The One Piece fandom is currently living in a rare moment where the series’ past feels even louder than its present. With the God Valley Incident flashback taking center stage, Eiichiro Oda has turned what was once whispered lore into front-page history—pulling legendary names like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the shadowy presence of Imu into the same explosive era. And in the middle of all that chaos, the conversation keeps circling back to one man: Red-Haired Shanks.
After 31 years of One Piece existing as a global phenomenon, fans believe Oda is finally inching toward the kind of Shanks reveal that doesn’t just answer questions—it reframes everything.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
The God Valley Incident has become one of the most captivating storylines in One Piece history, and many fans aren’t ready for it to end. Oda’s exploration of this long-mysterious event has transformed the flashback into something that feels less like a detour and more like a historical epic. It’s a deep dive into the power struggles that shaped the modern world, exposing the cruel reality behind the Celestial Dragons, the early age of piracy, and the forces that have been manipulating the world from the shadows for generations.
For longtime readers, it’s the exact kind of storytelling they’ve waited for since the earliest chapters: the “true history” slowly surfacing piece by piece. And with every new revelation, one thing becomes clearer—God Valley wasn’t just a battlefield. It was a turning point.
Why Shanks Feels Like the Key to Everything
Shanks has always existed in a strange space inside One Piece: he’s present from the very beginning, but Oda has kept him deliberately out of reach. He appears rarely, speaks carefully, and when he moves, entire eras shift. That’s why the fandom is treating this current moment like a countdown—because God Valley is the type of arc that can finally justify Shanks’ mystery without feeling forced.
The “biggest secret” about Shanks doesn’t have to be a single shocking fact. It can be something bigger: a truth about why he’s different. Why he’s treated like an equal by emperors. Why the World Government reacts to him differently. Why his name carries weight in rooms where even legends aren’t welcome.
And if God Valley is truly revealing the origins of the modern world’s balance of power, then Shanks—who has always operated like a man guarding that balance—suddenly feels less like a character and more like a missing chapter of the entire story.
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
Surprisingly, many readers say they don’t want to go back to the Straw Hat Pirates just yet. Social media platforms are full of fans expressing that this arc feels like the most thrilling part of One Piece in years—with its darker tone, intense storytelling, and lore-heavy reveals. While Luffy and his crew will always be the heart of the series, the God Valley storyline offers something totally different: a front-row seat to the legends and events that shaped everything we know.
One fan put it bluntly on X (formerly Twitter): “If we return to the Straw Hats now, it’ll feel like waking up from a dream.” That’s the kind of sentiment you only see when a story hits a special gear—when the past becomes so vivid that the present almost feels like the “after-story.”
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling and Legacy
The excitement surrounding the God Valley flashback underscores Eiichiro Oda’s enduring genius as a storyteller. After more than two decades, he’s still able to shock readers—not with random twists, but with revelations that make the entire world feel more connected than it did before. The arc’s pacing, emotion, and scale have reminded many fans of One Piece at its best: mystery, world-building, drama, and history colliding at once.
Some fans worry that returning to the Straw Hats will slow the momentum. Others argue this balance—past and present, legend and reality—is exactly what makes One Piece timeless. But one thing is clear: whether the flashback ends soon or continues longer, the God Valley saga has already cemented itself as one of the most defining stretches of the story.
And if the biggest secret about Shanks truly is being revealed here, then it’s not just a Shanks moment.
It’s an Oda moment—one that proves that after 31 years, One Piece can still make the world feel bigger than ever.
