Warning: Contains spoilers for Chapter #1095 of One Piece. One Piece has just revealed young Figarland Garling’s appearance and his uncanny resemblance to Shanks suggests that the Celestial Dragon is indeed the father of the red-haired Pirate Emperor. However, another powerful pirate may have foreshadowed Garling was Shanks’ father almost twenty years ago, and also clashed with him during the infamous God Valley Incident.
Chapter #1095 of One Piece has dropped many bombshells, but the biggest one yet may be the reveal of the appearance of a young Figarland Garling, who, other than for the quirky hairdo, appears to be the spitting image of Shanks.
While fans have long suspected Shanks may be a Celestial Dragon, and One Piece Film: RED revealed that Shanks’ surname is indeed Figarland, Garling’s appearance in Chapter #1095 is the final nail in the coffin. While Garling’s connection to Shanks still has to be confirmed, being his dad would make the most sense. Moreover, Garling’s appearance finally explains a mysterious remark made by Whitebeard all the way back in Chapter #434.
Garling Was The Man Who Scarred Whitebeard
In Chapter #434, when Whitebeard meets Shanks he comments that Shanks’ face makes his scars ache. As it turns out, Whitebeard may have been talking about Garling instead who he most likely fought on God Valley 38 years ago. While fans may have thought nothing of the remark back then, this little quip takes on new meaning in the light of new information presented about Garling and suggests the Holy Knight may be a force to be reckoned with if he was able to not only scar the ‘Strongest Man in the World’ with the second-highest bounty in the history of the series but also leave such a lasting impression.
It is also worth noting that Whitebeard was in his prime during the God Valley Incident and was likely a fearsome opponent. Moreover, while Garling did make a name for himself during the sadistic manhunt on God Valley, his reputation may also stem from his subsequent clash against Whitebeard and the Rocks Pirates. Regardless, the Holy Knights may be far stronger than fans assumed and may pose a significant threat to whoever decides to oppose the World Government, particularly Luffy, as someone with the will of the warrior of liberation.
That said, God Valley is poised to solve many of the series’ biggest mysteries and the excitement surrounding the God Valley flashback has only grown with Chapter #1095. Fans can only hope that upcoming chapters reveal Garling’s abilities in full swing as well as the fight that caused Whitebeard’s mysterious scars in question. Clearly, the God Valley flashback has a lot riding on it, and One Piece fans can bet that Shanks’ alleged dad will play a major role in it.
