Many One Piece Fans Are Angry At The Rocks Pirates For Abandoning Rocks At God Valley
The latest chapters of One Piece’s God Valley flashback have lit a wildfire in the fandom — and this time, the heat isn’t just aimed at the Celestial Dragons or the World Government, but at the Rocks Pirates themselves. After finally seeing how the fateful battle on God Valley unfolded, many readers are furious that Rocks D. Xebec’s own crew appears to turn their backs on him in his final moments. For a group hyped up for decades as one of the strongest and most feared pirate crews in history, their apparent abandonment of their captain has been called everything from “cowardly” to “the ultimate betrayal.”
Across social media, fan threads break down each panel, each reaction shot, and each decision made by now-legendary figures like Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido. To a lot of viewers, the image of Rocks being left to fall alone while his so-called subordinates prioritize their own survival or ambitions feels like a complete shattering of the myth — the moment when the legend of the Rocks Pirates dies not with a glorious last stand, but with a quiet, uncomfortable retreat.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
The God Valley Incident has become one of the most gripping storylines in One Piece history, and many fans aren’t ready for it to end. Eiichiro Oda’s deep dive into this long-mysterious event has finally brought together the giants of the old era — Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the shadowy Imu — in a flashback that feels less like a side story and more like a historical epic.
Rather than just serving as background lore, God Valley has become the backbone that explains how the modern era of pirates and Marines was built. The arc exposes the cruelty of the Celestial Dragons, the early ambitions of the Yonko, and the political foundations of the current world order. For years, fans have begged to see what really happened on that island; now that the curtain has finally been pulled back, it’s changing how people view almost every major character involved.
In the middle of all this, Rocks himself has gone from an almost mythical name in a single line of dialogue to a fleshed-out, terrifying, and strangely tragic figure. That’s what makes the crew’s actions sting so much — now that fans finally see who he was, watching him fall alone hits even harder.
Why Fans Feel the Rocks Pirates Betrayed Their Captain
The anger toward the Rocks Pirates comes from a simple, brutal image: their captain is on the brink of defeat, and instead of rallying to his side, his crew members either flee, prioritize their own agendas, or stand by as the inevitable happens. Many fans argue that, regardless of Rocks’ morality, the entire crew was built on a reputation of overwhelming strength and fearlessness — so seeing them fold when the tide turns feels like a betrayal of everything we were told about them.
A lot of the criticism focuses on the Yonko of the future. Viewers are asking how pirates like Whitebeard and Big Mom, who later develop such strong reputations for loyalty to their own crews, could turn their backs on the very man whose flag they once sailed under. For some fans, it feels hypocritical — they can’t reconcile the “family” Whitebeard creates later with the man who didn’t stand beside his own captain at God Valley.
Others highlight the fact that the Rocks Pirates were always described as a chaotic group of monsters barely held together by power. To those fans, the abandonment is perfectly in character — but still infuriating. It doesn’t feel like a noble end for the supposed “strongest crew,” but a confirmation that they were never a real crew at all, just a ship full of selfish, clashing egos.
“Were They Ever a Real Crew?” – The Fandom Debate
This controversy has sparked a deeper conversation: were the Rocks Pirates ever truly united, or were they destined to fracture the moment things went wrong?
On one side, some fans argue that God Valley proves exactly what Sengoku and others hinted at: the Rocks Pirates were a time bomb. Their alliance was built entirely on ambition, not bonds. In that reading, their refusal to die for Rocks isn’t cowardice — it’s the inevitable result of a crew whose members were all future kings in their own minds. Why would someone aiming for the top throw their life away for another man’s dream?
On the other side, critics say that while it makes sense on paper, the execution still feels disappointing. They feel that Oda had a chance to show a terrifyingly unified monster of a crew going down in a blaze of glory, and instead chose to highlight their fragmentation. The abandonment of Rocks, in their eyes, doesn’t make the crew more complex — it makes them look weaker and less legendary than the buildup suggested.
Some fans have even pointed out how different this is from other major crews in the series. The Whitebeard Pirates, Roger Pirates, and Straw Hats have all shown moments where they would rather die than leave their captain behind. Watching the Rocks Pirates fail that same test has made many readers lose respect for them, even if they understand the logic behind it.
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
What’s wild is that, even in the middle of all this frustration, fans aren’t asking for the flashback to end — they’re begging for more. Social media is full of people saying they don’t want to go back to Luffy and the present timeline just yet. To them, the God Valley storyline feels like the most intense and layered One Piece has been in years, especially with its heavy themes of betrayal, power, and justice.
While the Straw Hats are undeniably the emotional core of the series, this flashback offers something entirely different: a chance to watch history break, to see how legends were truly forged — and in some cases, how they crumbled. One fan on X (formerly Twitter) described it perfectly: going back to the Straw Hats now would feel like “waking up from a fever dream of the past.”
Even the anger at the Rocks Pirates is part of why people want the flashback to continue. Fans want answers, context, and maybe even redemption — or confirmation that no, these pirates really were just that selfish. Until those questions are fully explored, a lot of readers feel unfinished with God Valley.
A Test of Oda’s Storytelling – And the Legacy of the Old Era
The backlash against the Rocks Pirates’ actions doesn’t mean fans are turning on Oda. If anything, it shows just how effective his storytelling is. Viewers are so invested in these characters — many of whom barely appeared on-page for decades — that their decisions in a single chapter are enough to stir massive emotional reactions worldwide.
By choosing to portray the Rocks Pirates as fractured and untrustworthy when it truly matters, Oda is challenging the romantic idea of “the strongest crew in history.” Instead of glorifying them, he shows the cost of pure ambition without loyalty. Their strength may have shaped the seas, but their lack of unity is exactly why their era had to end.
At the same time, this contrast makes other crews shine brighter. Roger’s bonds with his men, Whitebeard’s later devotion to his “sons,” and Luffy’s willingness to risk everything for his friends all feel more meaningful in light of God Valley. The Rocks Pirates’ abandonment of their captain becomes a dark mirror showing what happens when a pirate crew has power, but no heart.
The God Valley Saga’s Place in One Piece History
No matter how fans feel about the Rocks Pirates right now — betrayed, disappointed, or simply fascinated — there’s no denying that the God Valley flashback has become one of the defining arcs of One Piece. It has reshaped how readers view the old era, given depth to long-teased legends, and sparked some of the loudest debates the fandom has seen in years.
Whether future chapters will offer more nuance to the crew’s decision, reveal hidden motives, or double down on the idea that they truly did abandon their captain, one thing is clear: their actions at God Valley will echo throughout the rest of the series. As One Piece moves toward its final act, the ghosts of God Valley — and the anger fans feel toward the Rocks Pirates — will linger over every major decision the new generation makes.
In the end, that might be the point. The Rocks Pirates showed the world what happens when power is everything and loyalty is nothing. Now it’s up to Luffy’s generation to prove there’s another way.
