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One Piece Chapter 1166 Review/Recap

Okay, Toei. If you don’t give the God Valley Incident a full-on movie treatment, or at least extra-long episodes, then you’ll be doing One Piece fans a disservice. The last chapter of One Piece gave us the fight that fans have been waiting to see since all the way back in the Wano Country Arc, and it did not disappoint. If we’re looking for an accurate comparison, it was like the One Piece equivalent of last gen’s Goku and Vegeta fighting Broly. It’s just that epic! But now we have reached the end of the road for God Valley and must return to the true purpose of the flashback: the life of King Harald. Also, this chapter proves that the God’s Knights are big, fat kill-stealing phonies!

Recap

The fight between Roger, Garp, and Rocks is over, with the former two out cold while the latter is barely alive. That’s when Garling and the other Knights show up to kill steal. Rocks last thoughts are thanking Roger and Garp for stopping him.

Gaban and Rayleigh manage to get Roger and Garp to safety while also telling them that Rocks was dead. They all make it off God Valley as the island, overwhelmed by the carnage, collapses into the sea, leaving no trace behind. Thus, the God Valley incident draws to a close as the survivors go their separate ways.

News of Rocks’ death and the end of the Rocks Pirates spreads quickly around the world, with everyone reacting differently.

Roger and his crew (and Gloriosa) are just happy that they saved Shakky and got a ton of loot. However, they’re surprised to find that the loot came with baby Shanks!

After everything that he experienced, Garp is none too happy to hear he’s being called the “Hero of the Marines,” with him and Sengoku clashing over it. Despite everything, though, he refuses to quit and abandon the rank-and-file. However, he doesn’t stop his son when he decides to resign, even helping him escape prison.

While others celebrate, though, Loki and Harald take Rocks’ death extremely hard. Loki is despondent over the fact that his hero was killed. Harald, however, is despondent and guilt-ridden over letting his friend go to his death. He lashes out at any Giants who attack the innocent to take his anger out, but it’s not enough. Making his mind up, he sails straight for Marineford and begs the World Government to give the Giants of Elbaph a chance, even if it means he’ll become a slave. To show off his resolve, he even rips out his horns in front of the Navy! Little does he know that Imu is watching.

Review

It’s official, people: the God’s Knights are frauds.

Everyone and their mother in the One Piece fandom agrees that Garling is a kill-stealing phony. He couldn’t handle the Rocks or Roger Pirates in combat, so he waited until Rocks was helpless to take the kill. Not only does that Rob Roger and Garp of the credit for ending Rocks, but it means that Rocks the GOAT didn’t even get a dignified death. How Garling could be the dad to a CHAD like Shanks is beyond me! As far as me and the fandom are concerned, Roger was Shanks’ real dad.

Besides the ignominious end to Rocks, though, the big surprise for me was the fact that God Valley sank into the ocean. Or rather, it crumbled into the ocean. Remember, the land we’ve seen in One Piece is just the highest points left over from when the world was flooded. Despite what others think, though, I don’t believe that Imu had anything to do with its destruction. This was just a side effect from the island being unable to handle the weight of all that power being thrown around. A lot of fans have also noted how fitting it is for the remains of a descendant of Davy Jones to be swallowed by the sea.

What makes Rocks’ death even sadder, at least for me, was the fact that he was right to be worried about Harald and the Giants. While I think he did secretly respect Harald’s dream of peaceful coexistence, he was savvy enough to know that that was impossible with those who were in charge of the world. I’ve kept saying from the start of this arc that now was not the time for the Giants of Elbaph to lay down their blades, as the World Government has become an existential threat to everyone. Tragically, Rocks’ death only made Harald double down on his willingness to bow before those that did not deserve it. And it’s likely that this will end up costing him his life.

There’s no telling how much is left in this flashback, but given how monumental the story of Rocks was to Harald’s life, I’d say that we’re about halfway done. If we’re lucky, the manga will wrap things up before the year is out. After that, we can finally return to the present and the fight ahead of Luffy and Loki. Elbaph cannot be allowed to fall to the World Government, or it could doom everyone below the Red Line. Plus, I do think that Hadrujin and Loki were meant to protect their home together. It’s what Harald wanted, and it’s something I support.

I Give “New Stories” a 5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1163 Review/Recap

How did Rocks D. Xebec die? When we first learned about Rocks from Sengoku, he said that he fell at the God Valley Incident at the hands of Gol D. Roger and Garp working together. Most of us, myself included, were focused on the fact that there was someone so tough that the future Pirate King and Hero of the Marines had to work together to beat him, but the context still had us shaking our heads. We know that the cover-up that they did it to save some Celestial Dragons was sus, but it turns out that Oda has already given us the answer to Rocks’ death. More importantly, it likely explains King Harald’s own death. They both died because of Imu and their technique, Domi Reversi.

Recap

With Saturn now possessed by Imu, the shadow ruler of the world wastes no time in clearing the field. They proceed to slaughter any unlucky Marines who saw them, sending most of them and the remaining pirate running for the hills. Garp, on the other hand, decides to charge straight in, not caring who Saturn is.

While the other Rocks pirates keep fighting for the treasure, Dragon almost makes it to a Marine ship with Shanks. Sadly, he gets knocked out and drops Shanks, who crawls into a treasure chest.

In the middle of everything, Rocks defiantly calls Imu the king of the bilge rats, while Imu calls him Davy Jones before the two begin fighting. Then Kaido wants a piece of the action, and Big Mom tries to attack him for stealing the fruit. The next thing we know, Rocks, Roger, Garp, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido all hit Imu with their strongest attacks at once.

It doesn’t work. Worse, Imu sees Eris and Teach trying to escape, enraging Rocks. But instead of going after them themselves, Imu decides to make Rocks end his own bloodline. Ensnared in Imu’s tentacles, Rocks is subjected to Domi Reversi, and begins to make a terrifying transformation.

Review

It’s official, you guys: One Piece is doing Rocks dirty. I don’t need to be a prophet or see the future to know how this is going to end for him. Imu is going to force Rocks to try and kill his wife and child, and then Roger and Garp will have to put him out of his misery. What an ignominious way to end the story of the man who ruled the seas before Roger came along. So, Sengoku might be right all along: Rocks falls at the hands of Garp and Roger, but not for the reasons he and others who weren’t there were told. It was a cover-up on top of a cover-up to keep the Marines from learning about the existence of Imu. More importantly, it was a way for Imu to keep the free-spirited and morally just Garp working with the Marines. Making him out as their hero would make it impossible for him to abandon them even after learning about Imu, and it would prevent anyone else from learning.

Beyond that, though, did you see how awesome that double-page spread was?!? Six of the strongest people in the world at the time hit Imu with their strongest attacks! That is something that we haven’t seen before or since! If it had been anyone else, they would likely be dead! Unfortunately, Imu isn’t anyone else. In fact, I’m not even sure if they’re human! The fact that Imu was able to take their hits and keep fighting, though, bodes ill for the Straw Hats. If the future King of the Pirates, Rocks, Garp, and three of the four future Yonko couldn’t do any damage, then the Straw Hats are in for it.

Domi Reversi is Truly Horrifying

The most terrifying aspect about this chapter, though, is what Imu does to Rocks. Rocks was someone who could fight on par with Roger and Harald, two of the strongest people in the entire series. Yet not even he was able to resist Domi Reversi. If someone like him is capable of falling to that technique, then what does that mean for Luffy and the others? It’s possible that Luffy might be an exception due to being the next Joy Boy, but I don’t want to risk seeing it.

This chapter does at least confirm something that I’ve already suspected: Imu is responsible for King Harald’s death. He must have used Dommi Reversi on Harald to turn him into a demon, forcing the Giants guarding him to kill him in self-defense. Loki would end up getting blamed for it since everyone already thought the worst about him, and the rest is history. All the more reason why Imu cannot conquer Elbaph, though.

This was a really great chapter. And I mean a really great chapter. We got to see just how terrifying Imu is thanks to scaling them against people many consider monsters. More importantly, we learn how Shanks found his way to Roger, as well as some world-building by showing the powers of the other Rocks Pirates. These next few chapters are going to be heart-breaking, though.

I Give “God Valley Battle Royale” a 4.5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1158 Review/Recap

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Rocks and King Harald have finally had their falling out! Thanks to Harald wanting to have Elbaph join the World Government, the Elders gave him an ultimatum: kill Rocks D. Xebec for them. Meanwhile, events continue to unfold in this flashback, which, at this point, isn’t just about how Harald died. It’s obvious by now that we’re seeing just how the Rocks Pirates came to be and how their leader eventually fell. This week’s chapter, though, added another layer to things. We might be seeing the origin of Shanks and one of the reasons behind the God Valley Incident.

Man, this is good!

Quick sidebar, by the way: I’m aware of what people are saying about Gecko Moriah really being Kozuki Moriah. I do not see it. Moriah did steal Ryuuma’s sword, after all. If that is him, the Wano is in for a rude awakening.

Recap

Ever since the news of Shakky quitting piracy came out, Roger had been in a bad mood. The reason was that, despite knowing where she was, Roger had learned that Rayleigh had gotten a love letter from her. He was bummed that she chose his best friend over him! Not one to be deterred, though, Roger had his crew set course for Hachinosu. After that, Roger proceeded to mow through the line waiting to get in, where the Rocks Pirates were already hanging out and gossiping. Rocks didn’t like it, but Shakky had decreed anyone visiting to come to her bar couldn’t be harmed. She was so upset that Rayleigh stayed on the ship, though, that she passed out.

Sometime later, the clash between Rock and Harald takes place in the Underworld of Elbaph. Both combatants hold nothing back, both physically and verbally. Harald says that he’s genuinely trying to change how the world views the Giants of Elbaph. However, Rocks calls him a fool for thinking they’ll welcome them as equals. All they want is to enslave the Giants for themselves. In the end, neither of them won, but their friendship had come to an end. They wouldn’t see each other again until a certain incident.

A short time earlier, a young Garling was telling the Five Elders about a brief stay in God Valley where he found something Imu would be interested in. At the same time, on God Valley itself, a mother was showing off her two infant children to people, Shanks and Shamrock.

Review

Dang. That is a lot to unpack, but it was fun!

Firstly, i liked how this chapter serves to set up how things will turn out for the major players of this era. Its confirmed by this point that Teach was born, making Rocks a father, though I doubt we’ll know the identity of his mother just yet. In addition, it seems like Roger will not stop pining for Shakky for some time, despite knowing she likes his best friend. That’s the kind of love triangle that could destroy most bromance, but thankfully, Roger and Rayleigh are tighter than that. Plus, Rayleigh did admit that he didn’t want to be tied down, and that holds true. The two are married in the present, but they have an open relationship. Good for them.

On the flip side, though, we saw the end of Rocks and Harald’s unlikely friendship. And the sad thing about it is that neither is wholly right nor wrong here. Harald is right that his people need to show they’re not just violent killers but have more to offer the world; he just chose the worst time to do this. On the other hand, Rocks is right with what he says about the Giants. The World Government only wants them for the power they bring and nothing else. They’re playing Harald, and he likely knows it; he’s just that desperate to make up for who he was when he was young. With what’s happening in the present-day, though, Rocks was right. And they can’t be allowed to get away with their takeover.

So Shanks is From God Valley?

The biggest surprise about the chapter, though, was the reveal of baby Shanks and Shamrock. This chapter pretty much confirms that they were born in God Valley. It also all but confirms that Garling is their father. If that’s true, then it’s likely the God Valley Incident led to Shanks being abandoned while Garling took Shamrock with him.

This flashback has quickly evolved from simply being about Loki. It’s now telling the life story of King Harald and Rocks D Xebec. It seems like Oda is determined to get everything out of the way before the final war begins, and he’s doing a good job of keeping people invested. If things keep going this way, then we might end up seeing more of the God Valley Incident, and I can’t wait for that!

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One Piece Chapter 1157 Review/Recap

Have you ever heard the story of the Trojan War? In modern terms, the whole reason it was started was from simping. The Greeks and the Trojans started it because they were simping over Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in the world. Why bring this up now? Because I think that the whole reason the God Valley Incident ended up taking place was because the Celestial Dragons kidnapped the Pirates Helen of Troy.

Recap

After the Rocks Pirates were officially formed, no one on the seas was safe. Over the course of the next two years, they proceeded to rob anything that crossed their line of sight. Ports and villages were destroyed, dozens of ships sunk, and an entire nation was leveled. They committed crimes so bad that they had to be covered up! And all the while, Rocks was still trying to get Harald to join him.

For his part, Harald had kept trying to get the World Government to let Elbaph join. But because he refused to turn a blind eye to their bullying of unaligned nations, he kept hitting roadblocks. Not even giants joining the Marines helped. Eventually, the Gorosei made him an offer he couldn’t refuse: if he killed Rocks, they would let Elbaph join.

Meanwhile, the pirate world was rocked by scandal. Shakky, captain of the Kuja Pirates, had quit! Her fans were devastated…until she showed up on Hachinosu saying she wanted to hide out there and start her own business. The pirates didn’t hesitate to help her, and by the time the Rocks Pirates had returned, Shakky’s Rip-Off Bar was open for business. Thus, she became the treasure of Hachinosu.

…uh-oh.

Review

I think most of the fandom already thought this, so I’m only saying it: Shakky is the cause of the God Valley Incident.

It makes sense, when you think about it. Like Helen of Troy, Shakky was the most beautiful woman in the world in her youth. The Celestial Dragons would be arrogant and stupid enough to kidnap her. That would lead the Rocks Pirates and every other pirate to storm God Valley in search of Shakky. In a weird way, it’s funny to think that the incident that ends up bringing down Rocks D. Xebec, the man who ran roughshod over the world, happened because of a Pirate Helen of Troy. I guess simping is a constant in every reality.

Then there’s also the Five Elders’ ultimatum. I know that Rocks and Harald’s friendship is a little one-sided on Rocks’ part, but really? Are they really so cowardly that they’re resorting to this? On second thought, of course they would. There’s no level that they’re not willing to sink to. Rocks is right about one thing, though: the World Government doesn’t deserve Elbaph. They never have. This was a nice way to learn the origin of Shakky’s bar, though. I know I would visit, if only for the ambiance.

I Give “The Legendary Bar” a 4/5

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