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With the official release of One Piece chapter 1095 being scheduled for October 16, 2023, as of the time of this article's writing, only brief leaks of the issue are available. As per the spoiler summary and the raw scans, the chapter features pivotal revelations about the lore of the series, including a major clue in regard to the roots of "Red Hair" Shanks.
A former apprentice of Gol D. Roger, Shanks is the role model of Monkey D. Luffy, whom he inspired to become a pirate. Powerful enough to intimidate Marine Admiral Ryogyoku, defeat Worst Generation Supernova Eustass Kid with a single blow, and fight on comparable grounds with "Hawk Eyes" Dracule Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman, Shanks is a very influential pirate.
Despite his prominent role, Shanks is an enigmatic character, as his backstory as well as his true intentions remain largely unknown. The mystery only deepens as the first spoilers of One Piece 1095 implicitly confirm that Shanks has blood ties with one of the most wicked members of the World Government.
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Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1095.
One Piece 1095 spoilers essentially confirm that Shanks and the Celestial Dragon Garling Figarland are blood-related
Garling Figarland, the leader of the Holy Knights
Undoubtedly, the most intriguing piece of evidence that ties Shanks to the World Government is represented by a character named Garling Figarland, a Celestial Dragon of the Figarland Family.
First shown in the series in One Piece chapter 1086, Garling has a particularly high rank even among Celestial Dragons, as he is the Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights. Also known as God's Knights, these individuals are elite warriors whom the World Government sends to perform punitive raids in rebellious kingdoms.
The Holy Knights also have substantial authority to settle disputes between Celestial Dragons. With the sole exception of Garling, the identities of the other Holy Knights are yet to be revealed, as they have only been shown as darkened silhouettes.
In One Piece 1086, Garling's present-day appearance is shown as that of an old man with long, pointy hair and a beard that, put together, resembles a crescent moon. Considering his status as well as the sword he carries, Garling is implied to be a very powerful fighter and, more specifically, a mighty swordsman.
It must be noted that Garling's weapon of choice is a long saber, which, interestingly, appears to be strikingly similar to Gryphon, the sword that "Red Hair" Shanks wields in battle.
Garling's role in God Valley
Allegedly titled A world in which it is better to die than to live, chapter 1095 of One Piece will finally reveal some information about God Valley, an island that disappeared without a trace 38 years before the story's present narration.
Not much is known about what happened in God Valley except for the fact that the island was the scene of an incredible battle. To protect the Celestial Dragons and their slaves from Rocks D. Xebec and his subordinates, which included Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, and Shiki, Monkey D. Garp and Gol D. Roger teamed up.
As a result of Roger and Garp's unexpected alliance, the Rocks Pirates were defeated, seemingly leading to Xebec's death. After the battle, the entire island vanished, leaving no trace of its existence, while Garp obtained an everlasting reputation as the "Marine Hero" for his contribution to the battle.
Based on One Piece 1095's spoilers, before the incident, Celestial Dragons used God Valley to conduct tournaments where individuals from the most diverse races of the world were forced to fight like gladiators. The tribe of any warrior defeated or considered beaten would be condemned to suffer extermination at the hands of the World Government.
The spoilers of One Piece 1095 disclosed that Garling Figarland was present in God Valley during those tournaments. Interestingly, in the previous chapters, Garling was described as "a dominating figure who once distinguished himself in God Valley."
This statement was believed to outline him as someone who played a major role during the incident in God Valley. Considering the latest chapter's revelation, it's also possible that the sentence was referring to Garling displaying his combat prowess within the context of the tournaments the Celestial Dragons held on the island.
Are Garling and Shanks father and son?
Since Garling's introduction in the series, fans have started speculating that he is the father of Shanks. Admittedly, the reasons supporting this theory have appeared firm from the very beginning. First and foremost, it has been implied that Shanks has a Celestial Dragon heritage.
The "Red Hair" has in fact kinship ties with, oddly enough, the very Figarland family that Garling is a major representative of. The connection between Shanks and that Celestial Dragon household is evidenced by the Five Elders immediately linking Uta to the Figarland Family on the sole basis that she was known as the daughter of Shanks.
Needless to say, this reasoning would only make sense if Shanks himself was a member of the Figarland Family, at least according to the knowledge of the Five Elders, which should be highly reliable, especially with regards to fellow Celestial Dragons.
Shanks being a former member of the Figarland Family would also provide an easy explanation for why the Five Elders granted him a private audience. With Shanks being one of the Four Emperors, who, as prominent pirate captains, are among the world's most dangerous outlaws, this occurrence would be otherwise inexplicable.
On top of that, Shanks' parents were never named and much less shown. As a one-year-old infant, he was found by the Roger Pirates inside a treasure chest they stole in God Valley, right after the incident that happened in the same location.
With God Valley being the same exact place where Celestial Dragons, and, most notably, Garling Figarland, are strongly connected, the concurrences are beginning to be too many and too significant to be ignored.
Based on the spoilers, One Piece 1095 provides an additional clue, and it's a pretty big one. The leaks claim that the flashback featured in the chapter will show the appearance of Garling Figarland at the time of the God Valley Incident. Shockingly, the young Garling looks exactly like Shanks, just with a different hairstyle.
As Shanks is a 39-year-old man, while Garling is in his 70s or 80s, given that the God Valley Incident happened 38 years before One Piece's present narration, it means that the current leader of the Holy Knights must have been about 40 years old at the time of the event.
The fact that, at the same age, Garling and Shanks look the same, with the two being part of the same family, clearly hints at their having blood ties. It goes without saying that, based on their age difference, the most logical option is that Garling is the father of the notorious "Red Hair".
So far, no official confirmation has been provided, but the clues that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda left seem to be quite obvious. The chances that Shanks is the son of Garling, or, at the very least, his nephew, are extremely high.
Granted, the two have seemingly opposed behaviors. Garling is a merciless and cruel man who cold-bloodedly executed fellow Celestial Dragon Saint Mjosgard for having helped Sai and Leo to save Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi from the vicious Saint Charlos.
According to the intolerant Garling, anyone who stands up for "sub human scum" is even more worthless than said scum and thus must be ruthlessly slain. On the opposite spectrum is Shanks, who is a kindhearted person and is friendly and cheerful even with strangers.
Honorable and diplomatic, he never resorts to violence unless left with no other choice. Shanks is the sworn enemy of the malicious Marshall D. Teach "Blackbeard", a dynamic that further depicts the former as a positive hero. Still, Shanks also has an enigmatic side, as he has yet to show his true colors.
Surrounded by a unique, mysterious, and yet charming aura, whenever a major event happens, the "Red Hair" is always involved, whether directly or indirectly. Whether or not Shanks has denied his ties with the Figarland Family, the fact remains that his relationship with the World Government is extremely enigmatic.
Be sure to keep up with One Piece's manga, anime, and live-action as 2023 progresses.
