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. Eiichiro Oda’s exploration of this long-mysterious event has brought together legendary figures like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the enigmatic Imu — creating a flashback that feels more like a grand historical epic than a side story.
The arc dives deep into the power struggles that shaped the modern world of One Piece, revealing long-hidden secrets about the Celestial Dragons and the early days of piracy. For many, it’s a rare glimpse into the “true history” of the world, something fans have been waiting for since the manga’s earliest chapters. With each chapter, God Valley feels less like a simple flashback and more like the backbone of everything the series has been building toward.
Shanks as Fisher Tiger’s Savior? The Chapter 1167 Bombshell
According to recent leaks for Chapter 1167, one of the most iconic off-screen events in One Piece history may have just been rewritten in a shocking way: it’s allegedly revealed that Shanks was the one who freed Fisher Tiger.
Until now, fans only knew Fisher Tiger as the legendary Fish-Man who climbed the Red Line and launched a solo assault on Mary Geoise to liberate slaves, later founding the Sun Pirates and becoming a symbol of resistance against Celestial Dragon oppression. His actions shaped the lives of Jinbe, Arlong, Koala, and countless others, and his story has always been framed as a deeply personal act of rage and rebellion.
The new leaks suggest a dramatic twist: Fisher Tiger’s own path to freedom began with another act of compassion — a young Shanks secretly freeing him during an earlier stay at Mary Geoise. Rather than being liberated by chance or an unnamed rebel, Fisher Tiger may have owed his first step toward freedom to one of the future Yonko.
If true, this reveal quietly fuses two of One Piece’s most powerful narratives: Shanks’ mysterious ties to the World Government and Fisher Tiger’s struggle against slavery and racism. It paints a picture of a young red-haired pirate who, even while surrounded by Celestial Dragons and their cruelty, chose to quietly defy that system in the most dangerous way possible — by freeing a slave right under their noses.
A New Layer to Shanks’ Morality and Fisher Tiger’s Legacy
This alleged twist has massive implications for how fans view both characters. Shanks has long been portrayed as a man of balance — someone who avoids unnecessary conflict but steps in when the world is about to tip too far into chaos. Learning that he once freed Fisher Tiger gives that “protector” image a much sharper edge.
Instead of being just a calm, smiling Emperor who occasionally intervenes, Shanks starts to look like someone who’s been acting against injustice since his youth — even when he was powerless compared to the monsters around him. It raises new questions:
- Did Shanks see Fisher Tiger’s suffering firsthand and act on impulse?
- Was this a one-time act of rebellion, or part of a pattern of quiet resistance?
- Did Fisher Tiger ever realize who freed him, and did that influence his later view of humans?
On the other side, Fisher Tiger’s legacy becomes even more emotionally charged. Fans have always admired him for declaring he could never forgive humans even as he fought to free them, shaped by the trauma and cruelty he experienced as a slave. Discovering that his escape might have been sparked by the compassion of a human boy adds tragic nuance to his worldview.
It doesn’t erase his anger or the horror he endured — but it suggests that, from the very beginning, his story was intertwined with a rare example of human kindness in the heart of hell.
Fans Are Torn: Emotional, Hyped… and Worried About Retcons
Unsurprisingly, the fandom reaction to these leaks has been explosive. Many fans are calling the idea “peak poetic storytelling,” saying that connecting Shanks to Fisher Tiger retroactively makes some of One Piece’s most emotional Fish-Man Island moments hit even harder. The themes of inherited will, cycles of hatred, and the possibility of small kindnesses changing history all feel perfectly in line with Oda’s style.
Others, however, are more cautious. Some fans worry that tying Shanks into yet another major historical event might make the world feel “too small,” or risk overshadowing Fisher Tiger’s own agency and heroism. For those readers, Fisher Tiger’s escape and uprising worked best as something born entirely from his own resolve.
Still, even among skeptics, there’s a sense of curiosity. If Oda really goes through with this reveal in the official chapter, most agree it will need careful handling — not as a cheap retcon, but as a subtle piece of history that deepens both characters rather than rewriting their core.
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 dark tone, intense storytelling, and lore-heavy revelations.
While Luffy and his crew are the heart of the series, the God Valley storyline offers something entirely different: a look at the legends and events that shaped everything we know. Each new twist — from Imu’s presence to the truth behind the Rocks Pirates, and now Shanks’ hidden involvement in Fisher Tiger’s past — makes the modern era feel like the inevitable consequence of choices made decades ago.
One fan summed it up best on X (formerly Twitter): “If we return to the Straw Hats now, it’ll feel like waking up from a dream.” The sentiment highlights a unique moment in the fandom, where the past has become more captivating than the present adventure.
What This Means for the Future of Fish-Man Island and the Final Saga
If the Shanks–Fisher Tiger connection becomes canon in Chapter 1167, it may echo far beyond the God Valley flashback. It could reframe future conversations about Fish-Man Island, the promise Luffy made to Shirahoshi, and the lingering scars of slavery and discrimination in the world.
Fans are already speculating that this reveal might:
- Tie Shanks more directly into the eventual clash between the surface world and Fish-Man Island’s fate.
- Add deeper weight to the idea that Luffy’s generation is completing unfinished fights from the past.
- Set up emotional payoffs if characters like Jinbe or surviving Sun Pirates ever learn the truth.
In a series obsessed with inherited will, the idea that Shanks once freed Fisher Tiger feels like another invisible thread connecting the old era and the new — a quiet act of rebellion that eventually led to Luffy inheriting Shanks’ hat, Jinbe joining the Straw Hats, and the ongoing push to destroy the very system that created slaves in the first place.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling and Legacy
The enthusiasm surrounding the God Valley flashback underscores Eiichiro Oda’s enduring genius as a storyteller. After more than two decades, he continues to surprise fans by revealing layers of history that connect generations of pirates, marines, revolutionaries, and rulers.
The arc’s pacing, emotion, and scope have reminded readers of One Piece’s golden era — a blend of mystery, world-building, and drama that few series can match. Even as some fans fear that returning to the Straw Hats will slow the story’s momentum, others believe this balance between past and present is exactly what makes One Piece timeless.
Whether these leaks are fully accurate or slightly altered in the final chapter, the very idea that Shanks was the one who freed Fisher Tiger has already sparked intense discussion and emotion. And whether the flashback ends soon or continues, the God Valley saga has already cemented itself as one of the most powerful and defining chapters in the series’ history — one that will change how fans look at the entire story from now on.
