The One Piece manga has seen creator Eiichiro Oda wrap up one of the most intriguing flashbacks yet, focusing on God Valley. On this fateful island, Oda unveiled many secrets, including the death of Rocks, Blackbeard’s childhood, why Shanks joined Roger’s crew, the existence of Davy Jones, and other key details.
Alongside these revelations, Oda introduced important characters from God Valley. Chapter 1165 of One Piece revealed Polo Gram, who could be Whitebeard’s first right-hand man before Marco. Little is known about Polo Gram, and fans remain unsure what happened to him. Still, these hints about Whitebeard’s crew have been warmly welcomed.
Polo Gram Might Be Whitebeard’s First Companion
As fans know, Whitebeard (Edward Newgate) did not start his pirate career with the Whitebeard Pirates. Long before that, he was a member of the Rocks Pirates under their captain, Rocks D. Xebec.
After the God Valley incident, many former Rocks Pirates members became famous captains, including Whitebeard himself. While little is known about the early days of the Whitebeard Pirates, Oda may have just revealed the first person to join Newgate on his journey: Polo Gram.
Polo Gram was once captain of the Polo Pirates, a crew that found its way to God Valley. There, Polo and Whitebeard met. Polo admired Whitebeard greatly and invited him aboard his ship, a proposal Whitebeard declined.
Some time later, Polo Gram likely joined the Whitebeard Pirates, as suggested by his strong resemblance to Marco. He and his son probably stayed with Whitebeard’s crew for a long time. If so, Polo Gram would be the first member of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Polo Gram Is Marco’s Father and Whitebeard’s 1st Division Commander
Polo Gram is a fascinating addition to Oda’s story. He is implied to be Whitebeard’s first mate through his clear connection to Marco, Whitebeard’s 1st division commander. Their similar appearances strongly suggest Polo is Marco’s father.
The theory that Polo died and was reborn as Marco doesn’t hold up, since Marco was already seven years old during the God Valley incident. This rules out the idea of Polo rising again like a phoenix.
Moreover, the names Polo and Marco cleverly reference the famous explorer Marco Polo. Fans are eager to learn what happened to Polo and how Marco eventually became a key member of the Whitebeard Pirates.