One Piece may have just unleashed its most dangerous pirate ever

One Piece has been introducing fans to the world’s most vibrant pirates for over 20 years, following the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy as he seeks out to fulfill his dreams of becoming the King of the Pirates. In the process, he’s developed powerful friendships and faced off against incredibly deadly foes. In the current chapter, it’s getting even wilder. It’s promising of the return of a father of one of the Golden Age’s most storied characters. This guy is so powerful, there’s a legitimate chance even Luffy might be outmatched.
The current Elbaf arc is doing more than just building lore; it's cracking open secrets the series has kept buried for years. Between the emergence of the God Knights and deeper hints about the Sun God Nika, the story is clearly marching toward its endgame. But one reveal stands above the rest: the shocking resurfacing of Rocks D. Xebec, the pirate many believed long dead.
Chapter 1145 drops a bombshell in the form of a flashback featuring Elbaf’s Prince Loki. Years earlier, Loki came face-to-face with Rocks D. Xebec. What started as admiration quickly turned into horror. Loki begged to join his crew only to be violently rejected. Rocks didn’t just dismiss him; he almost killed him in cold blood, leaving the young prince with deep scars, both physical and emotional.
Where Luffy sees a hero in Shanks, Loki finds a twisted idol in Rocks. Their opposing paths highlight a growing theme in One Piece: the divide between pirates who fight for freedom and those who crave domination.
While Rocks has been name-dropped throughout the series, Chapter 1145 finally lets readers hear him speak. And it’s not pretty. He humiliates Loki, silences Whitebeard, and mocks everyone who stands in his way. There’s no honor here—just raw power and cruelty. Rocks don't hesitate to kill, not even when it comes to children.
Even more chilling? He’s shown wielding a sword. That alone could put him on par with titans like Mihawk, further raising the stakes.
Here’s where things get serious: it took the combined might of Gol D. Roger and Garp two legends to take Rocks down. And that’s not all. His crew included Kaido, Big Mom, and Whitebeard before they became emperors. That level of power clustered under one flag is almost unimaginable.
All signs point to one thing: Rocks D. Xebec may have been the strongest pirate to ever live.
Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation brought him closer to godhood than ever, but it comes at a cost. The form drains him quickly, and against a monster like Rocks, that vulnerability could be fatal. Fans are speculating that not even Luffy at full power could survive a battle with Xebec.
And let’s be honest if Rocks truly returns, even heavy-hitters like Shanks or Blackbeard might not be enough to stop him.
Despite the growing focus on him, Eiichiro Oda still hasn’t shown Rocks’ face. Every glimpse keeps him cloaked in shadow. Why? Fans have theories:

With Rocks D. Xebec back in the conversation, the world of One Piece is on the edge of something big. His legacy and possible return could upend everything we know about the pirate era.
All eyes are now on Prince Loki’s past and what it could reveal about the Rocks Pirates, the God Valley Incident, and the real reason Xebec once threatened the world.
One thing is certain as we head into the Final Saga: the ghosts of history are no longer staying buried and the world may not be ready for the storm that’s coming.