[One Piece] Is Shanks Actually a Mobility-Type Devil Fruit User? The Teleportation Theory That Won’t Die
Benn Beckman
Shanks (June 2018) — Does His “Sudden Arrival” Require a Devil Fruit Explanation?
Shanks shows up exactly where history needs him—Marineford, Mary Geoise, the open sea. Is that just narrative timing, or evidence of a hidden movement ability? Japanese fans revisited the clues in 2018, and the answers split sharply.
Movement That Feels Impossible
19: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 Is Shanks’ movement pattern something that can only be explained by a Devil Fruit?
Marine “The skirmish with Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, was just yesterday…” “And now the man himself—Shanks—is already here…!?”
242: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 It’s possible the fruit he ate just lets him move insanely fast. When he went to see Whitebeard, he told them to set sail—if it was teleportation, he wouldn’t need a ship. Maybe he moves the whole ship at extreme speed.
221: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 The Shun-Shun Fruit. An ability that lets you move faster than ordinary humans. Probably inspired by Soujirou’s shukuchi / instant-movement–type techniques from Rurouni Kenshin.
Teleportation vs. Extreme Speed
193: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 At this point, just say Shanks has the Door-Door Fruit. That level of ability is enough for him.
203: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>193 It’s teleportation, right? That would explain saving Luffy at sea, showing up at Marineford, and even getting inside Mary Geoise. If awakened, maybe he could move the ship too.
214: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 Abilities that warp doors or space are busted in any manga.
261: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 Even without stopping time, if you accelerate your own movement by 1000x, it’s basically the same thing.
264: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 A “move really fast” fruit sounds annoying indoors. Doors would be a pain. Teleportation makes more sense. Shanks always just appears out of nowhere anyway.
Time, Doors, and Space
230: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>203 If it’s teleportation, saying “we went out of our way” when meeting the Five Elders makes no sense. And telling Coby “those few seconds of courage changed the future” doesn’t line up either.
— Inside Pangaea Castle, “Room of Authority” — Five Elders “What business brings you all the way here?” “The World Council (Reverie) is underway—given your position, you shouldn’t be meddling in politics.” “We made time because it’s you.”
Shanks??? “Yes… I appreciate that.”
Five Elders “Very well… Guards, leave us!!!!” Soldier “Yes, sir!!”
Shanks??? “I wanted to speak about… a certain pirate…”
239: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>230 Maybe the Elders don’t know Shanks’ ability. What’s wrong with the second line?
257: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>239 If Shanks had a time ability, would he really thank Coby for those few seconds?
284: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>257 It wasn’t about time. Coby calling out the cruelty and futility of the war was what mattered.
305: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>284 If he controlled time, he’d have shown up earlier and stopped it before Coby even spoke.
302: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>257 It’s possible he can only control time or speed within limits. Maybe sneaking in unnoticed and stopping things with his sword was already pushing it.
318: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 302 Everyone’s idea of a “time ability” is slightly different. Arguing with multiple people about it never ends lol.
267: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>239 There’s no way the Five Elders wouldn’t know a Yonko’s ability.
The Marineford “Few Seconds” Debate
243: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>230 Since he’s a famous pirate, teleportation would explain getting deep inside safely. Maybe Shanks himself was distracted by Coby during those “few seconds.”
245: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>230 Then he should’ve come earlier, right? Plus, he saved Luffy in the sea—so he wasn’t a Devil Fruit user back then. You can tell from his reaction to the fruit incident too.
253: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>245 Looking back, that reaction could’ve been an act. Someone who knows Devil Fruits that well wouldn’t overreact that much. After saving Luffy, he had plenty of chances to eat one.
194: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 Maybe Shanks’ sword ate a Devil Fruit.
244: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 Everyone’s always moving in the shadows. I kind of want Blackbeard, who actually enjoys piracy, to beat them all down.
250: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>244 Blackbeard was sneaking around behind the scenes during Marineford too.
268: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 I want Shanks to stay a non-user.
276: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 When it comes to ship speed, maybe Shanks’ vice-captain is just insanely smart. Their tech, science, or navigation could rival the Navy—maybe even better than Nami & Jinbe.
280: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>276 Yeah. Saying “teleportation” just because he appears suddenly is dumb. They’re just skipping over the travel process.
313: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 If you say Shanks is a Devil Fruit user, are you just pretending the sea rescue never happened?
320: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>313 Lately people say he was weakened because he was a user, that’s why he lost his arm. There’s no scene of him swimming back afterward either.
357: Anonymous Pirate. 2018/06/16 >>320 No way. He was floating in the sea—users sink. And saying he ate a fruit afterward is pure retroactive nonsense. That kind of retcon would be crossing a line. (´・ω・`) yeah, no.
👉 Why Japanese Fans Obsess Over “Movement” in One Piece
In Japanese fandom, movement isn’t just logistics—it’s power. Being able to arrive changes history more than raw strength. That’s why Shanks’ timing invites ability theories instead of simple coincidence.
👉 This Isn’t About Teleportation—It’s About Narrative Authority
Most comments don’t actually want Shanks to have a Devil Fruit. They want consistency between symbolism, dialogue, and past scenes. The debate survives because Shanks represents control over the story’s flow itself.
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