One Piece's Divine Isle Recollection Reveals Why Myths Shouldn't Be Trusted Without Question

The adage 'History is written by the winners' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends often fail to capture the full truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's complex past. Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the complete reality, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {