After years of teasing, One Piece has finally unveiled the full glory of the Rocks Pirates, including their mysterious captain Rocks D. Xebec. Alongside confirming the names and identities of many Rocks Pirates members, chapters 1155 and 1156 reveal that the series actually introduced several members of this legendary crew 18 years ago, though no one realized it at the time.
The members mentioned include the smuggler pirate Ganzui, a catfish fish-man named Barbell, Captain John, and even Gill Bastar, the main character from Oda’s debut one-shot Wanted!. Each of these Rocks Pirates first appeared in One Piece as Moria’s zombie generals during the Thriller Bark arc, specifically in chapter 450, released in April 2007, over 18 years ago.
One Piece’s Thriller Bark Arc Introduced Rocks Pirates as Zombies
Since chapter 957 confirmed Captain John as a member of the Rocks crew, fans quickly speculated that the other zombie generals might also be former members of this fearsome pirate crew. The flashback to God Valley in chapter 1096 further strengthened these theories.
Recent chapters suggest Ganzui is definitely Zombie #889, as both his zombie form and flashback appearance show him wearing the same armor and sporting a long goatee.
In the SBS section of One Piece Volume 112, Oda directly confirmed another Rocks Pirates member. He revealed that the heavily armed zombie general wearing sunglasses and multiple arms seen in the God Valley flashback is actually one person. Although this character hasn’t appeared in the current flashbacks, he has been confirmed as Gill Bastar from the one-shot Wanted! and may be officially introduced in upcoming chapters.
Barbell, the catfish fish-man, also closely resembles one of the masked zombie generals with spikes around the neck. While concrete evidence is limited, the similarity is striking. This armored zombie general with long claw-like swords also appeared in chapter 1096.
New One Piece Reveal Changes How Fans View Thriller Bark Arc
Overall, this revelation could forever change how fans perceive the Thriller Bark arc. It’s wild to think the Straw Hats encountered and defeated these legendary figures long before the time skip, even if only as weaker zombie versions. Thriller Bark has often been seen as a lighthearted adventure and one of One Piece’s funniest arcs. Now, it might be one of the most pivotal stops in the Straw Hats’ journey, reinforcing popular theories that Thriller Bark could actually be the ruins of God Valley itself.
Sengoku’s first introduction of the Rocks Pirates in chapter 957, nearly six years ago, combined with the fact that many crew members turned out to be zombie generals from Thriller Bark, seems like a deliberate retcon by Oda. Yet it makes perfect sense, since Moria began building his zombie army after being defeated by Kaido, and what better way to challenge Kaido than alongside former crewmates? This new information makes the Thriller Bark arc even more compelling.
Source: Comicbook