The Series' God Valley Flashback Demonstrates Why Myths Shouldn't Be Believed Blindly

The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the full reality, even for the most influential characters.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However not much 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 globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This love for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {