The Series' God Valley Flashback Demonstrates Why Myths Aren't to Be Trusted Blindly

The adage 'History is recorded by the victors' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex history. Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not convey the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {