One Piece’s Elbaf Arc is unraveling more mysteries about Shanks than we could’ve imagined. Shanks hasn’t even appeared in this arc, and yet he has been a dominant topic of discussion for months now. As an Emperor, his powers are second to none, but he is just as mysterious as he is powerful. Shanks serves as a catalyst for the story as someone who not only gave Luffy the inspiration to become a pirate but also the powers needed to become stronger, even though it’s unclear if it was unintentional. The seemingly ordinary devil fruit turned out to be the most dangerous power in the world, and we learn in the Wano Country Saga that Shanks was already aware of it.
The series also revealed that Roger and Rayleigh found a one-year-old Shanks inside a treasure chest during the God Valley Incident. They took him in and raised him in the seas, where a 15-year-old Shanks lived until Roger decided to head towards Laughtale. Having lived his entire life as a pirate, the path in front of him was clear. After Roger’s death, Shanks eventually created his own crew and became an Emperor. He even refused to accept his identity as a Celestial Dragon and wants to claim the One Piecealthough that doesn’t seem to be his only goal. A lot about his mystery and his estrangement from his family remains a mystery, but we just got one step closer to the truth.
One Piece Shares First Glimpse at Shanks’ Mother
So far, we only know about Saint Garling Figarland, the father of Shanks and Shamrock. However, the latest chapters only briefly show their mother, who was in God Valley about 39 years ago when the twins were barely a year old. The chapter doesn’t reveal her face since we only saw her from the back, wearing a dark colored dress and pushing the baby stroller. She’s meeting the locals, who compliment the boys for being adorable and inheriting the woman’s red hair. The locals also mentioned that since the kids’ father wasn’t around, they would help the woman in every way they could to help raise them.
That was around the same time as the God Valley Incident that separated Shanks from his mother. The Celestial Dragons completely destroyed the island and killed the locals just to amuse themselves. It’s unclear how Shanks ended up in a treasure chest, but it’s possible that someone put him there to save him from the bloodbath that was happening on the island. The identity of his mother remained a major mystery ever since the truth about Shanks’ bloodline was revealed, and now we at least know she wasn’t a Celestial Dragon herself.
It must be during that time when Garling took Shamrock with him while Roger took Shanks. While there is a possibility that Garling may not be the real father, the theory seems highly unlikely since Garling, in the flashback, looks too much like his sons. Unfortunately, the status of Shanks’ mother is unknown, but she may have met the same tragic fate as the rest of the island.
One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Has Revealed Several Facts About Shanks
Elbaf is one of Shanks’ territories, so it was reasonable to expect some lore drop on the character, but the arc shocks us yet again. We meet Shamrock for the first time, who reveals that Shanks is aware of his identity, but he refuses to become a Celestial Dragon. Since Shanks’ case is different from Doflamingo’s family, who willingly gave up their titles, the Emperor could’ve been easily accepted as one of them.
However, Shanks wants to continue living as a pirate, but there must be another reason for his actions. The flashback in Chapter 1152, when Harald was being attacked in the Arurst Castle, Shanks and Gaban were reminiscing about old times. Gaban casually mentions that Shanks is the Child of Fate, but doesn’t explain what this title means. Additionally, considering that Shanks most likely knew about Luffy’s devil fruit before stealing it from the World Government, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he knows more about the world’s truth than he lets on.
The ongoing backstory in the Elbaf Arc will only scratch the surface, and we may learn about his mother’s fate. However, since the manga is in the Final Saga, it won’t be long before we know everything about this mysterious Emperor. The Elbaf Arc won’t be ending anytime soon, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the series drops more shocking truths about Shanks and his bloodline.
What do you think could’ve happened to Shanks’ mother? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
