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The adage 'History is written by the victors' is a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths often fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they usually refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

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

This love for his relatives became his downfall. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may offer an reason later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {