God’s Knights are the top guards of Mary Geoise, possessing authority over even World Nobles, but still ranked below the Five Elders. Unlike either of the latter two, they were not introduced to viewers until recently, not even being mentioned until well past 1000 episodes/chapters of One Piece.
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This is likely due to their jurisdiction being Mary Geoise, a location that has been closed off to the largely non-royal primary cast of the series. That being said, as the Final Saga continues, more information about them is steadily being unveiled. This list will break down the knowledge concerning the elusive group.
5
They Are (or Were) Commanded by Figarland Garling
The Newest Elder Is First Identified As Their Supreme Commander
Figarland Garling is the most recent member of the Five Elders, replacing the recently-executed Jaygarcia Saturn as the Warrior God of Science and Defense. He was part of God’s Knights for many years, having already been an established member by the time of the God Valley Incident, which was 38 years before the present day in the series. He was considered a “champion” at God Valley, and participated in the Native Hunting Competition, a cruel game where the resident population of a given area is executed for sport. Garling was both cruel and confident enough in his abilities to invoke a demerit, losing 10,000 points by killing before the timer started.
In the present, he is first shown executing Saint Donquixote Mjosgard, a World Noble guilty of preventing the kidnapping of Shirahoshi, the princess of Ryugu Kingdom, as well as enabling pirates (namely Leo and Sai of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet) to assault Saint Charlos for attempting the kidnapping. This is an especially notable scene as it showcases World Nobles, otherwise established to be above the law for the most part, being punished if they step out of line. Since usurping Saturn’s role in the Five Elders, it is unclear how involved Garling is in God’s Knights.
At Least Two Relatives Are Members
The first mention of the Figarland Family was in the non-canon One Piece Film: Red, where talk of the film’s antagonist, Uta, potentially being a Figarland was had by the previous incarnation of the Five Elders. This is seemingly untrue, as Uta herself was adopted and her real parentage is unknown. Someone who is likely of Figarland blood is her adoptive father, Shanks, who served as a surrogate for her alongside his crew, the Red Hair Pirates. Shanks himself was adopted by the Roger Pirates at a young age, as they found him in a treasure chest at God Valley when he was one year old.
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In the most recent chapter at the time of writing, Figarland Shamrock explicitly identified Shanks as his “younger twin brother.” Shamrock was previously shown as a hooded figure having an audience with the Five Elders out of respect for his position, where he wished to discuss “a certain pirate.” Differences from Shanks such as the lack of facial scarring were handwaved at first, with some speculating it was the Emperor himself. The pair also shared voice actors in both the English and Japanese dubs of Shamrock’s first appearance. Shanks was also the only character attributed to said performers. Both of these actions were presumably done to mislead the viewers into thinking Shamrock was Shanks.
Even so, before his official debut, there was speculation Shanks had an identical twin, in part due to the hooded character’s lack of scars. Shamrock is the spitting image of his implied brother, with both having the same eyes, beard, and hair color. Aside from a different ensemble, Shamrock’s face is unscarred, and he appears to have both arms intact. As an Emperor, a classification for a pirate considered one of the biggest threats to the World Government, Shanks seems to have a negative relationship with his known relatives. Shamrock alleged he returned to Mary Geoise once in the past, but preferred his life as a pirate.
3
Outsiders Are Allowed To Join
Apparently Non-Nobles Can Join Too
Shamrock and Gunko, another member of God’s Knights, are seen unsuccessfully harassing Loki into joining the organization, physically hurting him and even killing one of his “pets.” This implies that despite their authority over World Nobles, one does not have to be born into that class to become a member. Considering most World Nobles are established to be pushovers who need security when out in public, it makes sense that the group designed to protect them might need to take in those from outside to function properly.
It is unclear what privileges, if any, are beholden to an outsider who joins, or how one can even become worthy of joining in the first place. Despite being royalty, Loki is viewed as a commoner being offered “divinity”, implying one enjoys some form of privilege for joining the organization. Loki was likely offered the rank due to a combination of his impressive strength, and his own hatred of Elbaf’s other giants, the strongest of whom played a part in an effort to restrain him.
The Satellite, York, who currently works under Garling, gained the position by betraying her creator, Dr. Vegapunk and effectively sharing all of his information, in a seemingly successful attempt to become a World Noble. It is possible a similar sort of feat is required of one who would join God’s Knights. Gunko’s own personality, being far more aggressive and less haughty implies a background that is not of nobility, although this has gone without explicit confirmation.
2
They Want To Control The Giants of Elbaf
And They’ll Take Their Children To Do It!
Elbaf is a nation well-known for its warlike giants. This image is upheld by crews, such as the Giant Warrior Pirates, who originate from the island and have widely known exploits. Pirates from these crews, such as Dorry and Broggy, view dying in battle as noble, and engage in honorable battles to death with one another. That being said, in recent times, reforms implemented by the late King Harald have caused the country’s giants to move away from that philosophy. Harald himself notably hated war so much that he removed his own horns, a signifier of his ancient giant heritage, as they reminded him of his warlike ancestors.
Apparently, as a result of Loki’s rejection, Gunko and Shamrock are seen discussing an effort to get Elbaf’s giants under the World Government’s control. Historically, giant orphans have been integrated into the World Government, thanks to the trafficking efforts of Mother Carmel, who acted as a caretaker to many different kinds of orphans, including a young Charlotte Linlin. Vice Admiral John Giant, the first ever giant shown in the series, and the first ever giant marine, was one such orphan from Elbaf. There is also a unit in the marines known as the Giant Squad, consisting of only giants, although where they originate from is unknown, since other giant civilizations are confirmed to exist.
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It is unclear what exactly the giants of Elbaf bring to the table that others already affiliated with the marines do not. It is possibly the warlike image of Elbaf made them an appealing prospect to control. However, it could simply be the fact that they are a nation of giants, a powerful species regardless of geographic origin. There was mention of using the giant children as a method through which to make giants bend the knee, so any sort of plan to acquire their power will likely take this shape.
1
They Will Fight The Revolutionary Army
A Conflict Between The Two Groups Has Been Teased
The Revolutionary Army is an anti-government organization led by Monkey D. Dragon, the father of Luffy. They have a particular disdain for World Nobles, presumably due to the extent to which they benefit from ongoing systemic inequality. Sabo and four commanders infiltrated Mary Geoise to rescue one of their own, Bartholomew Kuma, stealing food, and freeing slaves all the while. However, they stopped short of properly facing off against God’s Knights. Dragon is confident the army’s actions at Mary Geoise will not go unpunished, and that God’s Knights will be dispatched against the Revolutionary Army.
The exact overall strength of God’s Knights is unknown. They apparently number at least nine members (judging by the silhouettes shown when Dragon discusses them) and are often perceived as being very powerful. The exact extent of their power will likely be shown on full display once they do properly clash with the Revolutionary Army.
One Piece
- Release Date
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October 20, 1999
- Network
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Fuji TV
- Directors
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Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
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Mayumi Tanaka
Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
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Kazuya Nakai
Roronoa Zoro (voice)
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Akemi Okamura
Nami (voice)
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