How Garling Figarland Became God Valley’s Champion In One Piece

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This post contains spoilers for One Piece.

Saint Figarland Garling is the leader of the Holy Knights and a member of the Five Elders in the series One Piece. He took over the position after Saturn’s death during the Egghead arc. At the time, many believed he deserved the promotion, as he had previously won the battle at God Valley.

Garling emerged as the clear victor of the God Valley Incident, a hugely significant event in the world of One Piece. Fans were eager to learn how he achieved this victory, and thankfully, Eiichiro Oda revealed the full story through Loki’s backstory.

Figarland Garling Was Not The True Champion Of God Valley

He Barely Did Anything During The God Valley Incident

  • Garling was beaten by Xebec in God Valley
  • Garling was likely given the title because he was popular

The flashback showed Garling fatally injured Shanks’ and Shamrock’s mother. Beyond that personal attack, Garling also systematically hunted and murdered innocent people in God Valley. He did this simply to win a competition and claim Shakky as a reward – killing in cold blood to achieve his goal.

Garling’s toughest battle in God Valley was against Davy D. Xebec. Many expected a close fight, but Xebec quickly overwhelmed Garling. The defeat was a major upset, as Garling lost immediately and suffered a crushing loss.

After his defeat, Garling stopped fighting and showed up after Roger and Garp had already defeated Xebec. He joined Maffey and Sommers to check on Xebec and ultimately delivered the final blow, killing the pirate. With Xebec’s death, the God Valley Incident concluded. The World Government, embarrassed by the pirates’ actions, chose to conceal the full story.

Nearly all proof that God Valley actually existed was destroyed, and a false story was created instead. Garp was officially credited with defeating the transformed Xebec, while Garling was wrongly named the Champion of God Valley, despite doing very little to earn the title.

Garling Will Be Among The Final Villains Of One Piece

Garling’s promotion to the Gorosei by Imu shows they have confidence in him, suggesting he’ll be a key player in the final part of One Piece. While he doesn’t seem to be involved in the current Elbaf arc, he’ll likely appear in the next one, or Oda is holding him back for a later, crucial moment. Given that Garling delivered the finishing blow to Rocks D. Xebec, a future confrontation with Blackbeard is also a strong possibility.

It’s still unknown what Blackbeard’s relationship with his father was like, but he appears determined to get revenge on those who have harmed his family. We see this with his actions against Ochoku, who betrayed the Rocks Pirates and turned Shakky over to the World Government. Blackbeard took control of Hachinosu from Ochoku – a place his father often visited – suggesting he’s fully aware of his father’s history, or at least the crucial parts of it. This isn’t surprising, as the author has shown that Blackbeard actively researches the past. By studying historical records, he would naturally learn about his father’s life and experiences.

It’s becoming clear that Blackbeard knows about Xebec’s plan for world domination. While it initially seemed Blackbeard only wanted to be king of the world, a recent flashback revealed Xebec considered ‘the world’ to be Imu himself. This suggests Blackbeard isn’t after ruling the planet, but overthrowing Imu. However, Blackbeard is a patient and strategic thinker, so he won’t rush into action. Fans are eager to learn more about his ultimate goals, and hopefully, the author, Oda, will reveal them soon.

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2025-11-23 18:34