One Piece's Divine Isle Recollection Reveals Why Myths Shouldn't Be Trusted Without Question

The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

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

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very narrative the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {