Summary
One Pieceis a series filled to the brim with mysterious characters who are largely left as a mystery until later in the story. Whether they were pirates who changed the course of the history of the world or Marines who have kept the status quo the same for the past 800 years, legendary figures exist throughout the history of the franchise. Due to this kind of storytelling, characters are often made more important far after their initial appearance.
One such character who is sure to have such an important role to play in the final arcs ofOne Pieceis Rocks D. Xebec. Currently, next to nothing is known about him, only that he was Gol D. Roger’s greatest enemy and someone of such mythical strength thatWhitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaidowere all a part of his crew. However, he seems to have disappeared after the God Valley incident, with most believing that he’s dead, but let’s look at how he still may be alive.
One Piece, Episode 958, “A Legendary Battle! Garp and Roger”
Story Arc
Wano
Before even the era of legends such as Roger and Whitebeard, the seas were ruled by one notorious crew who dwarfed all others in power, one that the latter was even a part of. These were the Rocks Pirates, named after their captain Rocks D. Xebec, who was an incredibly powerful character with aspirations to become the King of the World and was even called Roger’s first andgreatest enemy by Sengoku himself.
Their captain, Rocks, aimed to become Pirate King. And he bared the fangs of his crew at the World Government, almost like a terrorist organization.
Though their exploits are said to be legendary, the Rocks Pirates remain shrouded in mystery, with their only known involvement being on God Valley. This is also where they met their defeat and the last was seen of Rocks himself through an unforeseen alliance between Roger and Garp. Since the island of God Valley itself and the events that went down there are still unknown, it is clear that the most notorious pirates in the world fell that day.
Rocks' Fate
Could Rocks still be alive?
When Sengoku revealed the information about Rocks and the God Valley incident to the Marines, he made it clear thatRocks met his demise on this island. However, there could still exist a possibility of him surviving through multiple ways, as many fan theories state that he could have survived in some way or that Oda’s wording itself is intentionally vague.
After the Native Hunting Games had begun, the various pirate and Marine forces converged on God Valley, leading to one of the greatest kept secrets in the history of the World Government, and, as a result of whatever transpired there, the entire location and history regarding it were erased. From the perspective of a Marine, it would make sense to hide information about such a villain to the public, since the actual truth behind Rocks and his motivations would be dangerous for them to let out to everyone.
Survival through the Yami Yami no Mi:
The prevailing theory about Rock D. Xebec’s survival has to relate to the Yami Yami no Mi, or through Blackbeard directly. It is very likely that these 2 villains share some sort of connection due to all the similarities they share, chief of which is the ambition they have to become the King of the World. Many fans believe that Rocks may have survived due to the existence ofthe Yami Yami no Mi Devil Fruit.
This is because it has been shown that Devil Fruits have a will of their own and can even carry the wills of their previous users, as is most clearly evidenced by Luffy’s Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika containing Joyboy’s will. Similarly, Rocks may have been a previous user of Blackbeard’s Dark-Dark fruit and, upon his “death” on God Valley, could have had his will live on through the Devil Fruit that Blackbeard eventually ate. This way, Rocks would technically still live on within Blackbeard himself.
These things cannot be stopped: Inherited will. People’s dreams. The ebb and flow of the ages.
Survival through other means:
Although the theory of Rocks ‘living on’ through Blackbeard’s fruit makes a ton more sense, there can be other reasons that explain how Rocks is still alive. One is that he could have been taken prisoner by the Marines after his forces were overwhelmed by the combined strength of Roger, Garp, and perhaps evenGarling and the God’s Knights. A strengthening point of this theory is that he could have been sent to the lowest level of Impel Down that’s hidden from everyone else.
Other than this, Rocks may have even escaped, though this is just pure speculation and has no basis in any proof. However, fans will have to wait and see whatever Oda conjures up for this character and, whether he’s alive or not, there will surely be massive truths revealed about the world whenever he’s seen again in the future.
One Piececan be streamed onCrunchyroll.
One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
