This article contains spoilers for the One Piece manga.

One Piece's Elbaf arc has proven to be absolutely massive, as it has given fans a tremendous amount of world lore from the very beginning right up until now. Loki's flashback started recently, and although just two chapters in, it has been a roller coaster ride, especially after the introduction of Rocks D. Xebec. For years, fans had been coming up with many theories about this pirate, and Oda just confirmed the most popular one.

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By Rei Penber

Blackbeard is Pretty Much Confirmed To Be Rocks D. Xebec’s Son

This Was a Very Popular Fan Theory

The One Piece story is huge, spanning over a thousand chapters now. With a massive plot and a vast cast of characters, it is no surprise that fans theorize about how they serve the narrative and how they will influence the story in the future. While most theories are wrong, some are correct, but that's one of the best parts of being a One Piece fan.

Oda has recently confirmed one of the most popular theories in the fandom, and this one has to do with Blackbeard.

Blackbeard is a central character in the story, but not much is known about his background. But now, fans know who Blackbeard’s father is, at the very least. Oda has finally revealed the full design of the legendary pirate Rocks D. Xebec. Rocks's introduction box also explicitly stated that Blackbeard is his son, but that's not even needed, as the resemblance is uncanny.

Blackbeard is undoubtedly the son of Rocks D. Xebec, and fans could tell that at first glance. There were many hints leading up to this reveal, however. The biggest one is the name of Blackbeard’s ship. Indeed, that ship is known as the Saber of Xebec. Oda really couldn’t have made it more obvious.

As the flashback of Harald continues, fans will learn more about Xebec, and maybe about Blackbeard too. That said, it’s likely that Oda wants to leave Blackbeard’s story for another arc.

Another Popular Theory Says Buggy Is Also Xebec’s Son

If True, that Would Make Buggy and Blackbeard Half-Brothers

While the Blackbeard theory is now confirmed in the most recent One Piece chapter, another theory is still floating around that could tie into all of this. This theory suggests that Buggy is also the son of Rocks D. Xebec.

This theory is not new, and many fans have spoken about it in the past. The most recent chapter only makes it more likely. First off, Buggy does have some resemblance to Xebec in terms of appearance, which fans were quick to point out. It’s also important to note that Xebec has two hair colors - if one is revealed to be blue, this could be huge for this theory.

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By Rei Penber

If this theory is true, it would also mean Blackbeard and Buggy are brothers. These two could be revealed to have the same father, but different mothers. It would be interesting to see how Oda handles all that. After all, Oda has already confirmed that Buggy has a major role to play in the Final Saga as one of the new Yonko and the leader of the Cross Guild. Buggy has a lot to offer to the fans.

Where to Read One Piece?

Available on Manga Plus

One Piece Chapter 1155 will be out this week. As usual, One Piece is going to drop on Sunday. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday. However, the vast majority of international readers will see the chapter available on July 20. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1155 is July 20, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.

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Release Date: October 20, 1999
Network: Fuji TV
Directors: Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou