The Series' Divine Isle Recollection Demonstrates Why Legends Shouldn't Be Trusted Without Question

The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the complete reality, even for the most influential figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring 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 Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved version of events, the exact story the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {