🔗 Share this article

The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently do not capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures in this story's intricate past. Oden was no silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently fail to capture the full reality, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's finest storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the very story Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may offer an reason later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {