There have been plenty of theories regarding the infamous pirate who had aimed to conquer the world; Rocks D Xebec. Rocks D. Xebec was a pirate who had fought the famous King of the Pirates Gol D. Roger and the Hero of the Marines Monkey D. Garp. No one knows much about him due to interference from the World Government as he had studied various subjects that were arguably taboo.
The subject at large is that Rocks had left behind a child that would continue on his apparent villainous legacy. The identity of Xebec’s child is currently unknown but that has simply left fans speculating as to who it could be.
The first of these candidates is the somewhat infamous Rockstar of the Red-Hair Pirates. Not much is known about him except that he claims to be a famed and skilled pirate in his own right prior to joining the Red-Hair Pirates. This goes by the fact Rockstar looks identical to the silhouette of Rocks D. Xebec. Another point to add to this is that he tried to brag about himself to Whitebeard but was easily dismissed. The only reason it’s not discussed is because Rockstar was introduced before Rocks came into the story at large. Secondly, Rockstar tries to bring about his reputation and not only is he dismissed by Whitebeard but practically insulted, being called a brat by him. This would mean that he’s just someone trying to hype himself up.
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Another possible heir of Xebec would have to be the infamous Red Hair Shanks himself. A lot of it is based on what had happened in the story and factual observations. The fight between Rocks D. Xebec, Marine Hero Garp and Pirate King Gold Roger happened nearly 40 years ago. Shanks himself is nearly 40 himself (actually 38-39). No one really knows what happened because the World Government had erased any notion of Xebec. And in one of the chapters involving Roger’s adventures as he became Pirate King was that it had been a while since he held a baby, as Kozuki Oden had his children, Momonosuke and Hiyori at this time. This maybe referring to Shanks as Roger was not a father yet.
We don’t know what exactly happened in the Battle at (the now-missing) God Valley other than Rocks’ defeat and presumed death, but it’s possible that Garp and Roger may have found a baby on his ship. Xebec’s crewmates wouldn’t do a thing given that they were not a tight-knit crew but a group of thugs willing to kill each other at any given moment. Knowing that the World Government would not accept a child of Rocks D. Xebec, Garp knew that only choice was to either leave him to die or let Roger take him with his crew. This is how Shanks likely came onto Roger’s ship to be an apprentice. Another important piece: This would further solidify why Roger entrusted his own son Ace to Garp. Because of the God Valley Incident and Shanks, Roger knew that Garp would not allow a child of a pirate to be imprisoned/killed by the World Government.
The next possible heir of Xebec would be the infamous Marshall D. Teach; Blackbeard of the Blackbeard Pirates. Blackbeard himself fits the apparent age of Xebec’s child, being 40 years old. One of the most telling connections between him and Xebec is the name of his ship is the Saber of Xebec. Blackbeard is currently residing in the Pirate’s Paradise of Beehive Island; where Rocks gained the majority of his crew. It would work in a simple and thematic manner as Luffy is his greatest rival, who admires the Pirate King and Shanks who followed him, whereas Blackbeard admires his rival’s rival in Xebec. But his own motives maybe laid deep in the story currently. In the Wano Country Arc, Kurozumi Orochi had been persecuted due to his grandfather’s actions and his name. The notion of the sins of the father is prevalent in Wano and could serve as a motivating factor within Blackbeard’s endgame. Blackbeard could have been persecuted for being the son of Rocks D. Xebec and then taking up residence with Whitebeard to avoid it altogether. We know that he is an orphan and from what little we know about his childhood, it was rather lonesome. If his dream is the same as Xebec’s, to be King of the World, he will likely try to enslave the world at large for what happened to him, much like how Orochi wanted to destroy Wano rather than rule it due to what happened to him in the past. This could also correlate to how Blackbeard first mentioned that a man’s dreams never die, with him carrying out his father’s dream.
Another candidate for Xebec’s heir is Monkey D. Dragon, the Revolutionary. This comes from the most prominent fact that Garp never actually refers to Dragon as his son. While this could be because of a sense of shame, Garp still loves Luffy and does talk about him in terms of the immense action and attention he has obtained. In fact, when Luffy was first addressed by the Marines, Garp mentioned that he was his “child’s child”
While all of them have a rather iconic smile or grin, there’s not a lot of physical resemblance between all three of them. Dragon’s features are very angular, with a thin, gaunt face and pointy nose. Match that with his long, wild hair and it’s a physical description that more closely matches Rocks than Garp. This goes into the theory that Garp is Luffy’s grandfather but the Dragon married into the family, with Garp being his maternal grandfather.
The theory further goes into why he is still called Monkey D. Dragon if he was the son of Rocks D. Xebec. It’s not uncommon in Japan for a husband to adopt his wife’s family name, with the custom called mukoyōshi. This happens when the wife’s family is of more noble standing than the husband’s — or if the woman is the heir in her family or when the husband comes from a shameful background. As the daughter of the Marines’ greatest hero, Dragon’s wife unquestionably comes from a higher standing than the son of the most infamous pirate. Xebec’s legacy was such that the World Government attempted to wipe him from history to protect the peace, no doubt painting a target on Dragon’s back. It would make perfect sense that he would adopt the Monkey family name in an attempt to conceal his identity.
Dragon takes after his father in more than just physical ways. Both men oppose the tyranny of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, although Rocks did so as a bloodthirsty pirate who sought to accumulate as much power as possible. Dragon, meanwhile, seems to do so out of a sense of justice, as leader of the Revolutionary Army. Xebec was the most wanted pirate in his lifetime, while Dragon is the most wanted criminal in his. The world pushing expectations based on one’s lineage is a repeated theme in One Piece. It would also add another layer to Luffy and Blackbeard’s ultimate confrontation – with Blackbeard the inheritor of Xebec’s will and Luffy the inheritor of Xebec’s blood, Rocks’ legacy is sure to play a huge part in the endgame.
Luffy’s parentage has been a mystery for most of the series’ run. There’s still so much readers don’t know about Dragon, and there’s little to no information on Luffy’s mother. If this theory holds true, however, there’s a very good reason the subject is such a mystery. Whatever revelations await both the audience and Luffy during One Piece‘s grand finale, no doubt it will make for some tantalizing drama in the series.
The last possible heir and scion of Rocks D. Xebec would be the former Marine; Kuzan. Kuzan is roughly the age that the apparent child of Xebec would be if a bit older. This theory is expanded slightly by the fact, Kuzan would be a preteen rather than a baby or a toddler. This is shown via a childhood image about Kuzan that was drawn, depicting a rough time with starting out as a vagabond. What is known about Kuzan is that at the age of 19, he enlisted into the marines and quickly rose through the ranks becoming a Vice Admiral, and became an Admiral at some point during the Great Age of Piracy. Teach was likely inspired by Xebec’s goals and character, and we know that Teach is similar to a historical pirate, meaning that Xebec likely was too and it would be very typical of a pirate to abandon his child for long stretches of time, only taking him back in if he survives or him he remembers. Kuzan mentioned that he owed a debt to Garp. It may be unimportant but I don’t think it was just a throw away line.
This would also be a slight deviation on not only the sins of the father but also life paths and expectations. Despite being the son of the Pirate King himself, Ace wanted to help make Whitebeard the new Pirate King rather than himself. Although, there was evidence to suggest that Whitebeard planned on doing that for Ace. Garp wanted both Luffy and Ace to be Marines, mostly in an effort to keep them safe, but both became pirates instead. Kuzan chose a life in the Marines and quickly rose, but now left and is working on a new goal to stop Blackbeard, who is following Xebec’s will and journey in more ways than one.
