The strongest swordsman in the One Piece world, Dracule Mihawk, is an enigma that fans have not been able to find out more about. The character has been a part of the series since the beginning, but very little is revealed about him by Eiichiro Oda, the series’ creator. However, that doesn’t stop fans from devising theories to find out more details about him.
One such theory predicts Mihawk’s origin and also explains the details about his parents in One Piece. According to the theory, Mihawk is the child of Rayleigh, the former right-hand man of Gol D. Roger, and Shakky, the former Empress of the Kuja Tribe. While this theory sounded exciting, there was not much proof to confirm it.
However, Oda confirming Shakky and Rayleigh’s relationship has further strengthened the theory of Mihawk being their child, as Mihawk might have both Rayleigh and Shakky’s abilities within him. These abilities are not only reflected in his sword skills but also in his Haki abilities.
Eiichiro Oda Confirms Shakky and Rayleigh’s Relationship
In SBS Volume 109, Oda was asked about the former Empress of the Kuja Tribe, Shakuyaku, and how she did not die from falling madly in love just like the previous Empress, as mentioned by Granny Nyon. Oda revealed that when Granny Nyon talked about Shakky, she did not explicitly say that she died.
Oda stated:
This is a matter of reading comprehension. It’s not a lie, what she’s referring to in this line, “The Empress from two generations also…” was talking about the “Love Sickness” that she (also) got! In fact, in the past, the Empresses and Warriors of this country have always died from this sickness without knowing the true reason, but in recent years, Granny Nyon and the others seem to have avoided death by going overseas.
Further talking about Shakky and the love sickness, the manga creator revealed that the Love Sickness has taken the lives of the former Kuja Empresses and warriors, but because the recent Empresses have managed to go overseas, they have avoided their deaths. Thus, indirectly, Eiichiro Oda confirmed Shakky’s relationship with Rayleigh.
One Piece Theory About Mihawk Being Rayleigh’s Son Might Be True
When Rayleigh was first introduced in the story properly during the Sabaody Archipelago arc, One Piece fans found a lot of similarities between him and Mihawk. Their build, their facial structure, and their strength were some of them, but the most important one was their role as a swordsman in the story.
Both Rayleigh and Mihawk are excellent swordsmen, and they have proven it multiple times. However, the one thing that Mihawk is also capable of is Armament Haki. His Armament Haki is so strong that he was able to permanently imbue his sword Yoru with haki, making it a black blade, and the only tribe that is known for their Armament Haki is the Kuja tribe.
It was revealed during the Amazon Lily arc in One Piece that the members of the Kuja tribe can imbue their arrows with Armament Haki and use them to attack Devil Fruit users. Shakky, being a former Empress of the Kuja tribe, might also be a powerful Armament Haki user, which she might have passed on to Mihawk. Thus, the theory about Mihawk being Rayleigh’s son is strengthened even more.
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