One Piece's Divine Isle Recollection Reveals Why Myths Shouldn't Be Believed Blindly

The saying 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not capture the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the full truth, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very narrative Imu authorized to bury 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 aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as completely truthful. The series may provide an explanation later, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {