As the flashback continued, introducing elements that supposedly led up to Harold’s death, fans were unexpectedly shown the most notorious pirate in history, Rocks D. Xebec. This flashback, however, retconned long-held beliefs about him, revealing that Rocks was as good a man as any other pirate and even stronger, with dreams unmatched by the rest. It showed that even Gol D. Roger was nowhere near Rocks’ level, and his death portrayed him as a tragic hero. With so many different events unfolding, fans may have forgotten that the flashback had actually begun to show the day Harold died, but the latest chapter confirms that the story is returning to its original and present plot.
One Piece Dives Into Latest Flashback’s Original Intent After Six Months
Courtesy of Shueisha
One Piece Chapter 1168, titled “The Snows of Elbaph,” continues after depicting Harold’s contribution to the World Government to affiliate Elbaph with the rest of the world. The chapter then begins to show the day everything went wrong, and Harold lost control of his body. Unsurprisingly, the cause traces back to the power Harold received from Imu after being promoted to the God’s Knights; in return, Harold was required to be completely obedient to Imu. This chapter also reveals that Imu ordered Harold to create warriors for the World Government, which went against everything Harold, the King of the Giants, wanted for his nation.
When Harold refused, Imu took control of his body, and in an effort to avoid becoming fully obedient, Harold took drastic measures. It is likely that upcoming chapters will show Harold asking Loki to kill him. This flashback has spanned more than 16 chapters over a period of six months, with the God Valley flashback becoming one of the longest in One Piece, surpassing the previous record held by Oden’s flashback. However, it is now approaching its end, and the story will return to the present, depicting the Straw Hats facing one of the deadliest and possibly final villains. Luckily, this also hints at how the final war in One Piecemay be portrayed once the conflict against Imu begins.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
