Summary
Ever since the Elbaf arc ofOne Piecestarted, almost every chapter has been even better than the ones before it. Fans always knew that Elbaf would be an amazing one due to how anticipated it was from the beginning of the series, but the sheer importance of the island as well as the lore implications hinted at in this arc have already elevated it to one of the best in the entire franchise, despite only being in its infancy.
Almost every single chapter has had incredible lore drops that seem to change much of what fans knew about theOne Pieceworld. As such, Chapter 1145 is no exception, as it finally gives fans a look at one of the series’most highly anticipated charactersand shows how their inclusion on the island could change a lot of what everyone knows of the world. So, let’s see how this is and why it’s so important.
Story Arc
Wano
Fans had always believed that at the time before the start of the main story, the Roger Pirates were the undisputed strongest pirates in the entire world. While they were undoubtedly among the top brass, this isn’t entirely true, since the title of the most powerful pirate crew in historygoes to the infamous Rocks Pirates, who sailed the seas unquestioned and were considered by the World Government to be akin to a terrorist organization.
Sengoku even stated that the captain of this bunch, the infamous Rocks D. Xebec, was the greatest rival that Roger ever had, which is saying something considering the fact that the other members of this crew are known now as some of the most powerful characters in the world. Due to having the legendary Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, and Golden Shiki on his crew, Rocks was widely considered the most powerful character in the world at that point, only meeting his end through the combined forces of Roger and Garp.
Ever since his reveal, fans have been clamoring for any news or lore regarding him, which has unfortunately been increasingly rare to see in the series. This makes sense too, since the World Government has gone to great lengths to ensure that all knowledge of Rocks and his crew has been wiped from the annals of history. However, Chapter 1145 of the manga finally gave fans a long-awaitednew look at Rocks D. Xebecand established his connection to Loki as well as Elbaf.
Basically, it was revealed that when he was a child, Loki greatly admired Rocks and sought to become a pirate like him. The chapter likens this relationship to Luffy and Shanks', but with the major difference being the fact that, unlike Shanks, Rocks was a ruthless individual who had no time for those he deemed unworthy of his attention. Where Shanks promised Luffy that they’d meet again as equals, Rocks outright beat Loki to an inch of his life to ensure that the Accursed Prince wouldn’t join his crew, much to the chagrin of Whitebeard.
I didn’t come all this way to meet a snot-nosed little punk like you. Don’t make me say it again!
This shows that Rocks was the greatest inspiration for Loki to become a pirate, which checks out as well sinceLoki was known for being highly destructive and vicious, just like his idol was. Although Rocks made sure that Loki wouldn’t join his crew, he clearly instilled some sort of values within the Giant that made him operate in the world similar to how he did himself.
Loki stated that he understood Luffy’s admiration for a pirate whom he considers his idol since he went through the same thing with Rocks. The story has always portrayed Luffy and Loki as similar characters ever since the Elbaf arc started, and such a connection to a sort of mentor figure for Loki only drives this point home even more. This paves the way for the God Valley flashback at some point in this arc.
What Was Rocks Doing On Elbaf?
The Mysterious Reasons For His Presence
The true reason why Rocks was even at Elbaf in the first place can only be speculated upon until Oda eventually reveals it. Despite this, some fans think that there is more to Rocks than meets the eye and that hemay not be as evil as he is being portrayedas on purpose, so it’s possible that his presence on the island may have been to help the Giants in some capacity, seeing how Whitebeard was there too.
However, the more likely reasoning here is that he may also have been on the hunt for the Poneglyphs to lead him to Laugh Tale. Elbaf seems to be the best place to hide an important artifact, so it may be that before even the Roger Pirates uncovered the secrets of the world and the One Piece treasure itself, Rocks was already on its trail but failed for one reason or another. Elbaf seems to be essential in following the Log Pose to Lodestar, so perhaps this is what Rocks was doing.
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, in order 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.
