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

The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales often fail to capture the full reality, even for the most influential characters in this world's intricate history. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very narrative the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {