One Piece‘s God Valley flashback continues to deliver twist after twist, and all but confirms Kaido secretly saved Monkey D. Luffy from a painful death. The God Valley incident has been touted as a pivotal chapter in One Piece history for years, and Eiichiro Oda is justifying the hype with the manga’s latest lengthy flashback.
One Piece chapter 1162 continues in that vein by showing the arrival of Imu in Saturn’s body, and ending with Rocks, Whitebeard and Kaido facing off against the enigmatic villain. Amazingly, that showdown isn’t the chapter’s only earth-shattering moment, as One Piece 1162 also reveals Big Mom’s plan to give her son Katakuri the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu – the dragon devil fruit ultimately eaten by Kaido.
Kaido manages to knock Big Mom away just in time, and chomps the devil fruit tauntingly in her face. Nevertheless, it’s amazing to think how this one moment changed the course of One Piece‘s story and, specifically, how it altered the fate of Monkey D. Luffy himself.
Luffy Couldn’t Have Won If Katakuri Possessed Kaido’s Devil Fruit
When Luffy faced Katakuri on Whole Cake Island, their battle could not have been closer. Luffy’s victory was marginal, barely overcoming the most formidable commander of the Big Mom Pirates through feats of endurance and determination rather than strength or superiority. Undoubtedly, Karakuri was Luffy’s hardest fight at that point in the One Piece story.
Katakuri, of course, possesses the Mochi Mochi no Mi devil fruit, giving him the ability to turn his body and surroundings into mochi. It’s one of One Piece‘s more ridiculous devil fruits, but in the hands of a skilled warrior like Katakuri, it becomes a lethal weapon. If Katakuri had eaten a top-tier devil fruit rather than one that turns him into a walking rice cake, however, he would surely be a more powerful figure within the One Piece world.
Had Big Mom succeeded in obtaining the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu fruit at God Valley and fed it to Katakuri, granting him the power to turn into a dragon rather than a delicious treat, it’s hard to imagine Luffy emerging from their fight victorious. Luffy barely beat a mochi-mochi Katakuri – he would have been utterly outclassed against a Katakuri capable of demolishing towns with one Blast Breath.
Whole Cake Island was simply too early to face an opponent with such a devastating devil fruit. Luffy needed to learn the advanced observation haki he gained during the battle against Katakuri, as well as the advanced armament haki he learned in Wano, just to keep up with Kaido. If Luffy had faced such an almighty force during the Whole Cake Island arc, he would almost certainly have died.
By swiping the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu fruit for himself, therefore, Kaido inadvertently saved Luffy’s life before One Piece‘s protagonist had even been born.
Kaido Accidentally Sealed His Own Fate At God Valley
The irony here is that by saving Luffy, Kaido assured his own demise. If Big Mom takes home the dragon devil fruit after God Valley and that becomes Katakuri’s power, Katakuri defeats Luffy during the Straw Hat captain’s invasion of Whole Cake Island. The entire plan to liberate Wano and bring down Kaido then spectacularly falls apart without the campaign’s figurehead.
Even if Law and Kid still topple Big Mom, no one would be left to handle Kaido. Kaido would restore order after the Wano rebellion, continue his plan to relocate Onigashima, and live drunkenly ever after.
In that sense, One Piece chapter 1162 adds a bitter twist to Kaido’s death by revealing he was indirectly sabotaged by his own lust for cool abilities. Throughout the God Valley flashback, Kaido has sought the power of a great devil fruit, constantly wanting an edge in battle.
So strong is this desire, he fights Big Mom and resolves, bravely or foolishly, to test the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu out against Imu themselves. The fact that Kaido’s ferocious search for a fast strength upgrade is the first step on the road to his defeat becomes a cautionary tale to be wary of power that comes too easily.
Curiously, Kaido himself appears to acknowledge his mistake in One Piece‘s current timeline. Despite obsessing over devil fruits as a member of the Rocks pirates, Kaido admitted that well-honed haki was the superior power during his fight against Luffy. Hard work and training trumps easy shortcuts. As Kaido realizes that chasing a devil fruit wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, it seems apt that his downfall comes as a byproduct of that youthful folly.
The Big Mom Pirates Would Have Been Unbeatable If Big Mom Had Her Way At God Valley
As well as Kaido’s devil fruit, One Piece‘s God Valley flashback reveals that Big Mom also went after Kuma’s Nikyu Nikyu no Mi. The Big Mom pirates were already a yonko-level crew in One Piece, but with those two fruits in their arsenal, they might have been unstoppable.
Kuma’s ability to “repel” people anywhere in the world is vastly overpowered, and only avoids breaking One Piece because it’s owned by a smart character with virtuous intentions who spends most of the story not in full control of their body. But imagine a version of One Piece where Big Mom and her litter could appear anywhere at any time, taking rival crews or unsuspecting islands completely by surprise to launch an attack.
The one saving grace to fighting Big Mom is that she can be heard from miles away, giving opponents plenty of prior warning. If one of her children possessed Kuma’s fruit, pirate captains would be having their souls sucked from their bodies before they’d even heard a single “CROQUEMBOUCHE!“
And if the prospect of Big Mom appearing out of nowhere wasn’t bad enough, imagine if her sudden appearance was followed by that of a giant blue dragon in the form of Katakuri. Had events at God Valley gone slightly differently for Big Mom, and she acquired the devil fruits she originally set out to nab, there is little doubt that her crew would be one of the very strongest in all of One Piece.
- Created by
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Eiichiro Oda
- First Film
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One Piece: The Movie
- Cast
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Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi
- Video Game(s)
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One Piece: Unlimited World Red, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, One Piece: World Seeker, One Piece Odyssey
- Character(s)
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Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)
