Summary
As far as fans can tell from what has been shown so far, the Figarland Family is the most powerful family in all ofOne Piece. While very little is currently revealed about them, analyzing the strength of the few showings they’ve had as well as the abilities they hold clearly shows that all 3 of the known members are easily among the most powerful characters in the entire series. As such, their status also reflects this awesome power.
Moreover, genetically, they are all World Nobles who belong to an ancient bloodline that likely has its roots in the Void Century as one of the ruling kingdoms thatbanded together to form the World Government. Situated in Marijois, it was made clear in Chapter 1138 ofOne Piecethat Shanks spent some time in the Holy Land but, eventually, returned to the seas, so let’s take a look at how this time was likely spent.
What The Time He Spent There Means For His Arc
Shanks' First Appearance
One Piece, Chapter 1, “Romance Dawn - The Dawn of Adventure”
Shamrock’s First Appearance
One Piece, Chapter 1134, “The Owl Library”
Shanks has been a mainstay in the franchise ever since his introduction in the series, although his appearances have been few and far between. Because of this, he has always been mired in mystery, with many fans often questioning his allegiance with theories that state how he may be allied with the World Government. BeforeShamrock’s official introduction on Elbaf, fans had been speculating that it was Shanks who met with the Gorosei in Chapter 907.
However, in Elbaf, Shamrock made some bombshell reveals, chief of which was the fact that he is the elder twin brother of Shanks, showing that it was likely he who met with the Gorosei in Chapter 907, largely absolving Shanks from any speculation. However, this conversation opened up a whole new can of worms when Shamrock stated that Shanks had visited Marijois once before but chose to leave it due to becoming attached to the world.
The pirate you’re referring to is my younger twin… he went astray. At one point, he did return to the Holy Land, but it seems he grew too attached to this filthy world of the surface…
This has understandably taken the fanbase by storm as fans are now clamoring to think about how this could have gone down. To start, it’s clear that Shanks took a break from the life of a pirate for 2 years right afterthe execution of Gol D. Roger. Due to this, the prevailing fan theory is that, in those 2 years, Shanks made his way to the Holy Land to live among his family and people, since he was likely told about his lineage by Roger the last time they met, leading him to break down in tears.
This is strengthened by Buggy and Shanks' last interaction before they split up, where Shanks says he won’t be undertaking the life of a pirate immediately since he has things to do before then, leading to Buggy abandoning him too. Shanks spending this time in Marijois would make perfect sense, as he would go there to see what life with his family would be like, but upon experiencing the oppressive and disgusting regime of the Celestial Dragons at odds with his own code of justice, which was instilled upon him by the Roger Pirates, he then left.
However, this could also explain how Shanks got his sword of choice; Gryphon. From their brief appearances in the series, it’s clear that Garling and Shamrock also have similar sabers that are alllikely to be Supreme Grade Weaponsand are clearly all from the same family. The naming convention also tracks, since Shanks' blade is called Gryphon and Shamrock’s is Cerberus, who are both siblings in Greek mythology.
If this trend is to be believed, then it can be surmised that Garling’s sword is going to be called Typhon, the King of the Monsters in Greek mythology and the father of Gryphon and Cerberus. At some point, it’s clear that Garling had the two sabers made for his sons to give to them, which is how Shanks would have come across his legendary sword but chose to keep it once he left the Holy Land.
When I look at your face, it makes my scars ache. The scars I got from ‘him’…
People have always speculated that Shanks probably knows far more than he lets on, so it could be that, due to his father’s importance in the world of the Celestial Dragons as the leader of the Gods' Knights and his identity as a World Noble, Shanks was somehow made privy to the true history and nature of the world. This would explain many of his actions, especially the time he chose to act towards claiming the One Piece treasure, since he knew Nika had awakened after Wano.
What This Means For The Future
Shanks' Eventual Battles
With all this set up regarding the Figarlands, it’s clear that there will likely be a confrontation between Shanks and his family. The exact events of how and when this will play out are impossible to know, though it can be surmised that all the characters involved willlikely undertake a massive battlethat may just spell the end of Luffy’s greatest inspiration to become a pirate in the first place.
Conversely, there are some fans who aren’t at all convinced about Shanks' ‘good guy’ facade, stating that he likely still works for the World Nobles and that whatever time he spent in Marijois ultimately brainwashed him to their agenda. This would cause him to secretly be working for the fulfillment of the goals of the Celestial Dragons and Imu. While this is unlikely, it’s incredibly fun to speculate on until Oda eventually reveals the truth sooner or later.
