One Piece's God Valley Flashback Reveals Why Myths Aren't to Be Trusted Blindly

The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends often fail to convey the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding 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 Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family became his downfall. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth 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 Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {