This is building on another theory floating around, that Vegapunk was inspired to perform the satellite operation in much the same way he was inspired with a lot of his other “inventions”- reverse engineering records from the Ancient Kingdom. And according to this theory, this operation created the Gorosei, who are the five satellites to Imu’s Stella- splitting his/herself into secret puppet rulers.

However, you might notice something off right away- where’s the sixth? Vegapunk has six, after all. Yup. Shanks is one of Imu’s partial biological clones. This is why they allowed him an audience at Mariejois.

It also makes sense for the Gorosei to reproduce like this- if it was just the same five dudes for eternity, eventually SOMEONE would notice and start asking questions, and that’s the last thing they want.

Notably, we can already see that the Gorosei are of different ages themselves, three old dudes, samurai Gandhi could either be older, younger, or the same age, and the one mysteriously younger blonde man who sticks out amongst the group.

It’s anybody’s guess how specifically this works, but I’m guessing they’re either born or artificially synthesized and then smuggled into Celestial Dragon society. Which could be the entire reason it exists at all, to be raised in the cossetted little bubble and then plucked out when one of the Gorosei die. It’s like a dark perversion of inherited will, where they’re autonomous beings who are biologically programmed with the knowledge and ideologies of their primary, perhaps even a biological imperative to pursue them. Basically a slave to somebody else’s will.

Shanks was SUPPOSED to be the sixth of the five elder stars, but Roger found him first and stole him away. This was before Laugh Tale, so he wouldn’t have known about it, he just would have known that he was a Celestial Dragon.

This too fits with a general theme in the story, of a character having a true father who they reject, and an adopted father who they embrace. Sanji, Ace, Sabo, Whitebeard having an entire crew of them. Shanks would most likely know that he was supposed to be loyal to overlord Imu, but instead chose the pirate life of his adopted father figure.

This leads to a lot of questions of course. Does anything happen to the satellites if you kill the main body? Does Shanks have some kind of biologically implanted agenda? Is he similarly, biologically coded to be unable to act against his primary? And that’s why he stood at the door instead of pursuing the one piece himself?

That’s not really the behavior of a conqueror, is it? Sitting around partying all day waiting for someone else to do what you can’t? Unless his King’s haki is not even his own, and he’s inheriting it from Imu.

It’s really fun to think about…

Theory by Gravelord-_Nito (https://www.reddit.com/user/Gravelord-_Nito)