Warning: SPOILERS for One Piece Film: REDThe origins of Uta, the main character in One Piece Film: RED, have a strong connection with a fan theory postulating that her adoptive father, Red-Haired Shanks, is actually a Celestial Dragon. While Uta is not Shanks' biological daughter, the similarities are simply too many to ignore.
Shanks is one of the most mysterious characters in One Piece. Debuting in the very first chapter of the manga, there is still not much that readers know about this powerful pirate, except that he was once an apprentice on the ship of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. Some hints scattered throughout the series made fans believe that Shanks could actually be a renegade Celestial Dragon, a descendant of one of the families who rule the One Piece world. Considering that One Piece Film: RED features Shanks in a prominent role, fans hoped that the movie could shed some light on this character's past, and this did actually happen, but not in the way they expected.
Uta, the main character in One Piece Film: RED, is Shanks' adoptive daughter. A flashback sequence shows how, while going over a pile of treasure they had plundered, the Red-Hair Pirates found an infant baby girl, Uta, hidden in a chest. They ended up adopting her and she grew up to become the musician of the crew, staying with them for a few years. This is the exact same way that baby Shanks was found by Roger, hidden in a treasure chest, which was revealed by One Piece's creator Eiichiro Oda in One Piece Volume 4 billion, a special booklet distributed to attendees of One Piece Film: RED. That scene also briefly appears in the movie, as Shanks reminisces about that moment when he finds Uta.
Shanks And Uta's Connection Hints That They Are Both Celestial Dragons
This could just be a coincidence meant to emphasize the connection between Shanks and Uta, however, there is a lot more going on. Roger found Shanks in the treasure he stole from the Celestial Dragons after his legendary battle against the Rocks Pirates in God Valley. This could mean that Shanks is a Celestial Dragon, hidden by his family in a treasure chest to protect him. Uta, on the other hand, is also strongly hinted to be of Celestial Dragon, or at least noble, heritage during the movie. The Five Elders, the most powerful authorities of the World Government, recognize her and call her a descendant of the Figarland family. While this is not openly called a Celestial Dragon family, the reaction of the Five Elders strongly suggests so, and this could also be the reason why Shanks decided to keep the baby on his ship.
While there is no open statement or revelation about Shanks' past in the movie, besides the very important detail of his first meeting with Roger, the parallels with Uta's story cannot be ignored. One Piece Film: RED leaves its viewers with more questions than answers on Shanks and his past, but also with an important clue that the popular Celestial Dragon fan theory could actually be true.