One Piece's Divine Isle Flashback Reveals Why Myths Aren't to Be Believed Without Question

The saying 'The past is written by the winners' is a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful figures in this story's intricate history. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; 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 chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently do not capture the full reality, even for the most influential characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's 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 fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

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

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {