Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers about Saint Garling Figarland in One Piece. I recommend watching the anime and reading the manga at least until chapter 1095 first to avoid any spoilers. Additionally, you will find a spoiler regarding the One Piece Film: Red.
Shanks’ true role in One Piece is one of the most enigmatic and debated topics among fans of the anime/manga series. As the series progresses towards its climax, his character becomes increasingly crucial to the overarching narrative. I get the feeling that either everything we knew about Shanks prior to the Wano arc was a smokescreen or the last few teases Oda has been throwing at us are the smokescreen.
Speculation peaked regarding Shanks’ role and ties to the World Government as a new villain named Figarland Garling made his debut at the end of chapter 1086. St. Figarland Garling is potentially connected to Red Hair Shanks, one of the series’ most iconic characters, and could play a crucial role in the upcoming final battles. But who exactly is Saint Figarland Garling? Keep reading to discover more about this new figure, the mysterious Figarland family, and his potential ties to Red-Hair Shanks.
While I can’t answer whether Shank will turn out to be a villain, there is no doubt that his motives have been getting more and more blurry since the Whole Cake Island arc.
Table of contents
Who Are the Figarland Family?
The Figarland family was first mentioned in One Piece Film: Red by the Five Elders, who speculated that Uta might be a member of this family. Since Uta is recognized as Shanks’ daughter, this led fans to believe that Shanks could be a descendant of the Figarland family, possibly even born as a Celestial Dragon. The manga now confirms the Figarland family as canon, further fueling the theory that Shanks is connected to Saint Garling Figarland.
Note: Uta is the adopted daughter of Shanks, so either the Five Elders don’t know this fact and assume she is Shanks’ daughter, thus a member of the Figarland family, or they know the girl’s true parental origins and one of them was a Figarland. At the very least this confirms that Shanks is somehow connected to the Figarland family.
Who is Saint Garling Figarland: Introduced in Chapter 1086
Saint Garling Figarland was introduced in chapter 1086 as a new villain in One Piece. He hails from the Figarland family and is referred to as the “former champion” of God Valley (the translation reads “former ruler,” but we know the island disappeared after the incident 38 years ago). The title “Saint” confirms his status as a Celestial Dragon, but what’s even more intriguing is his current role as the Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights of Holy Land Mary Geoise/Seichi Marījoa.
In chapter 1086, it’s revealed that Saint Garling was the person who ordered the execution of Saint Donquixote Mjosgard without even a trial, and he is additionally revealed as a former ruler of the God Valley. This indicates that Garling holds immense power, even over the Celestial Dragons, who are considered descendants of the Gods. By sentencing Saint Donquixote Mjosgard to death for aiding the Fish-Men, Saint Garling Figarland has quickly become one of the most hated characters in the One Piece fandom.
In his brief introduction, Saint Garling Figarland made an immediate disturbing impression with his ruthless and hateful nature, especially towards those who aren’t Celestial Dragons and particularly the Fish-Men. He embodies the arrogance and racism typical of a Celestial Dragon, viewing commoners as worthless. His statement, “Stand up for sub-human scum and you sink even lower,” perfectly encapsulates his disdain toward common folk, which is shared by the Five Elders.
In his current, older form, Garling sports half-crescent-shaped hair and a matching beard, along with sunglasses. He also carries a mysterious sword, suggesting he may be one of the strongest swordsmen in One Piece and further tying him to Shanks, who is also considered one of the strongest swordsmen alive.
A Younger Garling Figarland: Introduced in Chapter 1095
Chapter 1095 provides a glimpse of a younger Garling (from 38 years ago), who appears without his distinctive half-crescent-shaped beard, but he still has half-crescent-shaped hair. His handsome appearance caused quite a stir among the women around him.
Garling’s merciless attitude is further highlighted in this chapter, where he kills the king of God Valley before the Manhunt game begins, receiving a handicap of -10,000 points for the competition. Despite this disadvantage, Oda hints that St. Garland was the eventual winner of the Manhunt competition, amassing 100,000 points early in the competition (Chapter 1086). This is further confirmed by the fact that he ended up as the ruler of God’s Valley under the World Government flag.
