The Series' God Valley Flashback Demonstrates Why Legends Aren't to Be Trusted Without Question

The adage 'History is written by the victors' is a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not convey the complete truth, including the most influential figures in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved version of events, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The series may offer an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {