One Piece chapter 1086 shines the light on Shanks' family mystery

One Piece chapter 1086 was officially released on Monday, June 12, 2023, at 12 am Japanese Standard Time, revealing the unfortunate news of the series taking a month-long hiatus, although for a good reason. During the extended break, series author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda is set to undergo eye surgery for astigmatism.

While fans are obviously wishing Oda well and pleading he take as much time as needed to recover, the primary focus is on the events within One Piece chapter 1086. The issue covers a wide variety of incredibly exciting topics and focuses on incidents concerning various high-ranking members within the World Government.

Similarly, the introduction of a brand new World Government official in One Piece chapter 1086 has seemingly confirmed the origins of another fan-favorite character. While it does require tying some loose threads together, it’s fairly clear to fans that the origins of Red-Haired Shanks are becoming apparent.

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One Piece chapter 1086 ties together Film: Red events to reveal Shanks’ family name, origins

Revelations in Shanks’ family mystery, explained

Before diving into how One Piece chapter 1086 seemingly confirms Shanks’ familial origins, it’s worth recapping what fans knew prior to this latest issue. In the mainline series, Shanks is said to have grown up on Gol D. Roger’s ship from the time he was a young child, looking up to the former Pirate King as a father figure.

For many years, this was all fans knew of Shanks, until One Piece Film: Red’s events, wherein fans saw a flashback (which was confirmed as canon by Oda himself) showing Roger and his crew finding Shanks as an infant in a treasure chest at God Valley. This reveal and confirmation of its canonicity rejuvenated the portion of the fanbase that fervently believed Shanks to be a Celestial Dragon by birth.

Also buoying the rejuvenation of this sect of the fanbase was the Gorosei discussing how Uta, Shanks’ daughter, could be part of the Figarland family. In turn, such speculation implicitly confirmed Shanks to be part of the Figarland family as well. Now, with the release of One Piece chapter 1086, fans are finally and officially introduced to Saint Figarland Garling.

Garling’s introduction significantly marks the official canonization of the Figarland family of Celestial Dragons. However, Garling is also introduced, in official translations, as the former “ruler” of God Valley. When paired with the aforementioned confirmed-canon flashback of Shanks’ origins in Film: Red, the significance of this information becomes very clear.

With Shanks having been found in the aftermath of the God Valley battle, and at least one member of the Figarland family present at the same, fans are sure that this may be Shanks’ family. Such a conclusion is further supported by the Gorosei’s speculation on Uta having “Figarland blood” within her, implying that Shanks (his birth father, as far as they knew) is also of Figarland blood.

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In summation

With the reveal of Figarland Garling and his former title in One Piece chapter 1086, it’s all but officially confirmed that Shanks is a member of the Figarland family of Celestial Dragons. Combined with the aforementioned evidence from Film: Red, fans feel that the argument is simply too concrete and overwhelming for anything else to be true about Shanks’ familial origins.

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