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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's complex history. Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them before they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family became his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may offer an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {