The Series' God Valley Flashback Reveals Why Myths Aren't to Be Trusted Without Question

The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful figures in this story's intricate history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the full reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's best arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {