One Piece: Eiichiro Oda Might Just Have Revealed Whitebeard’s Original First Mate

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This article contains spoilers for the One Piece manga.

The latest arc of One Piece concluded a highly anticipated flashback story focusing on God Valley. Fans have been discussing God Valley ever since it was first hinted at six years ago, and now the full story has been revealed. Eiichiro Oda, the author, used this flashback to explain several long-standing mysteries in One Piece, including the fate of the Rocks Pirates, Blackbeard’s origins, how Shanks joined the Roger Pirates, and the existence of Davy Jones, among other key details. But Oda didn’t stop there – the revelations were substantial and far-reaching.

I recently saw some huge character reveals in God Valley and One Piece chapter 1165. The author introduced a character, Polo Gram, who seems destined to be revealed as Whitebeard’s original right-hand man, even before Marco! We don’t know much about Polo Gram yet, or what ultimately happened to him. But fans are really enjoying these little bits of backstory about the Whitebeard Pirates that are starting to come out.

Polo Gram Was Likely Whitebeard’s Original First Mate

Most fans know Whitebeard wasn’t always the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. Earlier in his career, he was part of the Rocks Pirates, serving under Captain Rocks D. Xebec. Unfortunately, the Rocks Pirates disbanded after the battle at God Valley and the death of their leader.

Following the disbandment of the Rocks Pirates, many former members became well-known and feared pirate captains, leading their own crews – Whitebeard among them. While the beginnings of the Whitebeard Pirates are largely a mystery, Eiichiro Oda may have recently revealed the very first member to join Whitebeard (Newgate) on his journey: a man named Polo Gram.

During the era of God Valley, Polo Gram led the Polo Pirates, one of the crews that traveled there. It was in God Valley that Polo first encountered Whitebeard. Polo greatly admired Whitebeard and even asked him to join his crew, but Whitebeard declined the offer.

It seems Polo Gram eventually became a member of Whitebeard’s crew, likely explaining why he looks so much like Marco. He and his son probably spent a considerable amount of time with Whitebeard, possibly making Polo Gram the very first member of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Polo Gram Was The Father of Marco, Whitebeard’s First Division Commander

Polo Gram is a fascinating new character introduced by Oda. The story strongly suggests he was Whitebeard’s First Mate, largely due to his clear connection with Marco the Phoenix, Whitebeard’s First Division Commander. They share a striking resemblance, leading many to believe Polo is Marco’s father. While some fans theorize Polo might have died and been reincarnated as Marco, this doesn’t fit with the established timeline, as Marco was already seven years old during the events at God Valley.

The idea that Polo was reborn after seemingly dying doesn’t really add up. He’s clearly Marco’s father, and their names are a clear reference to the famous explorer, Marco Polo. Fans are eager to find out what happened to Polo and how that led to Marco joining the Whitebeard Pirates later on.

One Piece, the popular manga by Eiichiro Oda, will have a break next week. Chapter 1166 is scheduled to be released on November 23, 2025, and will be available to read for free on Manga Plus.

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2025-11-17 02:34