Shanks
group: Red-Hair Pirates
position: Captain
bounty: (chapter 0 - current) ?
skills: Swordsmanship, leadership, unknown parameters
aliases: "Red-Hair"
We can't very well have One Piece without Shanks! It was this man who gave Luffy his ambition, his dream, and his straw hat, all in one chapter.
Shanks is a very laid back, "take it as they come" sort of guy, a bit of a drunk but a well-meaning one. At times he seems to do nothing but humiliate himself, and even to Luffy it seemed so, but in actuality Shanks' greatest ability is his level-headed behavior. He simply laughs off most affronts and jaunts, by friend or foe.
That is, he's level-headed most of the time: When someone messes with a friend of his, he gets very mad VERY quickly. One of the most telling moments of his power comes in the first chapter when, with just one frightening look, he chased away a Sea King. This came directly after suffering the loss of his left arm to protect his ward, an act which gave Luffy an idea of the sea's dangers.
Shanks is more than just a famous pirate, of course. As revealed by a certain Vice Admiral in recent chapters he is one of the Yonkou (Four Emperors) who are either matched with Whitebeard or Whitebeard, himself. Thus, Shanks' position as one of the Three Great Powers was cemented, as if his meeting with Whitebeard didn't affirm it.
Also in recent chapters, negotiations with Whitebeard began. Shanks asked politely for Edward Newgate to recall Ace, was rebuffed, and drew his sword against the greatest man in the world with enough force to rend the heavens open. Thus was the last we'd seen of the two.
Shanks' Past
Shanks was once a cabin boy on Gol D. Roger's ship, along with Buggy the Clown. During this tenure he fostered a competitive relationship with "Hawkeye" Mihawk, and a more intense affair (not mutual) with Buggy. Both he and the clown were present at Roger's execution, where they went their separate ways. That was 22 years ago, almost precisely.