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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to capture the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this world's intricate history. Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the full reality, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may offer an reason in the future, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {