A married couple in One Piece has been considered the top candidates as Mihawk’s parents, and the evidence points toward this theory being true.
One Piece has many narrative threads that have been left unsaid or only implied, as well as numerous plot points that have yet to be uncovered. A theme of questioned narrative threads is the lineage of characters — who are the D. Clan and how are they related? Is Shanks or Blackbeard the son of Rocks D. Xebec? Who is Monkey D. Luffy’s mother? Many of these questions will perhaps be answered further in the story, but there is one theory that has been floating across the internet for many years.
Dracule Mihawk’s origins are shrouded in mystery. It is said that he was once a Marine Hunter and has been the established rival of Shanks throughout their careers in piracy. However, where he was born or who his parents are has remained unanswered, as with many of the series’ characters. Nonetheless, there is a well-known married couple in the One Piece world with some curious similarities to the Greatest Swordsman in the World, and the timeline of their days of piracy and possible conception of the new muscle of Cross Guild lines up. It is very possible that Silvers Rayleigh and Shakuyaku are the parents of Mihawk.
The Similarity of Features Between Shakky, Rayleigh and Mihawk
When looking at the facial features of the three characters, they are some obvious similarities. First is Shakky’s hair. While both she and Mihawk having black hair is not nearly enough to be notable, alongside the triangular points below her ears, there appears to be a little more evidence. The points are somewhat the same as Mihawk’s sideburns, both poking across the face toward the nose. The characters also both have quite strong, squared chins, though that could simply be related to Oda’s general artistic style. If it were only Shakky’s features alone, it would not be much evidence to make such a claim, but her husband also has a visual connection.
Rayleigh was also originally portrayed with black hair, which was later changed to blonde. However, his facial hair and eyebrows remained black, possibly implying that his lighter hair color is not natural. Regardless, his style of facial hair is also worthy of note. Mihawk appears to have a single strip in the same manner as Rayleigh’s four. These small hints through facial similarities may seem like creating clues from simple artwork, but Oda has shown similarities in appearances in such ways before, such as Zoro’s facial style’s relation to the Shimotsuki Clan, Sanji’s eyebrows following a theme of the Vinsmoke and the messy locks of Ace and Roger.
How the Timeline Fits the One Piece Theory
When comparing ages, Rayleigh is 78, Shakky is 64 and Mihawk is 44. If Mihawk was their son, it would mean that the pair would have been 34 and 20 when he was born. Considering they were both pirates at this time, as Shakky retired 42 years before the story, it is not impossible that they met on the sea and could not keep their hands off each other after a heroic bout between their crews. It could also fit the timeline of Shakky deciding to retire and opening a bar to better raise a young Mihawk. This could likewise shine light upon Rayleigh’s comment about the old days when cradling an infant Kozuki Momonosuke.
The evidence pointing toward this theory being true is purely circumstantial. Neither Rayleigh nor Shakky has mentioned the fact that they have a son, or that said child is one of the most famous pirates in the world, which does shed doubt on the theory. Then again, the time spent with the pair has been rare, and their screen time has revolved around the progression of Luffy rather than their personal lives. However, if there were a couple that could create such a fearsome pirate and swordsman, it would be the former first mate of the Roger Pirates and the former Empress of Amazon Lily.
Src: cbr.com
