One Piece Chapter 1165 Review/Recap
The newest chapter of One Piece is out, and oh my god, you guys, what a chapter! The God Valley Incident has reached its climax with a fight that, in all honesty, needs to be given the movie treatment. Sengoku wasn’t kidding when he called Rocks Roger’s greatest rival, nor was he exaggerating about it how he and Garp had to work together to take him down. By the time we get to the last page of the chapter, God Valley is a wasteland devoid of all sentient life as everyone goes their separate ways. However, the best part of the chapter is also the most tragic as we see the legend of Rocks D. Xebec come to an end.
Recap
Even as they hear him beg them to put him out of his misery, Roger and Garp are barely able to handle the power of a demonically-enhanced Rocks. They hit him with everything they’ve got, but he just shrugs it off while the island is reduced to an utter ruin. It gets to the point that when Roger suggests a truce, Garp doesn’t object due to how dangerous Rocks has become. Anyone who’s still left besides them is forced to flee; only Rayleigh and Gaban head back to help Roger.
Despite the best efforts of the future Pirate King and Hero of the Marines, Garp and Roger can’t put a dent in Rocks. His Armament and Conqueror’s Haki is so powerful that it’s cancelling out all their attacks. Out of sheer desperation, the two decide to go for broke and put their lives on the line. Apologizing to Rocks for what they have to do, Roger and Garp put everything they have into one last attack. And it works! They tear through Rocks’ defenses and obliterate him in the process.
The World Government would call this day the God Valley Incident, and did everything in their power to cover up the truth of what happened, even erasing the island’s location from history. But the fall of Rocks D. Xebec and the Rocks Pirates was something too great to be ignored.
Review
Oh my heavens, you guys, this chapter was an absolute banger! I now fully understand why the people who were at God Valley don’t like talking about it much. Almost everything that happened on that island was like setting foot in the depths of Hell. When we went into this, I was expecting things to end with the World Government destroying the island altogether. It turns out that they didn’t need to, though. The fighting there was so destructive that, odds are, God Valley is probably a wasteland devoid of life. The only proof that it existed was through the legacy of the Rocks Pirates.
The Rocks Pirates Could Never Succeed
I feel like this chapter also hammers home just how tragic the fate of Rocks and his crew ultimately was. While Roger would ultimately become the Pirate King, I’d argue that Rocks was the bigger threat for directly picking a fight with the World Government. I’d even go so far as to say that if he had wanted to, Rocks could’ve found his way to Laugh Tale and exposed the truth to everyone. But despite being made up of people who became legendary figures in their own right, the Rocks Pirates didn’t even bother sticking together. Throughout the chapter, you can see how each member decides to leave their Captain to his fate without a second thought.Heck, we see Gloriosa trying to hitch a ride with the Roger Pirates. To be honest, it makes the Rocks Pirates feel like a dark reflection of the Straw Hats in the present-day. Both crews are badasses that can defeat armies, and both are led by someone who could change the world. The main difference is that the Straw Hats have camaraderie the Rocks Pirates never did.
Honestly, if Rocks could see what Luffy has with his crew, he might cry tears of joy. Because before this series is over, I think the Straw Hats will finish what the Rocks and Roger Pirates started. It’s not much, but considering how Rocks didn’t deserve what happened to him, it’s something.
Now Comes the Aftermath
I would also like to note that this chapter should make Garp stocks go up a little. Despite having an idea about the monster the World Government is hiding shaking him up, Garp chooses to stay in the Marines to keep the rank and file safe. He’s like that one superior you have at work who knows they’re working in a bad company, but do so anyway to shield those under them. It’s understandable, but I can also understand why this event likely makes Dragon quit.
Regardless of how things panned out, remember that this isn’t the end of the flashback. Keep in mind that the whole point of this flashback was learning the truth about how Harald died. We’ve still got a ways to go before we learn the truth. No matter what, though, Imu needs to fall.