks. Now, whether you want to believe that in terms of power levels is up to you. But at least narrative-wise, Luffy is of the same recognition level as Shanks now that he is an official member of the new Yonko. Luffy could very well be in a position to prove to Shanks that he has fulfilled his promise to gather a formidable crew strong enough to take on Shanks and the red-haired pirates. And to honor their agreement with Luffy returning Shanks the straw hat now that he has indeed become a great pirate. Whether Luffy will actually return the straw hat and no longer have the most iconic symbol of the series is a story for another day. But for now at least, it's fair to say that Luffy has fulfilled his promise to become a great pirate. However, there is a looming threat to this reunion in the form of Blackbeard. As our protagonist, it comes as no question that Luffy will remain at the heart of everything that's about to unfold. Whether that be because the original battle between Shanks and Blackbeard concerned his devil fruit or because the eventual clash of Shanks and Blackbeard will result in another tragedy for Luffy being the death of Shanks. Not that Luffy needs any further reason to want to fight Blackbeard, mind you. At the end of the day, it was Blackbeard murdering Thatch leading to Ace challenging Blackbeard that became the catalyst to the Summit War ultimately resulting in Ace's death. And Ace is a figure that actually connects to all of these individuals as well. Not only is he obviously the brother of Luffy as well as the son of Shanks and Buggy's former captain, but he also partied with both Shanks and Buggy as well. In fact, in his quest to find Blackbeard, the three most notable figures that he met in his journey were Luffy, Shanks and Buggy. Meaning Ace met with each of the figures who would later go on to form the next Yonko. And of all the long-running connections that Oda has drawn out between these four men, the unmistakable parallels between Luffy and Blackbeard is perhaps the most stark example of the deep-rooted connections between these emperors. Ever since their first meeting, this idea of these two characters being two opposite sides of the same coin was spelt out for us loud and clear. A connection that has only become more obvious since the reveal of Luffy's devil fruit. Luffy now being confirmed to represent the son through his Nika devil fruit with the perfect match to Blackbeard's yami yami no mi. An ominous devil fruit where not even a ray of light can escape the darkness of Blackbeard's world. And so, rather than preserving the world from spiraling into chaos as he had so desperately hoped, Shanks will actually play a direct hand in plunging the world into this madness. However, it will in fact be Luffy who embodies the light to shine through Blackbeard's dark void. The eventual clash between Luffy and Blackbeard finally fulfilling a promise that began with Shanks entrusting Luffy with his prized straw hat so that even if Shanks does lose the fight against Blackbeard, he will be the one to win the war, winning on a bet that he placed on the new era all those years ago. And these are just some of my thoughts on the intricate set of relationship between our new Yonko and how these connections will result in the greatest war we will ever witness. But let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below and don't forget to like and share the video. Please do subscribe for more One Piece discussions. You can also join our Joyfleet Discord server or even become a Patreon member. And I do wanna thank all our patrons for help supporting the channel. This is Joygirl and I'll see you again soon.