One Piece's God Valley Flashback Demonstrates Why Myths Shouldn't Be Trusted Without Question

The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the full truth, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate past. Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to convey the full truth, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, 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 before they turned into icons — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime'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 Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's occurring 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 seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate 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 undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as completely truthful. The series may offer an reason later, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {