After God Valley, One Piece Officially Sets Up The Esperia Incident

One Piece Chapter 1183 dropped officially in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #23 and introduced us to the Esperia Kingdom for the very first time. This is a legendary kingdom that existed in the world of One Piece 70 years ago, and it has some very intriguing ties to God Valley, which was fully fleshed out by Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the series, in One Piece Volume 114 from Chapter 1160 to 1166, during the Elbaph Arc.

The God Valley Incident was one of the most highly anticipated reveals among the fans, and now, shortly after its conclusion, Eiichiro Oda has officially set up an even more catastrophic incident in the world of One Piece, called the Esperia Incident, which took place 70 years ago.

God Valley Incident Was Officially Fleshed Out Over Chapters 1160-1166 In The Elbaph Arc

The God Valley Incident is one of the most intriguing and chaotic events ever recorded in the history of the One Piece world. This incident was first teased by Eiichiro Oda in Chapter 957 of One Piece, which came out in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 44 on September 19, 2019. Through the character of Sengoku, Eiichiro Oda explained to us all what the God Valley Incident was all about. The first mention of Rocks D. Xebec came in this chapter, and it was here that he was vanquished by Garp, who collaborated with the future Pirate King, Roger. Back then, this was all we knew about the God Valley Incident, but the Elbaph arc of the story fleshed out this incident fully from chapters 1160 to 1166.

You won’t find any map featuring the island named God Valley! As a matter of fact, God Valley itself vanished without leaving a trace. — Sengoku, One Piece Chapter #957

The basis for the God Valley Incident was laid around two years before it even began, as Garling Figarland was sent to God Valley as a scout. There, he made a particular discovery of the Davy Clan and reported it back to none other than Nerona Imu. This eventually resulted in the Native Hunting Competition being held on this island, and with it came the God Valley Incident. The God Valley incident saw the people of this island being hunted by the Celestial Dragons for sport, which was a harrowing sight for all of us fans to witness. More than that, this incident also showcased the utter destruction of the Davy Clan, leaving behind Blackbeard as the only survivor, as confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1166, which was released on November 24, 2025, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 52.

So you lost? I’m sorry. It’s our fault that you had to face that thing even though you weren’t ready yet. — Eris, One Piece Chapter 1164

At the center of the God Valley Incident were the Rocks Pirates, whose leader, Rocks D. Xebec, came to the island to rescue his family. While he succeeded in saving both his wife and his child, Rocks fell prey to Imu’s trap and was successfully Domi Reversed by him. Then, Rocks himself slaughtered members of his own family before eventually being taken down by the collaborative force of Garp and Roger in Chapter 1166. The strength of Garp and Roger clashing against that of a Domi Reversed Rocks was such that the entire island ended up sinking to the bottom of the ocean, never to be heard of again.

One Piece Chapter 1183 Marks The Beginning Of The Esperia Kingdom Flashback

The God Valley Incident was certainly incredibly chaotic all around and saw the erasure of a kingdom from the face of the Blue Planet. However, it was not the only country to get wiped out. In One Piece Chapter 1183, which was officially released on May 24, 2026, Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the series, officially unveiled to us all the Esperia Incident. Esperia was Brook’s hometown from the West Blue, which thrived as the island of instrument makers and lovers of music around 70 years ago in the world of One Piece.

“If it’s really her, then she must be 77 years old by now. At the time, she was the princess of my homeland. And I lost contact with her when she traveled to the Holy Land of Marijoa.” — Brook, One Piece Chapter 1183

Back then, Esperia was led by King Reuven and his wife, Queen Candelle, who was known to be an incredibly powerful fighter and the leader of the battle convoy of the country. Meanwhile, Brook was the leader of the Raider Squad and one of the two strongest in the country.

The Esperia Incident was quite tragic, and although all details about it have not been revealed by the author to us just yet, the results have already been made clear. According to Brook in Chapter 1173, which was released in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #11 on February 9, 2026, he could never forget what she did to the man whom he owed everything to. The Holy Knights also had a particular involvement with the Esperia Kingdom, given that Brook already had knowledge of them.

I never wanted to think of you, for the rest of my life! Not the father-killing princess!! The life you stole away belonged to the man whom I owed everything to! — Brook to Shuri, One Piece Chapter #1173

What exactly happened to Queen Candelle remains unknown, but chances are that she was either killed or was actually a member of the Holy Knight who had infiltrated the country for some specific reason. Finally, in One Piece Chapter 1183, Brook officially confirmed to us that this kingdom does not exist anymore and was utterly destroyed, just like God Valley, which ties the two incidents very closely together, especially since both of them are from the West Blue.

Eiichiro Oda Is Finally Revealing The Events Of Esperia Incident That Separated Brook And Shuri

The Kingdom of Esperia was mentioned first in One Piece Chapter 1183, but the events surrounding this island were first set up in the Elbaph Arc over a year ago. The Esperia Incident is going to be incredibly intriguing to explore moving forward, as not only will it finally unveil the full past of Brook and Shuri, but also explain the importance of Candelle and Reuven in Brook’s life. More than that, it will also introduce and explain more bits and pieces by delivering further exposition to the character of Nerona Imu as well as the Holy Knights, both of whom are confirmed to have been deeply involved in this incident by the author himself.

Most importantly, what we want to see is how the Esperia Incident took place and how it was utterly destroyed by Imu, and for what reason. All these questions will slowly be answered as the Esperia Incident edges closer in One Piece. For now, the author of One Piece remains focused on chapter 1184, which is set to be released on May 31, 2026, before the manga officially heads on another break.

All chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.