The Series' Divine Isle Recollection Reveals Why Legends Shouldn't Be Believed Blindly

The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the full reality, even for the most influential characters in this world's intricate history. Oden was no silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's game in search of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact story the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an explanation later, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {