🔗 Share this article

The adage 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this world's complex history. Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

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

Myths frequently do not capture the complete reality, even for the most influential characters.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's finest storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous 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 there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The series may offer an reason later, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {