The Series' Divine Isle Flashback Reveals Why Myths Aren't to Be Trusted Without Question

The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not convey the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's complex history. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently do not convey the full truth, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided 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 people speak of his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {