our pockets full of posies

OMG. Her name is Magnolia. That is beautiful. This means the twins are named after their mother and father.

I repeat, Magnolia, named Shamrock after her (flowers), and Shanks is named after Garling (weapons). That is so cute. Garling you don't deserve her.

Based on what we know so far im sure Garling sees others as disposable he killed the mother of his children and I wouldn't be surprised if his idea of a wife is a slave with a ring on her finger. The other Holy Knights dont like him - Maffey calls him a prick and Sommers sees him as a rival. Until we learn more im still a firm believer that Garling is abusive but honestly hes kinda hard to get a read on - at least involving his kids.

The new chapter shows how the twins got separated, and since Garling didn't search for Shanks for 16 years (assuming he returned home after Roger died), I doubt he cared—although I am willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and say Shanks was presumed dead. I'm assuming the Figarland family is pretty high-ranking even by World Noble standards, so they had the power and means to find him if they wanted. When Garling returned to God Valley, he called the twins precious and wanted to take them home with him. He assigned a Celestial Dragon to watch them, who knew that Garling would kill them if he found out they went missing, and he/they allowed Shanks to return home and leave "alive" to return to being a pirate. I don't trust him, and with an ego and basically his whole scummy personality, I doubt his loyalty both to Imu and to his own sons. I bet he would betray and kill both for more power. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy to care about anyone but himself and his own interests.

I doubt he'll ever admit it but Shamrock is probably jealous of Shanks; I would be. Shanks was given the freedom and childhood he was denied. I bet any resentment he feels is less "filthy pirate scum" and more "my only brother, my only twin brother." We just met. I love you; I need you. Why are you abandoning me? Why do you care so much about these pirates?".

I saw and reblogged a post that gave more insight into Shanks and his personality. I love Shanks but he can a little oblivious, he hides his true feelings and is considered by many (Buggy, Loki and Luffy when he was a kid) to be a coward. After he left Shamrock probably saw Shanks as a coward as well too.

Doflamingo had loving parents, Sanji and Sabo were able to escape and had people who cared for them. But Shamrock, who did he have? No mother, no siblings, no real friends. I bet Celestial Dragons his age were either afraid of him or encouraged by their parents to "befriend" him. Uta’s story/movie isn’t canon, and I don’t believe the Bonneys / Mikinos son Father Theory, so he probably doesn’t have any children. The Holy Knights are probably more loyal to Imu than each other. His wives... I'm sorry... "wives"... if you want to call them that (and if he has any) are slaves. His closest family are probably cousins, and again, that's assuming Garling even gave him a chance to be a kid and do kid things.

Now Shamrock could be evil—enjoying the wealth and status he was born into. He was going to kidnap kids after all. And young Garling (banana pompadoor aside), Doflamingo and Killingham (although i also have theories about him) is evidence that a good-looking Celestial Dragon doesn't equal a good person, but the reveal of the twins backstory, separation and the reveal of what happened to their mother makes it hard for me to write him off as a typical Celestial Dragon scumbag. 

The release of the new chapter showed that Shamrock cried the moment he was separated from Shanks. When Shanks finally woke up from his possible concussion he probably did the same thing, he had to have been initially very scared without his brother but Roger and the others cared for him. When Shamrock cried Garling would offer absolutely no comfort aside from telling the slaves to shut him up. Their Mother didn't want Shamrock to end up with his father knowing he'll turn into the same monster his father is. Shamrock is exactly what Garling trained him to be - heartless and cruel he probably pushed his brother away unknowingly.

he uses 'watashi' 私, which is a very formal and proper way for someone (esp men) to refer to themselves. contrast with almost every other man in this series who uses 'ore' 俺

He freely revealed to Loki that Shanks was his twin even when Gunko told Loki to mind his own business, and I’m assuming that since the other Holy Knights and Gorosei know about it; it must not be a secret, and you would think a Celestial Dragon would be embarrassed to have a notorious pirate for a twin. Shamrock doesn’t really seem angry or hateful when describing Shanks instead, he seems to make excuses for his actions using terms like “separated”, “estranged” or “led astray” (depending on translation), which is surprisingly nice for such a bigoted World Noble, and he actually looked sad when Loki mentioned him.

While they were separated Shamrock could have had a feeling that his brother was still alive. Maybe he felt that it was his duty as the big brother is to find and bring him home. I wouldn’t be surprised if even now he secretly keeps close tabs on him.

As babies the twins were probably inseparable. But once they were separated unlike Shanks who had Buggy as an unknowing replacement brother, Shamrock was probably all alone. When Shanks returned home, Shamrock probably was ecstatic, he finally had someone who understands him, he probably experiences a feeling of inadequacy; they only see him as Garling's son or as that notorious pirate twin brother. Maybe many Holy Knights members assumed Shamrock was the only commander due to nepotism. Shamrock probably had the same dream for Shanks that Shanks had for Buggy, that they could be co-captains, and is angry at Shanks for choosing a life of piracy over him. That, or he blames pirates for stealing Shanks. Their relationship, I think is similar to Trigun; they care deeply for each other and love each other, but they hate each other's ideals and characteristics. I wouldn't be surprised if they pity each other and consider each other to be brainwashed.

Now when Shanks left, Shamrock probably felt heartbroken once again he lost the person who was going to be/could have been his best friend, he probably felt rejected. He probably hates pirates even when compared to most Nobles, since he blames them for their separation. I would be surprised if Shamrock was the kind of person to hide his true feelings, while Shanks in turn can be a bit oblivious; he doesnt know how much his brother misses him or how much his leaving hurt him. Shamrock probably holds himself and Shanks on a pedestal, he probably believes that Shanks, like himself, and their family are meant for greater things, and cant understand why he wont return home why he prefers to mingle with the “filth”, not able to grasp just how messed up the whole situation is because the poor guy has been brainwashed by his father and the other World Nobles.  I bet Garling is extremely strict, and growing up Shamrock wanted/needed someone, his twin, by his side. I could imagine that Shamrock's childhood is opposite of Shanks's: abusive, strict, loveless and cold, yes, he’s a World Noble so he has everything he could ever want but the house lacked any warmth. Anyone notice that compared to Shanks, Shamrocks eyes seem empty and devoid of emotion? Garling seems like the type of loveless person who only sees his kids as possessions and would brutally “train” them to be strong. I wouldn’t be surprised if Garling lied to Shamrock about mother (and until Shanks return his twin brother) death/s to better manipulate him. Shamrock could be somewhat  protective of Shanks and that when the time comes, Shamrock will take his side against Garling. Oda even states in the SBS that he tends to draw the World Nobles as ugly to highlight their equally abhorrent personalities, and Shamrock is VERY good looking.

then when shamrock was older, maybe around the time roger was executed, for whatever reason shanks ended up back in mariejois (this would be when/how he obtained his sword gryphon. which i'm holding out hope to also be an actual gryphon, same as cerberus, because that would be cool as hell).

so you can imagine that from shamrock's pov: your whole life you've been groomed into being a soldier by your shitty father, without any other known relatives and likely few friends. maybe there's a faint memory from infancy, a sense that there used to be someone else beside you. that there's a part of you that's missing.

then you find out you were right! you have a twin! (an identical twin, no less, which means you're genetically indistinguishable) and there's finally someone else who can be by your side and share your father's expectations and understand the weight of being figarland garling's son... only for your twin to be like "fuck you, this sucks, i'm getting the hell out of here and staying a pirate."

shamrock doesn't get it, and i think he does resent shanks for it. but while he'd never admit it, i bet a part of him is jealous, too. shamrock got the money and power, but shanks has freedom. shanks has a family. that's something shamrock has never had.

...of course, this could all be nonsense and shamrock could just be evil. but i don't feel like oda's presenting him that way, and i think that's the less interesting route for the story to take. the fact that he's shanks' brother and that we've seen him as a baby are inherently humanizing things, and IMO shamrock would be a very compelling character to use to explore how oppression and greed will harm everyone in the end, even the people with the ""right"" lineage and allegiance.

as we learned from sabo's backstory, no amount of money or titles can make up for a lonely existence under the thumb of an abusive parent. sabo realized that instinctively, but i'd be really curious to see someone who didn't have the natural will-power to resist the brainwashing go through the process of being deprogrammed. especially since it's totally possible that shamrock's life has been built on a foundation of lies and half-truths about the origins of the world government and what happened to his mother.

i offer up the following as an addition

“Please… get my children off this island… don’t let him have them…”

Faceless in life and in death... I really wanted to draw her the moment I saw her. I saw many people disappointed that we didn’t see much of her, how they thought she seemed unimportant, and that we never even saw her face. But I believe that’s exactly Oda's point about her as a character… that she is disposable to Garling, her children, the world, and to us. It’s the tragedy of her character that she can be so easily removed from the world and her children in just a second…

Also good thing they took her hair color because FUCK Garling!

Note : I use some french translated scans, since it's easier for me to find them. I did try to use english scans when I could.

The recent Elbaph arc has introduced a character whose existence was theorized about since the Reverie : Figarland Shamrock, aka Shanks' twin brother.

Part of the fandom has already sorted him as the "evil twin", Oda's final exploration of the nature VS nurture thematic which began with Dressrosa (the question of Doflamingo's supposed evil nature) then continued with Whole Cake Island.

If we compare Shanks and Shamrock's appearance, they couldn't be more apart : a carefree drunk hobo-looking pirate and a prissy and prim aristocrat.

But the deeper we look at Shamrock’s actual behavior in the new arc, the more it becomes clear he reflects Shanks far more than we initially supposed.

An avoidance of conflict

During his first appearance, Shamrock consistently shows a reluctance to engage in direct violence, opting for alternatives.

Shamrock : "If we spare it, will you change your mind ?"

During his mission, he needs to make Loki join the Holy Knights. He first asks him. Then he tries to negotiate by taking his wolves' hostage. He doesn't show any anger when dealing with Loki's refusal. Celestial Dragons in the series show extreme anger when being denied their demands or being treated with disrespect. Gunko's reaction is more in line with other CD (threatening death).

Shamrock's lack of anger and willingness to kill resembles Shanks’ behavior throughout the series. He is the one who taught Luffy not to use unnecessary violence in Makino's bar.

His expression is again partially hidden.

They cross paths again when Shanks halts the Marineford War. Shanks' preference for de-escalation is clearly established in the series and is one of his main characteristics as a person.

This tendency to de-escalate conflicts is sometimes received with scorn from other people who call him a coward (Luffy, Loki, the bandit in Windmill village, Buggy).

"Needless killing doesn't make you a man."

Shamrock similarly doesn't finish Loki after he is done with him and gets called a coward for it by Loki.

Gunko : "Let's kill him." Shamrock : "Calm yourself, Gunko." He is the one holding Gunko back from killing Loki. The panel shows his face covered with a speech bubble, hiding his reaction to Gunko "Kill him." Is it approval ? Is it disapproval ? Oda uses the same technique when it comes to Shanks. There are several panel where some of his expression is hidden by a bubble or an object.

The panel is off centered and the bubble is hiding part of his face, probably to represent Shanks' hidden feelings on the matter.

When talking about Buggy, the bubbles hide half of his face, probably because Shanks is yet again holding back his feels.

Shanks is a character who hides a lot of his thoughts and feelings. He shows the world the persona of a carefree pirate but underneath it there is a calculative and melancholic man who represses himself constantly.

A reluctance to dirty their hands

Shamrock distances himself from brutality and never indulges in direct violence unless required.

When convincing Loki fails, Shamrock allows Gunko to perform the torture while observing rather than intervening himself. When Gunko wants to kill Loki, he finally steps in.

Shamrock : "It's enough, Gunko."

This tendency to have his subordinate (or crew mate) do the dirty work is seen twice with Shanks :

First in Luffy's flashback when Lucky Roo shoots one of the bandit threatening Shanks with a gun ;

Second when Yassop shoots and sinks Batholomeo's ship;

After Loki provokes him by threatening both brothers, Shamrock gets visibly upset for the first time, mirroring Shanks during Kid's attack. Though it's more the reason for his anger is more ambiguous with Shamrock, is it because Loki threaten him or is it because he care for his twin ?

When provoked, Shamrock uses his sword's strange power, using it more like a subordinate than like his weapon. He sends his sword's dogs to Loki more like a subordinate.

Shanks’ anger when Kid threatens his crew (Ch. 1076)

Although Shamrock Figarland was framed as Shanks’ opposite, his behavior reveals he’s more similar to his twin than initially supposed.

Of course, there is still a lot we don't know about it. He appears in very few chapter but I think he's going to be more of an anti-villain than, let's say, Doflamingo or Sanji's brother.

(Warning, contains spoilers from the last several chapters of the manga)

Also, 100% agree with this line of thinking. I would not be surprised I'd Shamrock really wanted Shanks in his life, but Shanks being Shanks didn't realize or just couldn't connect with him.

I think there's a good chance Shamrock is also being a double agent for his brother. Or at the very least, I can see Shamrock sacrifice himself to save Shanks when the time comes.

Oda loves tragic siblings after all & Shamrock is the OLDER one 👀

I think the bonk was definitely relevant for Shanks maybe "forgetting" the traumatic event, as well as Dragon holding onto him all this time in an attempt to save him + getting adopted by the Roger pirates on the same day. We dont know if Shamrock even got the luxury of getting cradled at all, he was crying when Maffey was holding him up like some doll. There's a high chance that he didn't get comforted by anyone, which DOES raise the chances of trauma sticking. This would be very similar to Loki who didn't get any comfort either, and was even denied it.

something else that struck me in this chapter is that in the one shot we see of shamrock as a teen, he is 1) clearly already well on his way to becoming a knight despite being only fifteen and 2) doesn't look particularly happy. i really don't think shamrock has had a great time on mariejois with garling, whether he even consciously realizes it or not.

and if you divorce the twins' relationships from the greater systems of the WG and piracy surrounding them and just look at it on an interpersonal level....

imagine you grew up alone with no siblings and a dead mother, with only your abusive father who is basically just trying to raise you as a child soldier so you can one day fill his role.

then after decades, the brother you thought you lost forever reappears! he says he hated the time he spent without you and had a miserable first 24 years of his life, which honestly you did too, and you feel a sense of comradery you haven't ever felt before. and even though you maybe felt uncertain about your father or your destiny as a soldier before, now your brother is here and he's really gung-ho about everything which makes you feel better about it, and like the burden of responsibility your bloodline has put on you is now shared.

if your brother was to then turn around and be like "sike i was actually lying through my teeth, i had a great childhood with a huge family that loved and took care of me, and also i hate all you people and i never want to come here again" and bounce, leaving you alone...that would be a pretty damn affecting experience.

When we look at Doffy, who thinks that the entire world is there to serve him.

I havent seen Shamrock say it in the same way, he calls them filth the first time we see him but it doesnt feel like he is doing anything more then parroting what is expected of him

It would be interesting if he does not think about celestial dragons, but has been so beaten down and indoctrinated that he does nothing

Maybe he had the same anger as Shanks once, a smart kid like his mother who wanted to learn and udnerstamd the world and its people but was told time and time again that all the knowledge he needs is that he is god and better then everyone.

Garling taught his son how to be a holy knight, the perfect son.

I think Shamrock is so worn down and stiffled by being a Celestial Dragon that he is numb to all of it, broken and empty

He doesn't care about anything one way or another, and is only doing what is expected of him

Did Shamrock look outside his window during his private lessons to watch other Celestial children, free to be as greedy and lazy as they want, play with all the toys Garling would never allow him to have?

Did he ever question what the purpose of being a God was if he never got to make his own choices in life or had Garling taught him to be proud of how different the life of a knight was?

even when you're just an apprentice, you get marked on your arm and it's implied that imu still has some sort of link to you. it's very likely that the only way to break that link is by losing your arm like shanks did.

then as soon as you become a full-fledged knight, you 1) gain the ability to regenerate/automatically heal from wounds, and 2) imu gets full control over your mind and body to use as they see fit whenever they feel like it.

at that point, there is NO WAY to back out anymore. even if you somehow manage to escape imu's notice and chop off your own arm without them stopping you, it'll just grow back. you can no longer break the pact. the only way out (which is the way harald is about to take) is death. and even that's near-impossible, because what are the chances of you being able to find someone strong enough to bypass the immortality and kill you?

there's something deeply fascinating to me about the idea of spending almost forty years believing whole-heartedly that you have a great life and are fighting for the right side, and it's your reckless pirate brother on the filthy surface who got the shitty lot in life. only for someone to look you dead in the eye and see who you are and apologize for not saving you from becoming it.

you didn't think you needed to be saved. but you did. and you weren't. and i'm so sorry that you weren't.