Highlights
- The Rocks Pirates were a powerful and feared pirate crew in the world of One Piece, known for their lack of unity and individual strength.
- Gloriosa, also known as Elder Nyon, was revealed to be a member of the Rocks Pirates and was a powerful fighter in her prime.
- All members of the Rocks Pirates, including Elder Nyon, are considered legendary figures and are expected to possess exceptional Haki abilities.
The Rocks Pirates have been a big talking point in One Piece ever since their introduction to the story. This pirate crew existed a long time ago in the world of One Piece and is no longer active. However, the exploits of this powerful group were such that they are remembered by many, even today, to be the most fearsome pirate crew to have ever existed.
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The Rocks Pirates are finally being explored by Oda in the Kuma flashback, thanks to Jewelry Bonney. In One Piece chapter 1096, fans get to see this powerful pirate crew arrive in God Valley and there, many members of this crew are revealed. This also includes a new member of the pirate crew, Gloriosa, also known as Elder Nyon.
Who Are The Rocks Pirates?
The Rocks Pirates existed in the One Piece world around 40 years ago and this pirate crew was believed to be one of the strongest to have ever existed, if not the strongest. This pirate crew was incredibly overpowered right from the get-go and much of it was down to the fact that the strongest pirates sought to join this group at the time. The Rocks Pirates were based on violence and, at times, they acted like a terrorist organization. There was no unity among the crew members and only the strongest survived. That is the primary reason why this crew ended up collapsing on the day of the God Valley Incident.
Nonetheless, during their successful reign, they ruled over the entirety of the seas in a way that not even the Navy could oppose them. They were led by the ferocious captain, Rocks D. Xebec, who many believe to be the strongest pirate to have ever lived. The crew itself was made up of several future legends, such as Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, Shiki, Kaido, Captain John, and many other powerful fighters.
All of them went on to become great Pirates on their own after the fall of Rocks on God Valley, 38 years ago. However, during their time on the crew, they were certainly not as strong as they were in their primes. These pirates were still young and blooming at the time, and that, when coupled with the fact that they had absolutely no unity, meant that this crew was destined to fail.
The Rocks Pirates In God Valley
One Piece recently began the God Valley flashback through Jewelry Bonney, who visited the memories of her father on Egghead. Through this flashback of Kuma, fans found out that he was present in God Valley, 38 years ago. In God Valley, the native hunting competition was ongoing and the prices for this incredible competition were powerful Devil Fruits. The slaves, particularly Kuma, Ivankov, and Ginny, joined forces and targeted these powerful Devil Fruits. At some point after the beginning of the native hunting games, the Rocks Pirates arrived on the island, likely intending to steal these powerful Devil Fruits. It was at this point that Oda revealed many strong members of this crew.
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It was also made quite clear in One Piece chapter 1096 that the Rocks Pirates had absolutely no unity and worked individually, which is what led to their downfall. Big Mom, in particular, was seen in this chapter confronting Ivankov and taking the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryuu from him. At the same time, it was made clear that other powerful fighters of the One Piece world were also present in God Valley. Roger, in his much younger form, was also seen on this island and, at the same time, Garp was sent to this place as well.
Fans know that these two later combined to destroy Captain Rocks, while the rest of the crew scattered. While the fall of Rocks was not revealed in One Piece chapter 1096, it certainly did showcase the strong characters that were present on this island, and among them was also Gloriosa, the former Empress of Amazon Lily, who is also known as Elder Nyon.
Gloriosa "Elder Nyon" As A Part Of The Rocks Pirates
In One Piece chapter 1096, almost all members of the Rocks Pirates are seen arriving on the island of God Valley. There, this powerful crew makes their presence known, and among them is also Gloriosa, or Elder Nyon. Fans know that Nyon was once the Empress of Amazon Lily. Currently, she's old and feeble, however, 38 years ago, she was likely in her prime and quite a powerful pirate at that. Fans do know that she once had the same love sickness that Hancock suffers from. To cure the sickness, she ended up leaving the island and that is how she managed to survive. It has now been made clear that she left Amazon Lily to join the Rocks Pirates and that is where she ended up curing her disease.
It is unknown if she ended up falling in love with someone on the crew or not. Regardless, the fact that Elder Nyon was a member of the Rocks Pirates is absolutely shocking and comes out of nowhere. It shouldn't be that surprising to the fans, however, in hindsight. This is because all members of the Kuja Tribe are believed to be exceptionally overpowered fighters. They are masters of Haki and this skill comes naturally to them, to the point where even non-pirates and fighters on this island are avid users of this skill. Elder Nyon fought on the island of God Valley and actually managed to survive, establishing her legend even further. This is proof in itself that she is quite a powerful warrior.
How Strong Was Elder Nyon?
When it comes to her strength, fans can assume that she is a legendary pirate because all members of the Rocks Pirates that the fans know of turned out to be legends. The core members of the crew ended up becoming Yonko while the likes of Shiki rivaled even Roger. Then there are legends of the likes of Captain John and Wang Zhi, all of which are legends in their own right. In fact, the latter was in charge of the Pirate Island until the Rocky Port Incident, which only happened nearly 2 years ago. It was only then that he was overthrown by Blackbeard and that too was made possible with help from Law.
All members of the Rocks Pirates are legendary figures and it would be unwise to think that Elder Nyon was not a legendary pirate as well. Fans can expect her to be an exceptionally powerful user of Haki. It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone if she had access to all three Haki types. This is especially true because the Snake Princess, Hancock, also has access to all three Haki types and the Empresses that came before her would likely have this power as well, given that Haki is the biggest strength. It must also be remembered that the Kuja Tribe values strength over everything else. In fact, the strongest is the most beautiful in this tribe, and the fact that Nyon was once the leader suggests that she must have been the strongest at one point. While it does come out of nowhere that she was once a member of the Rocks Pirates, fans absolutely must not write her off as a legendary pirate of the old times.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1096, is set to be October 29, 2023.