Shanks is one of the most mysterious characters in One Piece, as well as one of the most beloved characters in the series. Introduced right from the beginning of the story, fans are well aware that Shanks plays an important role, especially since he has set Luffy on the path to becoming the Pirate King. Since then, fans have been eager to learn more about Shanks, but Oda has kept many secrets about him for a long time in the narrative.
In fact, Oda has declared that Shanks will only appear more frequently in the story as One Piece enters its final saga.
Now, One Piece has entered the Final Saga, which means that many secrets surrounding Shanks will be revealed gradually. One of the major mysteries related to Shanks originates from One Piece Chapter 907, where fans saw Shanks meeting some important characters.
As for why this meeting took place, fans are uncertain, but it certainly caused a stir. Ultimately, Oda provided an answer to this question for fans after 6 years.
Oda has allowed Shanks to meet the Five Elders in Chapter 907 of One Piece
Each chapter in the Reverie arc of One Piece contains significant details, but few chapters can stir up fans like One Piece Chapter 907. This is because at the end of the chapter, Shanks appears in a clandestine meeting room and enters the Holy Land Mariejois.
This is a groundbreaking moment in the manga, as fans completely cannot comprehend it. Firstly, Shanks is a notorious figure. The fact that a notorious figure directly enters the capital of the World Government and meets the highest authorities is unprecedented.
Secondly, Shanks has no reason to meet the Five Elders, even if he can. This leads to many theories being proposed. The most plausible theory is that, since Shanks belongs to the race of the Celestial Dragons, he may arrange a meeting with figures like the Five Elders. However, even then, there is no reason for Shanks to meet them, as he is, in every sense, opposed to the World Government.
Many fans have begun to speculate that Shanks is actually a double agent and is collaborating with the World Government for some larger scheme. However, this theory lacks substantial evidence, as Shanks has not been portrayed as a villain in One Piece. The answer to this question was not revealed, causing debates among fans who are eagerly awaiting a response. Ultimately, in Chapter 1134, this question was answered and all threads were connected.
Oda finally confirmed that the character who met the Five Elders was not Shanks
One Piece Chapter 1134 confirms with fans that the character who met the Five Elders in the Meeting Room in Chapter 907 was not actually Shanks. This time, the mysterious figure appeared through a round portal in the land of Elbaf.
This character cannot be Shanks because we know Shanks is currently sailing with the Red-Haired Pirates and is issuing commands at sea. Nearby, he has just gone out to answer Bartolomeo’s call and is currently searching for Blackbeard. There is simply no way this character is Shanks, which means whoever that character is, they must have an appearance strikingly similar to Shanks.
This relates directly to Shanks’ Celestial Dragon lineage and helps fans understand what connections Shanks may have with members of that family.
To understand this, we only need to look back at the Egghead arc, where we see Kuma being detailed. There is a minor detail that fans may have overlooked, which is that Garling Figarland speaks to his children in the game of the first generation of their own. This is a very subtle frame, where the old man clearly requests his children to follow him carefully.
Clearly, Garling Figarland wants to observe the old man, and the noteworthy thing is that the old man speaks as if he has multiple children at once.
As for how many children Garling has, we do not know, but at least there are two children, and it’s possible there are many more. Shanks is not an only child, and it’s entirely possible he has a twin brother, who was actually introduced in Chapter 907 of One Piece. This sibling may also appear in Elbaf, and it will be interesting to see how the story unfolds from here on out.
