The Series' God Valley Recollection Demonstrates Why Legends Shouldn't Be Believed Without Question

The saying 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and crews.

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

Legends often do not convey the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they turned into icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {