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

The adage 'The past is written by the victors' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends often do not capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends often do not capture the full reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks 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, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {