A new One Piece figure from toy developer MegaHouse showcases just how intimidating Red-Haired Shanks can actually be.

The figurine, which is available for preorder on Sideshow, sees the pirate captain with his sword drawn and an intense glare upon his usually smiling face. Shanks is often depicted as a lovable drunk in One Piece, usually seen laughing with his crew and supporting protagonist Luffy's dream of becoming the next King of the Pirates; however, he is also one of the most powerful and dangerous individuals within the story, being one of the Four Emperors of the New World and a former member of the Roger Pirates. As such, MegaHouse's new creation captures a side of the infamous pirate that, so far, has rarely been seen. The figure retails for $269 and is expected to ship between September and November 2023.

RELATED: One Piece Wonderfully Embodies the Theme of Found Family

A Complex Pirate Monarchy

The iconic and long-running One Piece multimedia franchise started when Eiichiro Oda began publishing his manga in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1997; the ongoing series has over 1,000 chapters of content. The story follows the young pirate captain Monkey D. Luffy, who has a body made out of rubber, as he and his eclectic crew, which includes a talking reindeer and an archeologist who can grow additional limbs at will, sail across the Grand Line in search of the titular treasure, which was hidden by the first King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger.

Despite making infrequent appearances, Shanks serves an important role in the story of One Piece as he is the person who initially inspired Luffy to become a pirate. With the manga entering its concluding story arc, many readers and fans have speculated that the Pirate Emperor might be the greatest opponent Luffy must battle and defeat in order to achieve his goals.

RELATED: One Piece's Biggest Remaining Questions Fans Want Answered in the Manga's Final Arc

Shanks also has a significant role in the latest movie in the franchise, One Piece Film: Red. The recently released film sees Luffy and his crew journey to the Island of Music where they meet up with his childhood friend Uta, who is also Shanks' estranged daughter. Film Red premiered in Japan on Aug. 6 and has already become one of the highest-grossing films in the franchise, earning over five billion yen. The movie is scheduled to premiere internationally this fall.

Oda's One Piece manga series is distributed in North America and the United Kingdom by VIZ Media, and Toei Animation's anime adaptation is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Source: Sideshow