The Series' Divine Isle Recollection Reveals Why Myths Shouldn't Be Trusted Blindly

The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Popular tales often fail to capture the full truth, including the most powerful characters in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. 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 Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact story Imu authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by the giant, including perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {