The Series' God Valley Recollection Reveals Why Myths Aren't to Be Believed Blindly

The adage 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the full truth, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's approved version of events, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {