Shanks is one of the Four Emperors, which means that he is one of the strongest characters in all of One Piece, and he is the man who inspired Luffy to become a pirate. As far as most fans are concerned, most of Shanks’ life has been connected to Luffy, but he did have a life before meeting the future captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.

8 He Joined The Roger Pirates

Like Luffy, Shanks wanted to be a pirate from a very young age, and when he was just nine-years old, he joined the legendary Roger Pirates. He was an apprentice at the time, but he was still a full-fledged member of the crew, and he joined them on many adventures.

The Roger Pirates were the only crew to sail the entire Grand Line successfully, and they are the only known crew to ever set foot on Laugh Tale, the legendary island that holds the One Piece treasure. Unfortunately, Shanks never got to go to Laugh Tale because he stayed behind to look after his fellow apprentice, who was gravely ill at the time.

7 He Made Buggy A Devil Fruit User

Buggy was the apprentice who got sick, and he joined the Roger Pirates at the same time as Shanks. They spent a lot of time together, and they tended to argue over meaningless things. During a raid, the crew found the Chop-Chop Fruit, and when Buggy learned of its value, he tried to steal it for himself.

He ate a fake version of the Fruit to trick the crew, but when Shanks found him, he hid the real one in his mouth. Shanks walked off, but returned a moment later and surprised Buggy. This caused him to accidentally swallow the Fruit. Buggy has never forgiven Shanks for this, but it can’t be all bad seeing as Buggy has accomplished a great deal since the timeskip.

6 He Participated In The Edd War

There are only a handful of pirates who can actually challenge Roger, including Shiki, the captain of the Golden Lion Pirates. Shiki was originally part of the Rocks Pirates, so he and Roger had history. 27 years before the story began, Shiki and his fleet faced off against the Roger’s crew.

This incident is known as the Edd War, and Shanks fought alongside his crewmates. He even reassured Buggy that the Chop-Chop Fruit made him immune to sword attacks. Shiki’s fleet had the numbers, but the battlefield was hit by a hurricane which destroyed half of Shiki’s ships. This allowed the Roger Pirates to overwhelm the opposing fleet and win the battle.

5 He Witnessed Roger’s Execution

Roger disbanded the crew shortly after becoming Pirate King, and in his final year of life, he met and fell in love with Portgas D. Rouge. When he learned that she was with child, he turned himself in to the Marines, who decided to execute him in Loguetown, the city he was born in.

The execution was a public affair, and it was there that Roger spoke his final last words. These words inspired a new generation of pirates. A number of famous individuals were present, including Shanks, who cried as his former captain died.

4 He & Mihawk Dueled Multiple Times

Dracule Mihawk is the world’s strongest swordsman, which makes sense given his mastery of every bladed weapon and his keen eyesight. He is a former Warlord of the Sea, and when the Marines tried to capture him, he successfully defeated a fleet which included several Vice Admirals by himself.

Mihawk is one of the most honorable characters in One Piece, which is why he no longer challenges Shanks to duels. They dueled a number of times in the past, but in order for Mihawk to have the strongest swordsman title, he needed to have won the final duel against Shanks. Ever since Shanks lost his left arm, Mihawk has seen no point in fighting him.

3 He Fought Blackbeard

For the time being, Blackbeard and Shanks are the strongest of the new Yonko, and they have history. The two first met when Blackbeard was part of the Whitebeard Pirates, and they both fought for their respective crews on an unnamed island near Paradise.

They fought each other years later, and Blackbeard ended up giving Shanks the scars that run over his left eye. This happened before Blackbeard acquired his two Devil Fruit powers, which means that he is a competent fighter with powerful Haki.

2 He Recruited Usopp’s Father

Usopp is one of Luffy’s closest friends, and he has one of the saddest backstories. His father plays an important role in his backstory because he left Usopp and his mother to join a pirate crew, and that crew turned out to be the Red Hair Pirates.

Two years after Roger’s execution, Shanks visited Gecko Island in search of Yasopp. He heard that Yasopp was a talented marksman, but Yassop did not join the crew until after Usopp was born. He joined Shanks in Luffy’s hometown, and he has since become an officer.

1 He Stole The Gum-Gum Fruit From The World Government

Luffy ate the Gum-Gum Fruit shortly after meeting Shanks, and during the Wano arc, it was revealed how Shanks came to be in possession of the infamous Devil Fruit. It turns out that the Gum-Gum Fruit is actually a Mythical Zoan which allows the user to transform into a legendary sun god who can turn his body into rubber.

The World Government has been searching for this Devil Fruit for centuries because it is linked to Joy Boy and the Void Century. When Shanks and his crew raided a government ship, they found the Devil Fruit and stole it.

More: One Piece: Characters Who Were Better Before The Time-Skip