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After More Than Half a Year, One Piece Finally Returns to Its Original Story

One Piece Chapter 1168 finally begins to depict the narrative the series initiated six months earlier in Chapter 1152, after spending months moving away from the flashbackโ€™s original intention. Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, is known for highlighting even the smallest details, which often makes the flashbacks quite long. However, the latest flashback, originally meant to show the day Harold, the King of the Giants, died, took a very different turn and shifted to the events of God Valley. This flashback demonstrated just how eventful God Valley was, far surpassing fansโ€™ expectations.

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As the flashback continued, introducing elements that supposedly led up to Haroldโ€™s death, fans were unexpectedly shown the most notorious pirate in history, Rocks D. Xebec. This flashback, however, retconned long-held beliefs about him, revealing that Rocks was as good a man as any other pirate and even stronger, with dreams unmatched by the rest. It showed that even Gol D. Roger was nowhere near Rocksโ€™ level, and his death portrayed him as a tragic hero. With so many different events unfolding, fans may have forgotten that the flashback had actually begun to show the day Harold died, but the latest chapter confirms that the story is returning to its original and present plot.

One Piece Dives Into Latest Flashback’s Original Intent After Six Months

Silhouette of Harold getting stabbed
Courtesy of Shueisha

One Piece Chapter 1168, titled โ€œThe Snows of Elbaph,โ€ continues after depicting Haroldโ€™s contribution to the World Government to affiliate Elbaph with the rest of the world. The chapter then begins to show the day everything went wrong, and Harold lost control of his body. Unsurprisingly, the cause traces back to the power Harold received from Imu after being promoted to the Godโ€™s Knights; in return, Harold was required to be completely obedient to Imu. This chapter also reveals that Imu ordered Harold to create warriors for the World Government, which went against everything Harold, the King of the Giants, wanted for his nation.

When Harold refused, Imu took control of his body, and in an effort to avoid becoming fully obedient, Harold took drastic measures. It is likely that upcoming chapters will show Harold asking Loki to kill him. This flashback has spanned more than 16 chapters over a period of six months, with the God Valley flashback becoming one of the longest in One Piece, surpassing the previous record held by Odenโ€™s flashback. However, it is now approaching its end, and the story will return to the present, depicting the Straw Hats facing one of the deadliest and possibly final villains. Luckily, this also hints at how the final war in One Piece may be portrayed once the conflict against Imu begins.


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