Leaving Pato to play with Sengoku's goat, Wright returned to his office, deep in thought.
God Valley — this place was far from simple.
Judging from the information Sengoku had let slip, it wasn't merely the Celestial Dragons' resort as Wright had initially suspected—
It was similar to Wright's relationship with Watcher's Island.
And the word "God" wasn't something used lightly.
Even if it wasn't a permanent residence for the Celestial Dragons, the mysterious "Lord of God Valley" was undeniably tied to them.
"From this point on, things are going to start straying from expectations…"
"The World Government, the Celestial Dragons — the powers hidden behind the scenes are still unfathomable... Even someone like Rob Lucci wouldn't be able to touch them in a short time."
"The West Blue…"
Wright furrowed his brows.
The fact that God Valley was located in the West Blue, and not the Grand Line, was an unexpected revelation.
Rocks had believed that the key to becoming the "King of the World" lay there —
But Rocks had failed, and after that event, the World Government had destroyed God Valley. Which meant that after Rocks' defeat, God Valley had lost its value.
Which could only mean:
First, in that war, Rocks lost something vital to his dream of becoming the "King of the World"—
It could have been a person, an object, or even a piece of information.
Second, with Rocks' defeat, God Valley also lost this critical asset —
Whether it was destroyed or seized by the Marines, without it, the place had no further value and was eventually annihilated.
From the World Government's behavior, it seemed almost as if...
They had long intended to wipe God Valley off the map.
Was it because the "Lord of God Valley" was opposed to the World Government?
But if that were the case, why would the Celestial Dragons have visited, bringing along slaves in tow, behaving as if they were simply on a sightseeing trip—
And bringing only Garp, who at the time was merely a Vice Admiral, as their protection?
If there truly had been hostility, the Celestial Dragons would never have risked their lives so carelessly —
At the very least, Admirals would have been dispatched.
So, not hostile... Perhaps neutral? Or even friendly? Allies?
But if they truly were allies, then given the World Government's nature, how could they possibly allow a power sufficient to crown a "King of the World" to remain outside Mary Geoise, left in the West Blue?
This "power" couldn't have belonged to the Celestial Dragons who visited, but it was definitely tied to them—
Otherwise, why would Rocks time his assault to coincide with the Celestial Dragons' arrival?
"In other words, the power truly resided in God Valley itself — not in the Celestial Dragons who visited."
The "Lord of God Valley"!
This power could only have existed in God Valley—
Which meant that the mysterious "Lord of God Valley" must have been the one who controlled it!
And that this "Lord" would only appear when the Celestial Dragons arrived!
Meaning he must have been a neutral figure—
And the reason he could maintain neutrality was precisely because he wielded a power that could rival the World Government.
If this were true, the name "God Valley" would no longer seem exaggerated...
It would be entirely fitting.
Only by wielding such deterrence could he render the World Government powerless against him—
Forcing even the Celestial Dragons to visit him in person, rather than summoning him to Mary Geoise!
If there had been Marine Admirals at the time, the Lord of God Valley would never have allowed them to appear at his doorstep!
"Because of Rocks' sudden assault, the Marines didn't have time to dispatch Admirals — they had to ally with pirates instead. That's why Roger was present at God Valley, likely chasing after Rocks!"
"Roger wasn't the type who sought to rule the world — if the 'power' of God Valley was some sort of object, Roger would have shown no interest. And if he had brought it back to Mary Geoise, there's no way Sengoku wouldn't have known."
"Thus, the 'Lord of God Valley' himself was, in all likelihood, the very embodiment of that 'power'—
"Or at least the key to unleashing it!"
"And if that's the case... then he probably died—
"And with his death, the legacy was broken.
"God Valley lost its purpose and was destroyed by the World Government."
Wright pondered silently for a long while, until a sudden thought lit up his mind:
"The West Blue... What exactly is there?"
"Ohara, Thriller Bark, the Giants, the offshoot Demon race of Giants, the Kano Country..."
"And then..."
Wright's lips slowly curved into a smile:
"Shanks."
Shanks was 39 years old this year.
The God Valley Incident had happened 38 years ago—
Meaning Shanks was only a one-year-old infant at the time!
And what made Shanks so mysterious was that he could walk straight into Mary Geoise and speak face-to-face with the Five Elders — the supreme authority of the World Government!
Perhaps his bond with Elbaf's Giants was also linked to his origins in the West Blue?
Shanks had been aboard Roger's ship since a very young age—
Roger had entrusted his straw hat to Shanks when he was still just an apprentice, maybe even earlier.
Roger had once remarked, after seeing the birth of Kouzuki Oden's children:
"It's been a long time since there was a baby on this ship…"
Which meant—
There had been a baby on Roger's ship before.
Wright's gaze grew excited, his golden eyes gleaming with divine light:
"So... 38 years ago, could that infant who boarded Roger's ship have been—"
"Shanks??!"
At that time, Roger was in the West Blue—
And had just teamed up with Garp to defeat the Rocks Pirates!
A one-year-old baby suddenly appearing on Roger's ship—
Could it have been Shanks, back then?
"If that's the case..."
If the truth really was like this, then it explained why Roger had cared so deeply for Shanks—
Why Shanks had wept so bitterly after Roger returned from Laugh Tale, after asking him that question…
"Hehehe… Shanks, oh Shanks… it's very possible, very possible..."
"And the West Blue — when you really think about it — is unbelievably mysterious!"
Ohara, where the pursuit of forbidden history led to the Buster Call annihilation ordered by the World Government;
The Kano Country's "Happo Navy," where the art of Armament Haki had been refined to the rare external projection level almost unseen outside the Grand Line;
The Demonic Giants capable of moving islands—like Oars, the "Nation Lifter," and the massive Thriller Bark that likely once belonged to him...
Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, whose Conqueror's Haki was so refined it could physically destroy matter itself...
And now, the "power to become the King of the World" hidden within the mysterious God Valley—
This little West Blue was shrouded in more secrets than the entire first half of the Grand Line!
Today's West Blue was ruled by mafia syndicates, with the most famous being Capone Bege, who had already pledged allegiance to Big Mom.
But that gangster dominance only began in recent decades—
As for what the West Blue was like even earlier, even the current Marines couldn't fully piece it together.
"The World Government..."
Without a doubt, as a military organization with centuries of history, the Marines should have had records from that era—
Yet now, all official documents had been wiped clean.
Only the World Government had the power to force even the Marines to erase their own history—
Thus ensuring those secrets truly vanished from the world.
The God Valley Incident was likely the very turning point at which the entire history of the West Blue was buried.
"If that's the case, then what was Shanks' true identity, back when he was just an infant?"
An infant at God Valley—
Could he have been a Celestial Dragon?
Impossible— the Celestial Dragons would never bring a random baby along during a dangerous trip.
A pirate's child?
Even less likely—
Rocks had come to God Valley to seize power, not to bring along his family on vacation!
Then the only possibility left—
Shanks was the descendant of the "Lord of God Valley!"
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