One Piece Creator Eiichiro Oda Finally Reveals The Sea Of Death

The Elbaf arc of One Piece is currently in its climax, and with the release of One Piece chapter 1183 on May 24, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #26, the story has now taken us all the way to the West Blue. Eiichiro Oda is expanding the world of One Piece with each passing chapter, adding more lore and delivering more exposition to each part of the grand ocean that exists in this Blue Planet.

With the latest reveal in One Piece chapter 1183, Eiichiro Oda has now officially established the Sea of Death in the world of One Piece. This sea is none other than the fated West Blue, which is directly tied to some of the biggest tragedies that have unfolded in the world of One Piece, and at the same time, the birth of the Light of Revolution, and the Child of Destiny as well.

Why The West Blue Was Made The Sea Of Death By Eiichiro Oda In One Piece

One Piece Chapter 1183 officially showed the West Blue to be the Sea of Death in the world. The West Blue is one of the four blues that exist in the One Piece world. It is a known fact and stated officially in One Piece Chapter 0, which came out on November 30, 2009, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 53 that the East Blue is the weakest of the seas. The West Blue, on the other hand, is quite strong, and some of the most powerful individuals have been born here. Consequently, the West Blue has also seen quite a lot of chaos ensue over the years, and this chaos has led to it being dubbed the Sea of Death by many.

The Ohara Incident: The biggest tragedies that have been explored by Eiichiro Oda in One Piece have all taken place in the West Blue, starting with the Ohara Incident back in the Enies Lobby arc of One Piece, specifically Chapter 393, which dropped in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #3 on December 19, 2005. The Ohara Incident saw the scholars of Ohara study the Poneglyphs in an attempt to get closer to the truth of the Void Century, and then a massive Buster Call was called by the Government, leading to the utter destruction of the country and the genocide of thousands. The Ohara Incident was just the beginning; as the story continued, Eiichiro Oda showed us more chaotic and bloody incidents that took place in this sea of death.

“The island of Ohara, home to the world’s largest historical library, committed the crime of attempting to decipher the Poneglyphs, an act forbidden by the World Government. As a result, a naval bombardment wiped out all the scholars and residents, leaving young Nico Robin as the sole survivor.” — Ohara Incident Refresher by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece Chapter 1077

The God Valley Incident: One Piece Chapter 957, which dropped officially on September 30, 2019, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #44, confirmed the God Valley Incident for the first time. As was revealed in the very same chapter, God Valley was an island that existed in the West Blue and was utterly destroyed. The Elbaf Arc, specifically chapters 1160-1166, expanded upon the God Valley Incident brilliantly and showed the entire misfortune of the island being explored by the author. The God Valley Incident ended with the death of thousands, and, at the same time, the erasure of the Davy Clan, with Blackbeard left behind as its only successor. At the end of the God Valley Incident, the entire island sank to the bottom of the ocean.

You won’t find any map featuring the island named God Valley! As a matter of fact, God Valley itself vanished without leaving a trace. -Sengoku, One Piece Chapter #957

The Esperia Incident: Finally, One Piece Chapter 1183, which dropped officially on May 24, 2026, introduced us to the Esperia Incident. The Kingdom of Esperia also existed in the West Blue around 70 years ago. It was known to be a famous land for instrument makers and lovers of music, and this is also where Brook comes from. Princess Shuri, who currently serves as Gunko within the ranks of the Holy Knights, also came from the Esperia Kingdom, as did Queen Candelle, who was incredibly famous back then. While Esperia was incredibly popular at one point, things went sour quickly, and the island was eventually completely erased, as was confirmed by Brook on Page 11 of One Piece chapter 1183.

“A long time ago, truly a long time ago! She was just a child and I was a young man too! It was in a country that no longer exists…Esperia! Esperia was a land of music, full of workshops crafting instruments of all kinds!” — Brook explaining the destruction of Esperia, One Piece Chapter 1183

Including the newly revealed destruction of the Esperia Kingdom, the West Blue has already seen the complete erasure of three massive countries, which is more than any other sea in the One Piece world. It has also seen the largest number of deaths being carried out through multiple genocides, which is significantly more than any island even in the Grand Line. That makes it the official Sea of Death in One Piece.

Why The West Blue’s Thriller Bark Is A Symbol Of The Sea Of Death

Interestingly enough, the island pirate ship of Thriller Bark also comes from the West Blue, and its abandoned nature suggests that this Island too was destroyed long ago. Although much of Thriller Bark’s history remains under wraps for now, this island is currently in the New World and remains in tatters. With time, Eiichiro Oda will also shed more light on its past and how it was truly destroyed and this will only add to the idea of the West Blue being the Sea of Death.

Nico Robin and Shanks’s Role As The Light Of The Revolution From The West Blue

While the West Blue is the Sea of Death, it has also given life to some of the most important figures to ever exist in the One Piece world, and one of them is Nico Robin, also known as the Light of Revolution. Nico Robin is the last survivor of Ohara and is the best archaeologist in the entire world. Her goal is to find out the true history of the world from the Void Century and bring it to light. Nico Robin carries the hopes and dreams of all those who were slaughtered by Nerona Imu and the World Government long ago and challenges the World Government directly. As such, despite coming from the Sea of Death itself, Nico Robin is openly challenging fate, which is something that all of us fans absolutely love to see.

Apart from Nico Robin, there is also the character of Shanks. Shanks was born in God Valley 39 years ago to a mysterious red-haired woman. He and his twin brother, Shamrock, were separated during the God Valley Incident. While Shamrock was raised as a Celestial Dragon, Shanks was taken in by the Roger Pirates and then raised as their son. Shanks represents the child of destiny, as was confirmed by Scopper Gabban himself in Chapter 1152 of One Piece, which came out officially on June 23, 2025, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #30.

“Understandable. You’re a child of destiny. But let’s not dwell on tricky topics today, Shanks! Say, do you remember Little Garden, where we met Dorry and Brogy?” — Scopper Gaban, One Piece Chapter #1152

Despite being a celestial dragon, Shanks opposes them and thus walks a fine line between good and evil in the world of One Piece. The West Blue might have seen the most death and destruction, but they have seen the birth of two very key individuals that will reshape the world of One Piece and lead to the herald of true justice.

All the newest One Piece manga chapters by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.