One Piece's Divine Isle Flashback Reveals Why Legends Shouldn't Be Believed Without Question

The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential characters in this world's intricate past. Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends often fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they became symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. After facing Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {