One Piece's Divine Isle Flashback Demonstrates Why Legends Shouldn't Be Trusted Blindly

The saying 'History is written by the victors' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the full truth, even for the most influential characters in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently do not convey the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. 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 Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous 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 attempt to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely truthful. The series may offer an reason in the future, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {