Not Luffy, but Shanks was always meant to be Blackbeard's true rival in One Piece 

The One Piece Final Saga is setting the stage for the most chaotic era the world has ever seen, a “Great Battle Royale,” as Eiichiro Oda himself described during Jump Festa 2023. He hinted that every major power, the Yonko, Marines, and other pirate crews, would collide in one massive confrontation over the Road Poneglyphs.

But when fans speculate about the central rivalry of this saga, the discussion almost always falls on Luffy vs. Blackbeard. What if, however, Oda’s true narrative mirror wasn’t between the two captains of the “D.” lineage but between Shanks and Blackbeard all along?

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A rivalry written in scars

Long before Luffy became the Straw Hat captain we know today, Shanks bore a scar that changed everything. In One Piece Chapter 434, Shanks tells Whitebeard that the three marks across his left eye came from none other than Marshall D. Teach before Blackbeard had even become famous.

What’s chilling is how Shanks describes it: Blackbeard managed to injure him while he was on guard. This single statement reframes Teach’s role in the story. He wasn’t just another ambitious pirate climbing the ranks; he was always a shadow lurking in the background of the pirate era, even someone as perceptive as Shanks could not anticipate.

From Ace’s capture to Whitebeard’s death, from the rise of the Blackbeard Pirates to their ascension to Yonko status, Teach has moved exactly as Shanks predicted. Their tension isn’t born from ideology like Luffy and Blackbeard’s; it’s born from history. These are two emperors who understand each other’s danger on a level that no one else can.

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The "Great Battle Royale" and the perfect timing

Oda’s Jump Festa message teased a “Great Battle Royale” among the Yonko and Marines. With Kaido and Big Mom already gone, the four emperors now are Luffy, Blackbeard, Shanks, and Buggy, an unpredictable mix that’s perfect for chaos. But Buggy’s unpredictable nature may actually be what triggers the long-awaited Shanks vs. Blackbeard battle.

Imagine this: Buggy, in his overconfidence, meddles in the hunt for the final Road Poneglyph, unknowingly drawing both the Red Hair and Blackbeard Pirates into conflict. This scenario would perfectly align with Oda’s description, a massive multi-faction clash, but with Shanks and Blackbeard as its emotional and narrative center.

There’s also strategic timing in the story for this to happen now. Shanks is actively moving toward the One Piece, while Blackbeard is recovering from his battles against Law and Garp. Shanks, ever the opportunist when balance is threatened, might take this moment to strike, especially if Blackbeard possesses what he needs most: Pudding, the key to reading the Poneglyphs.

If Shanks in One Piece really intends to reach Laugh Tale, he can’t rely on Luffy’s pace; he has to move now. And eliminating Blackbeard would not only secure his path but prevent the most dangerous man alive from getting there first.

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The real antithesis

Many fans see Luffy and Blackbeard as opposites, light and dark, freedom and greed. But Shanks is Blackbeard’s true counterbalance. Both are emperors with loyal crews, both are legendary figures, and both command immense respect. Yet, their ideals couldn’t be more different.

• Shanks upholds stability. He prevented Marineford from spiraling into an apocalypse, negotiated with the Gorosei, and acts as a guardian of the sea’s balance.
• Blackbeard thrives on chaos. Every step of his journey involves betrayal, exploitation, and the destruction of order.

Where Shanks fights to preserve the world, Blackbeard fights to remake it. They are yin and yang, not in balance, but in collision.

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Why Luffy vs. Blackbeard isn’t the true rivalry in One Piece

In One Piece, Luffy’s final enemies are likely the World Government and Imu, the true oppressors of freedom. His battle isn’t with Teach; it’s with tyranny itself. Meanwhile, Blackbeard’s story has always revolved around eclipsing Shanks. Since the day he scarred him, Teach has been on a mission to surpass every legend who stood before him.

It’s telling that Blackbeard refused to fight Shanks at Marineford, saying, “Not yet.” That “yet” has echoed for over a decade. Oda’s build-up, from their scar to their mirrored paths, from Shanks’ warning at Marineford to his secret meetings with the Gorosei, all lead to one inevitable event: the Red-Haired Pirates vs. the Blackbeard Pirates.

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The true rivalry of the pirate era

If the Final Saga of One Piece is the Battle Royale Oda teased, then Shanks and Blackbeard will be its centerpiece, the clash of legends that decides who enters Laugh Tale first. And perhaps, as many fans speculate, one will not leave alive.

One Piece has always been about inherited wills. And in this generation, the will of Roger and Whitebeard doesn’t pass to Luffy and Teach; it collides with Shanks and Blackbeard. Because sometimes, the world doesn’t need two kings. It only needs one to fall.