The Series' God Valley Flashback Reveals Why Legends Aren't to Be Trusted Blindly

The adage 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently do not capture the complete truth, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the series' best arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {