For years, Kaido of the Beasts was treated as the ceiling of power in One Piece – the “Strongest Creature in the World,” the monster even other monsters feared. Wano positioned him as the ultimate wall for Luffy to overcome, and for a long time it felt like no villain could ever top the sheer presence Kaido brought to the story. But with the God Valley arc in full swing, Eiichiro Oda seems to be doing the unthinkable: quietly phasing Kaido out as the definitive benchmark, and introducing a new terror who might genuinely eclipse him.
This isn’t just about raw strength on a stat sheet. The latest chapters have hinted at a force tied to the deepest layers of the world’s history—someone (or something) that stands closer to the origin of “monsters” in the One Piece universe than Kaido ever did. Between ominous silhouettes, cryptic comments from legends like Garp and Roger, and the chilling composure of figures tied to the Void Century, the message is clear: Kaido was never the endgame. He was just the warm-up.
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. God Valley isn’t just another battlefield; it’s the moment where monsters, kings, and gods all collided — and where the new, Kaido-surpassing threat first begins to truly emerge.
A New Monster Steps Out of the Shadows
So what does it even mean to introduce a monster “stronger than Kaido” in a series that already pushed him to near-mythical status? Oda isn’t simply tossing out a bigger club and a louder roar. Instead, this new figure is being built as a conceptual escalation of everything Kaido represented.
Kaido was a force of nature: raw durability, overwhelming power, and a will to die in the greatest war imaginable. But the God Valley storyline hints at a being who doesn’t just dominate the battlefield — they reshape the rules of it. Hints of an ability that distorts the very balance of power, ambitions that stretch beyond conquering the seas, and ties to the deepest secrets of the world government all suggest something more terrifying than brute strength.
Without diving into heavy spoiler territory, fans have zeroed in on a few key details:
- This “monster” is treated with a level of fear and respect even among the old legends.
- Their presence is tied directly to why God Valley became such a pivotal event in history.
- The way other top-tiers react around them makes Kaido’s once-unshakable aura feel… small in comparison.
Where Kaido charged into chaos to find the battle of his dreams, this new force seems to stand above chaos, guiding or provoking it from the shadows. Power, in their case, isn’t just measured in how hard they hit, but in how deeply they are intertwined with the world’s true hierarchy.
Kaido’s Legacy – And Why Fans Are Ready for a New Apex
Saying “goodbye to Kaido” doesn’t mean erasing his legacy. If anything, the God Valley arc is making his rise feel even more tragic and impressive. Seeing the monsters of the previous era in action puts Kaido’s obsession with strength into a new context. He wasn’t just trying to be strong — he was desperately clawing his way up to a level once reserved for legends and ghosts from the past.
The idea that someone stronger than Kaido exists doesn’t weaken his character; it amplifies it. It suggests that the world Kaido was born into was so brutally stacked with monsters that even his status as the “Strongest Creature” was just an echo of a far more terrifying age.
Fans are picking up on this. Power-scaling discussions are everywhere, with people debating:
- Whether this new figure truly surpasses Kaido in raw might, or
- Whether their “strength” comes from influence, knowledge, and a devil fruit or Haki ability that breaks the conventional mold.
Either way, the fandom seems surprisingly ready to move past Kaido as the ultimate standard — not because he wasn’t worthy, but because Oda is making the next step feel earned, meaningful, and rooted in decades of world-building.
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. 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.”
That “dream” is not just about seeing Roger and Rocks in their prime — it’s about watching the birth of the monsters that defined the seas. And now that a being stronger than Kaido has entered the conversation, fans are clinging even harder to this flashback era, desperate to see just how far Oda is willing to push the limits.
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, 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. The decision to introduce a monster that can overshadow Kaido this late into the story is risky, but it’s also exactly the kind of bold move that keeps the series feeling fresh instead of predictable.
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 what makes One Piece timeless. Kaido’s era may be over, but his role as a stepping stone to something even greater cements him as one of the most important villains in manga history.
Whether this new monster’s full power will be revealed in the flashback itself or saved for the present timeline, one thing is undeniable:
in 2025’s God Valley saga, Kaido is no longer the top of the food chain — and the world of One Piece has never felt more dangerous or exciting.
