One Piece's Divine Isle Recollection Demonstrates Why Legends Shouldn't Be Trusted Without Question

The saying 'History is written by the victors' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not capture the full truth, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' best storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding 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 Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very narrative Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral 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 wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as completely accurate. The series may offer an explanation in the future, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {