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The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Popular tales often do not convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends often do not convey the complete reality, including the most powerful figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they became icons — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution 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 love for his family became his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {