🔗 Share this article

The adage 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the complete reality, including the most influential characters in this story's complex past. Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. 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 story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to keep 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 backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {