Many fans are upset with Whitebeard after the most recent One Piece chapter appeared to show him abandoning Rocks D. Xebec during the chaos of the God Valley Incident — a moment that has sent shockwaves through the fandom and sparked heated debate about his character and loyalty.
For years, Whitebeard has been remembered as one of the most honorable and caring pirates in the series — a “father” who would never abandon his “sons,” and someone who valued family above all else. That’s why this new flashback twist feels so jarring for many readers. Seeing a young Edward Newgate turn his back on the man he once sailed under has led to accusations that Oda is “ruining” his image, while others argue this scene is exactly what makes his character more tragic and complex.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
The God Valley flashback has quickly become one of the most gripping storylines in recent One Piece history. Instead of a small detour, it’s turned into a full-scale historical epic, placing figures like Rocks, Roger, Garp, Whitebeard, and even Imu on the same bloody battlefield.
By exploring the political and moral rot at the heart of the Celestial Dragons, the arc has started to unravel buried truths about how the world of One Piece was truly shaped. For many fans, this isn’t just another flashback — it feels like a long-awaited window into the “real history” the series has been hinting at from the very beginning.
Because of that, attention to every panel and every choice is razor sharp. The moment Whitebeard appears to walk away from Rocks doesn’t land as just one battle decision; it hits as a key turning point in the legacy of one of the series’ most beloved pirates.
Fans Don’t Want to Leave God Valley — Or This Debate
What makes this controversy even more intense is that fans are completely locked into the God Valley storyline. A large portion of the community is openly saying they don’t want to return to the Straw Hat crew just yet because the flashback feels like the most thrilling and consequential part of One Piece in years.
Between the dark tone, high stakes, and lore-heavy reveals, God Valley has overshadowed even Luffy’s current adventures. One fan summed it up perfectly on social media: going back to the present-day story now would feel like “waking up from a dream.”
And at the center of that dream is Whitebeard’s choice — a decision that now sits alongside the destruction of God Valley itself as one of the flashback’s defining emotional moments.
Why Whitebeard Abandoning Rocks Hit So Hard
For many readers, the issue isn’t whether Whitebeard had a practical reason to leave Rocks — it’s how the scene clashes with the image they’ve built of him over hundreds of chapters.
This is the man who:
- Risked everything to rescue Ace at Marineford.
- Treated his crew as family, not subordinates.
- Died on his feet protecting the next generation’s chance at freedom.
So seeing a younger Whitebeard appear to turn his back on a captain in the middle of a life-or-death battle feels, to some, like a betrayal of that legacy. Even though Rocks was volatile, cruel, and power-hungry, some fans argue that the “Whitebeard we know” wouldn’t abandon an ally on the battlefield — no matter how flawed they were.
That disconnect is what has led to so many angry reactions. To those fans, the scene feels less like character growth and more like retroactive damage to his mythos.
Others Say This Makes Whitebeard More Human
On the other side of the debate, many readers are defending Oda’s choice. They argue that this isn’t Whitebeard being “out of character” — it’s him becoming the man we eventually meet in the main story.
From this perspective, the flashback doesn’t show a perfect, noble Whitebeard. It shows a younger, conflicted pirate trapped under a captain whose vision he no longer believes in. Abandoning Rocks in the chaos of God Valley could be read not as cowardice, but as the moment Whitebeard chooses his own path instead of blindly following a monster.
In that light, his later devotion to family and loyalty becomes more powerful, not less. The pain, guilt, or regret from God Valley might be exactly what shapes his future ideals — a past failure that drives him to never abandon his own “sons” again.
What This Means for Whitebeard’s Legacy
The biggest question now is how the series will ultimately frame Whitebeard’s actions. Was this meant to stain his legend, or to deepen it?
If future chapters reveal more context — such as Rocks using his crew as disposable tools, or Whitebeard realizing the entire pirate alliance was built on cruelty and exploitation — then his decision might come across as a necessary break from a doomed cause. That would place him closer to characters like Kuzan, who walk away from corrupt systems rather than enabling them.
But if the scene is left mostly as-is, with Whitebeard visually turning away while Rocks is overwhelmed, then the ambiguity will remain. Fans will be free to decide for themselves whether he was acting out of survival, disillusionment, or weakness. That uncertainty might be exactly what Oda wants.
A Testament to Oda’s Risky, Mature Storytelling
One thing nearly everyone agrees on is that the God Valley arc has reminded readers of how bold and layered Eiichiro Oda’s storytelling can be. After more than two decades, he’s still willing to complicate the reputations of legendary figures, even at the cost of making the fandom uncomfortable.
By tying together pirates, marines, Celestial Dragons, and the shadowy rulers of the world, he’s created a flashback that feels just as important as the present-day storyline — maybe even more so. The emotional weight of Whitebeard’s controversial decision shows how deeply fans care about these characters, and how much trust they’ve placed in Oda to land the story.
Whether you see Whitebeard’s actions as unforgivable betrayal or painful but necessary growth, one thing is clear: the God Valley saga has already secured its place as one of the most defining and debated arcs in One Piece history. And as long as the flashback continues, the conversation around Whitebeard’s true nature is only going to get louder.