Notably, Garling’s face resembles Shanks, hinting at a possible connection between the two. Saint Garling Figarland, as the Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights, wields absolute control over this newly introduced organization. His authority even surpasses that of other World Nobles, as he has the power to punish them for actions he deems unacceptable.
While we haven’t yet seen the full extent of Garling’s strength, his swift and lethal actions in the manga suggest he’s a formidable opponent. However, we’ll have to wait for more chapters to fully gauge his power level.
Is Garling Figarland Related to Shanks in One Piece?
After the release of chapter 1086, fans were left wondering, “Is Saint Garling Figarland related to Shanks?”
As hinted in One Piece Film: Red, Shanks might belong to the Figarland family. The introduction of the Holy Knights, with one silhouette resembling Shanks, suggests a deeper connection. While the exact relationship between Garling and Shanks remains unclear, fans are speculating that Garling could be Shanks’ father, grandfather, or older brother. Here’s why:
Volume 4000000000 “RED”: Roger Finds Shanks
Gol D. Roger found Shanks as a baby inside a treasure chest after the God Valley Incident. This event, which occurred 38 years before the current storyline, was a significant and mysterious battle where Roger and Monkey D. Garp teamed up to defeat the infamous Rocks Pirates. The incident took place on God Valley, an island that has since disappeared from the world map.
Shanks was discovered by Roger in the aftermath of this event, and Roger decided to take him aboard his ship, the Oro Jackson, where Shanks was raised among the crew and eventually became an apprentice of the Roger pirates.
Note: I could only find a fan-made artwork based on Volume 4000000000: RED, which showcases how Gol D. Roger found Shanks. I believe the implication here is that either Shanks was kidnapped by the Rocks pirates and hidden in the treasure chest, or he was a trophy of the Manhunt in God Valley, similar to the Paw-Paw Fruit and the Azure Dragon Fruit, thus he is found inside the treasure chest. I admit the latter is kind of a wild theory. Another theory could be that Shanks was the son of a Rocks pirate who hid him there during the clash with Monkey D. Garp and the Roger Pirates.
Chapters 434: Shanks’ Meeting with Whitebeard
In chapter 434, Whitebeard mentions that looking at Shanks reminds him of someone who left him with a scar, possibly alluding to Garling—”The wound I got from that guy aches whenever I look at your face“. Given Whitebeard’s confirmed presence at the God Valley Incident, this connection seems plausible, although at the time most of us probably thought that the scar was delivered by Gol D. Roger during the God Valley incident. It would be safe to assume though that if Roger was indeed the culprit Whitebeard would have explicitly stated it.
Note: It’s fair to assume that the man who caused the scar on Whitebeard is Shanks’ father. Could that be St. Figarland Garling or one of the Rocks Pirates?
Chapter 907: Shanks’ Meeting with the Five Elders
Shanks’ unprecedented meeting with the Five Elders—despite being an Emperor of the Sea (at the time alongside Blackbeard, Big Mom, and Kaidou) and one of the most wanted pirates with a 4,048,900,000 Beli bounty —suggests there might be more to his background, possibly linked to his Figarland heritage and tying him with the World Government.
Note: I believe the pirate he wants to talk to the Five Elders about is Blackbeard, but it might as well be Luffy (or if we want to go wild here it might be “Burn Scar”).
Chapter 1095: Introduction of Young Saint Garling
In chapter 1095, a younger version of Saint Garling is shown (at the time he was a Holy Knight) during the Native Hunting Competition featuring the customary Manhunt which led to God Valley’s claim by the World Government, and his appearance resembles Shanks, especially if you dye his hair red. This similarity has led to much fan speculation, however, as you can see from other images shown above, his hair color is different than Shanks’.
And that’s where things stand for now. The theory that Shanks might be a Celestial Dragon has been circulating for a long time, and it may just turn out to be true. Saint Figarland Garling is shaping up to be a significant antagonist as the series heads toward its conclusion. We’ll update this article with any new information about Garling as it’s revealed in the manga. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on Garling and his possible connection to Shanks? How do you think he might be connected to Shanks? Let us know in the comments!
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