Latest One Piece chapter may have just set up Blackbeard’s true rival (and it might not be Shanks after all)

One Piece has always been deeply rooted in rivalries, moving all sides of the balance of power across the seas, and Blackbeard is one of the most dangerous pirates in the New World. Many fans expected the inevitable battle to take place between Blackbeard and Shanks, but the latest chapter may suggest otherwise.

Eiichiro Oda is likely laying the groundwork for something unexpected. Shamrock seems to be a rival stand-in who has uncanny similarities to Blackbeard. There are bits about symbolism that connect to the former rival with the new rival, and thematic building and foreshadowing of a battle that has the potential to impact Blackbeard vs Shanks, without putting Shanks' role in jeopardy in the overarching plot.

Disclaimer: The article reflects the writer's opinion and includes spoilers from the manga.

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The latest development suggests Blackbeard's final rival will be Shamrock in One Piece

Shamrock could be a true rival of Blackbeard in One Piece (Image via Shueisha)

The recent One Piece chapter may have just established one of the most shocking rivalries yet, and it probably isn't the long-awaited fight between Blackbeard and Shanks. For more than a decade now, fans assumed Shanks would be Blackbeard's fated rival. However, Oda has made it clear that Shanks is simply too critical to the overall plot and Luffy's journey to simply go down to Blackbeard's hands.

Shanks is Oda's "Golden Boy" and has more to him symbolically, making his survival more than just a plot point. Having him take a cut down by Blackbeard would feel like throwing the entire emotional equilibrium of the story out of whack.

Because of all this, Oda seems to have placed Shanks' spotlight onto Shamrock as the new foil, who mirrors Blackbeard in interesting ways, and perhaps could even become the real rival instead of Shanks after all.

Shanks as seen in anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Shamrock's name is more than a surface-level detail. The shamrock is cognate with the Holy Trinity, represented by three leaves, which echoes Blackbeard's mysterious vibe with three skulls on his flag, and Blackbeard having three souls inside of him being a possibility. Given these themes, fans can suspect the foreshadowing wasn't unintentional.

More tantalizing is Shamrock's weapon: a Cerberus-like sword. Fans have previously speculated that Blackbeard himself would have a Cerberus-like ability, and Shamrock carrying such a sword draws the direct connection. Blackbeard once wielded three-clawed weapons, another subtle reference to this triadic symbolism.

Blackbeard will have to defeat Shamrock before achieving his final goal (Image via Toei Animation)

In addition to the symbolism, there could even be a historical connection that Oda may have taken inspiration from. This could prove to be a significant naval link, overlapping very much in the tradition of naval mythology that has long been the foundation of One Piece. The role of Shamrock to cannons and explosive threats melds nicely with Shanks' destructiveness, and ticks off fans' own expectation of a coming storm.

By making Shamrock the figure fallen in conflict against Blackbeard, it allows Oda to keep him as a guiding figure, while still providing Blackbeard a rival whose defeat maintains its own character weight and narrative sophistication.

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Final thought

The symbolic, thematic, and historical referents in the latest events on One Piece strongly indicate Oda is building Shamrock to play Blackbeard's real adversary. This would be the same sense of threat and destiny that fans were promised between Blackbeard and Shanks, only without jeopardizing Shanks' position in the overall scheme of One Piece.

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Related links:

• Eiichiro Oda reveals why a touching scene almost didn’t make it into the One Piece story
• Latest chapter may have just hinted at a crucial Marine in the God Valley Incident
• One Piece might be hiding a secret alliance between Garp and the Revolutionary Army