One Piece theory: How the World Government covered up Rocks D. Xebec’s legacy 

Few names in One Piece carry the same aura of mystery as Rocks D. Xebec, the fearsome captain who once commanded the strongest pirate crew in history. Yet, despite the influence, Xebec has all but vanished from history.

Outside of Sengoku’s briefing in Marineford and the scarce fragments revealed in Wano, the world at large seems to have forgotten him. This erasure raises a haunting question: How did the World Government manage to bury the legacy of the man who nearly toppled them?

The answer lies in a combination of propaganda, censorship, geographical isolation, and deliberate rewriting of history. The One Piece world lacks mass communication. There is no internet, no global broadcast system, only newspapers delivered by seagulls.

This monopoly makes the World Government’s partnership with the World Economic Journal vital. Figures like Morgans may act independently now, but historically the Government had much tighter control over what was published.

At the time of the God Valley Incident, it would have been incredibly easy to spin the story. The public did not need to hear about Xebec. Instead, the World Government could highlight the “heroism” of Garp and Roger, portraying them as saviors against vague “pirates.” By removing Xebec’s name from circulation, they made sure the masses never learned who he truly was.

Think of it this way: if your only source of news is a single government-approved newspaper, then your reality is whatever they print. In such a fragmented world, if the paper doesn’t acknowledge something, then for most people it simply never happened.

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The destruction of God Valley in One Piece

The God Valley Incident is the smoking gun. We know that the island itself vanished without a trace, erased from maps and memory alike. Whether it was through Imu’s intervention, an early version of the Mother Flame, or some other world-erasing weapon, God Valley’s disappearance neatly eliminated the site of Xebec’s downfall.

By destroying the battlefield, the Government ensured that no monuments, documents, or survivors could testify to Xebec’s true ambitions. This act mirrors the way they erased the Void Century. When history threatens their power, the Government eliminates the evidence.

Erasing Xebec, however, required more than just propaganda and destruction. It demanded the silencing of survivors. Marines present at God Valley would have been sworn to secrecy or eliminated.

Pirates, on the other hand, had little incentive to speak. Many of Xebec’s crewmates, Big Mom, Kaido, and Whitebeard, detested each other and pursued their own paths. Speaking of their former captain would do nothing but weaken their reputations.

Meanwhile, civilians who may have heard rumors could be dismissed as lunatics or silenced outright. With the Government’s tendency to execute or imprison dissenters, few would risk challenging the official narrative.

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Propaganda and fear: Controlling the “D” legacy

The name “D” in One Piece has always unsettled the World Government. Rocks D. Xebec, with his chaotic ambition to overthrow Celestial Dragons, posed the exact threat the “Will of D” represents. His existence linked the D lineage to rebellion, tyranny, and the toppling of the world order.

By burying Xebec’s story, the Government severed one of the most dangerous connections between the D lineage and their own survival. This suppression mirrors their treatment of Joy Boy, Nika, and the Void Century. Knowledge is power, and the less people know, the less they question.

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The Punk Records factor

Enter Vegapunk’s dream: Punk Records, the closest thing the One Piece world has to the internet. This collective memory threatens the Government because it would allow truth to survive across generations.

If Punk Records had existed 40 years ago, Xebec’s name in One Piece could never have been buried. The Government’s desperation to control Vegapunk makes more sense in this light. They fear not just technology, but the permanence of information.

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Final thoughts

The World Government’s greatest weapon isn’t the Buster Call, the Seraphim, or even Imu’s mysterious power. It is the control of memory. By silencing, destroying, and rewriting, they have shaped history to maintain their rule.

Rocks D. Xebec in One Piece was not simply defeated; he was deleted. His ambitions, his legacy, his very name were buried under layers of propaganda and fear. In doing so, the World Government taught us an uncomfortable truth: In a world without free knowledge, forgetting is as dangerous as death.