Why Shanks Went To Marijoa, Explained

The Elbaf arc of One Piece has revealed quite a lot of exciting details to fans about characters such as Shanks, but that doesn’t come as a surprise to any fan, given that Shanks was always expected to be tied to the land of the Giants. Although Shanks himself isn’t present in Elbaf at the moment, fans know that he’s most certainly going to be playing a major role here in one way or another. Instead of Shanks, fans got to see Shamrock Figarland in Elbaf, and it was revealed quite clearly that he’s Shanks’s very own brother.

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Now, fans are waiting to see more of Shamrock Figarland, and through him, also bits about Shanks’s life. As the Elbaf arc is explored further, many truths about the character of Red-haired Shanks will be made clear. Already, fans know that at one point, Shanks returned to Marijoa, although he went back to the lower world because he loved it way too much. The reason behind his visit wasn’t made clear, but there’s definitely an important reason.

Shanks Went To Marijoa After Roger’s Death

• Roger Died 24 Years Ago In One Piece
• Shanks Visited Marijoa Around The Time Of His Death

By now, it is common knowledge among One Piece fans that Shanks is a Celestial Dragon, or rather of Celestial Dragon lineage. Along with his father, Garling Figarland, and his brother, Shamrock Figarland, Shanks was on the island of God Valley, 38 years ago. Given that Shanks is 39 right now, it is clear that he must’ve been a few months old at this point, although slightly younger than Shamrock. Due to the fierce fighting and looting, Shanks was somehow separated from the Celestial Dragons and Scopper Gaban mistook him for treasure, taking him to the Oro Jackson.

Upon the ship, when the crew opened the treasure, they found Shanks, and from that day onward, Shanks spent his life with the Roger Pirates. In a way, it can be said that the Roger Pirates were his true family, although that didn’t stop Shanks from visiting the Holy Land of Marijoa after Roger’s death. It is unclear as to when exactly Shanks returned to Marijoa, but it was most certainly before he started the Red Hair Pirates. As such, Shanks must’ve been very young when all this went down, meaning that the likeliest time for Shanks to have gone back to the Holy Land of Marijoa was most certainly after the death of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.

How exactly Shanks made it up there, and why they let him in remains unknown. But, it has likely got to do with the fact that Shanks belongs to the Figarland family, a group even exalted among the Celestial Dragons. One way or another, Shanks was let in and he returned to his biological father, where he also met his brother, Shamrock, for the very first time. According to Shamrock, Shanks’s time in the world below made him too attached to it and he returned to filth shortly after.

Shanks’s Main Goal When Visiting Marijoa

Shanks Could’ve Gotten His Famed Weapon From Marijoa

The idea of Shanks visiting Marijoa is quite interesting. There is no clear reason as to why Shanks went to Marijoa in the first place. But, what is clear is that he most certainly didn’t want to be a Celestial Dragon. It is possible that Shanks simply wanted to see for himself what his family was like. But, there could also be another reason. Fans know that Roger said something to Shanks after he returned from the Final Island, Laugh Tale. Could this message be potentially linked to his real family? It is entirely possible.

When Shanks visited Marijoa, he must have been disgusted by what he saw and felt out of place. It is no surprise to know that Shanks ended up leaving the place immediately after, wasting no time. But, his visit to Marijoa served a bigger purpose, and that is arming him with the perfect weapon.

If there is one thing that the Figarland family stands out for, it is undoubtedly their saber swords. Garling Figarland had a saber that he used during the Native Hunting Games on the Island of God Valley. Similarly, Shamrock Figarland uses his own saber during the Elbaf arc, and fans know that Shanks has a saber as well. Clearly, this saber must’ve been secured by Shanks once he visited the Holy Land of Marijoa.

Shamrock’s sword has the power of the Cerberus. This was revealed to the fans recently, in the Elbaf arc. Shamrock himself doesn’t possess any ability, but his sword seems to be enchanted. It is highly likely that Garling’s sword is special in a similar manner, although Oda is likely saving that for later.

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This must mean that Shanks’s sword, which is known as Gryphon, must be special as well. What’s clear is that Shanks stole this sword from Marijoa and that’s why Oda hinted at his fighting style being special. Just like Shamrock’s sword has Cerberus, Shanks’s sword potentially has the power of the Gryphon, making him a monstrously powerful individual.

It is likely that after stealing this sword, Shanks went down to the surface and decided to start his own pirate crew. He sought out powerful members, came across the likes of Ben Beckman, among others, and then formed the Red Hair Pirates as we know it.

How Shanks’s Marijoa Visit Adds To His Story

Shanks Could’ve Met Mihawk At Marijoa

Another very interesting thing to note is that Shanks could potentially have met Mihawk in Marijoa. There are many theories surrounding Mihawk’s true birth, but nothing can be said for sure right now. But, a very exciting idea is that Mihawk was already in Marijoa, raised and trained amongst the strongest. When Shanks visited Marijoa, this could’ve been where they met officially. It must be remembered that Mihawk holds a grudge against the Navy of some sort. What that grudge is remains unclear, but that could’ve been his reason for defection.

If Shanks and Mihawk met at Marijoa, and then potentially left the Holy Land together, going their own ways, it would make for a brilliant story, and one that fans would absolutely come to love. A single visit to Marijoa could’ve changed Shanks’s life forever, and this could add tremendous depth to the story. Fans can only hope that Oda sheds more light on Shanks’s past soon enough.

Through Shamrock, fans might find out bits and pieces, but the full story will only be revealed once Shanks is at the center of the plot.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1140, is set to be February 23, 2025.

One Piece

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

Directors

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)