Where Shanks Really Got Luffy's Devil Fruit From In One Piece Season 1

The tale of how Red-Haired Shanks acquired the Devil Fruit eaten by Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece season 1 is vitally important to the overarching story. Closely following the original manga by Eiichiro Oda and its anime adaptation, flashback scenes in Netflix's One Piece season 1 showed a young Monkey D. Luffy stumbling across a Devil Fruit left lying around by the Red-Haired pirates, then eating it to acquire rubber-like powers. One Piece confirmed it was the Gum Gum Fruit Luffy munched on, and Shanks responded with both shock and horror after realizing what transpired.

Shanks was extremely vague about how and where he obtained the Gum Gum Fruit in season 1. Peter Gadiot's One Piece character treated the Devil Fruit as one of many treasures looted from his crew's adventures on the seas of One Piece's world. Shanks provided no other information, but Oda's One Piece manga has since filled in the gaps, and the true story behind Luffy's Devil Fruit completely reframes season 1's flashbacks. Luffy gaining his rubber powers may not have been the accidental quirk of fate it first appeared to be.

Shanks Stole Luffy's Devil Fruit From A Marine Ship Before One Piece Season 1

Shanks Isn't The Type To Loot Marine Ships Without Reason

Shanks wearing his straw hat in Netflix's live-action One Piece

As revealed during One Piece's Wano arc, the Gum Gum Fruit was being transported on a marine ship when Red-Haired Shanks came across it. Shanks assaulted the vessel, took its wares, and was next seen in Windmill Village where the fruit found its way into Luffy's stomach. Immediately, this backstory raised questions.

Shanks' Red-Haired Pirates did not just pick up the Gum Gum Fruit as part of their routine pirate antics.

The Shanks depicted in One Piece season 1 was not the type of pirate who would randomly pillage a marine ship, and especially not for a Devil Fruit none of his own crew were planning to eat themselves. Since Devil Fruits are relatively common in One Piece's world, one must also wonder why the Gum Gum Fruit was being transported under heavy guard in the first place.

Even more suspiciously, Luffy's future Devil Fruit was being guarded by none other than the World Government's secret agents, CP9. The officer who allowed it to fall into Shanks' hands was then imprisoned for his failure, not just dismissed from duty or reprimanded as would be expected. Contrary to what One Piece season 1 implies, therefore, Shanks' Red-Haired Pirates did not just pick up the Gum Gum Fruit as part of their routine pirate antics. It was seized in a targeted theft that left the World Government even more displeased than usual.

The Secret Behind Luffy's Devil Fruit In One Piece Explained

Luffy Ate One Of The Most Powerful Fruits In One Piece

Luffy in Gear 5 looking determined to win the fight against Kaido.

The plot thickens, as Luffy's Devil Fruit is actually far more important than it appears at first glance. The "Gum Gum Fruit," as One Piece revealed during Luffy's battle against Kaido, doesn't really exist, and is actually a cover story for the Human Human Fruit - Model: Nika.

Luffy's fruit does not turn him into rubber, but turns him into the Sun God, Nika, whose body was stretchy. Furthermore, the Nika Devil Fruit is feared by the World Government as a source of rebellion and change, which likely explains why the marines were guarding it so carefully before Shanks intervened.

Shanks' Heritage Means He Must Have Known The Truth About Luffy's Devil Fruit

Shanks Has Family In Very High Places

An older Figarland sitting on a chair as seen in the One Piece anime. — An older Figarland sitting on a chair as seen in the anime.

As well as revealing Shanks stole the Gum Gum Fruit from the marines and the Gum Gum Fruit is really the Nika fruit, the One Piece manga has also exposed more of Shanks' family history. The red-haired pirate is connected to the Celestial Dragons - the rulers of One Piece's world, protected by the World Government and marines. Indeed, Shanks' father and twin brother are both respected members of the Holy Knights, a powerful order charged with defending the Celestial Dragons' home of Mary Geoise.

It makes sense that Shanks would seek to possess the Devil Fruit his family members are so deeply afraid of.

One Piece has not yet revealed how much of Shanks' life was spent with his father and brother, but being connected to the Holy Knights must mean Shanks is aware of Nika and the legend of the Sun God's Devil Fruit. Possessing such knowledge would certainly explain why Shanks raided the marine ship carrying the Nika fruit and stole it for himself. If he already abandoned the Holy Knights and Mary Geoise in favor of becoming a pirate, the two sides evidently do not get along. It makes sense that Shanks would seek to possess the Devil Fruit his family members are so deeply afraid of.

Shanks' family name is Figarland.

Shanks' hidden knowledge was subtly teased in Netflix's One Piece season 1. When unloading the treasure chest containing the Gum Gum Fruit, Shanks chided Lucky Roux for being careless, describing the Devil Fruit as being worth more than the rest of their treasure combined. The line strongly suggested that Shanks knew the true value of Luffy's Devil Fruit, and has at least an inkling that its powers go far deeper than just turning a person's body into rubber.

Was One Piece Season 1's Devil Fruit Scene Really An Accident?

Shanks: Bad Childminder Or Scheming Revolutionary?

The hidden truths of Luffy's Gum Gum Fruit cast doubt over how accidental the incident depicted in One Piece season 1's flashbacks actually was. Essentially, Shanks may have allowed Luffy to consume the Devil Fruit and become the latest host of Nika's powers. For one thing, it seemed incredibly careless that the Red-Haired Pirates would leave the Gum Gum Fruit unguarded so easily, and such a rookie error would be even more unlikely if Shanks knew it was really the Nika fruit.

Shanks may have then sat back and allowed the ever-curious Luffy to eat the fruit, thereby becoming the natural enemy of the entire World Government.

Also significant is that Shanks transported the fruit back to Windmill Village without any of his crew members eating it. When most pirates acquire a new Devil Fruit in One Piece, they eat it straight away to gain the powers within. Other pirates have been known to sell powerful Devil Fruits to the highest bidder. Shanks, oddly, kept the Gum Gum Fruit in a box and then transported it to a random village, despite knowing the government would probably be hunting him down.

It's possible, therefore, that Shanks identified Luffy as a worthy holder of the Nika fruit's powers due to his determination, loyalty, and thirst for adventure. Shanks may have then sat back and allowed the ever-curious Luffy to eat the fruit, thereby becoming the natural enemy of the entire World Government, including Shanks' own father and brother. If this was the case, Shanks certainly put on a good performance. In One Piece season 1, he appeared genuinely disheartened to see Luffy transform into a Devil Fruit user, solemnly uttering, "what have you done?"

Interestingly, Shanks' reaction in One Piece season 1 was a little more severe than in the manga and anime. He wasn't delighted about Luffy's gluttonous theft in any version of the story, but the manga and anime's Shanks responded with worry and surprise. The live-action character, however, sported a grave, ominous expression. It could be that Netflix's live-action anime adaptation altered Shanks' reaction to account for the possibility that he always knew the Gum Gum Fruit was secretly something far greater.