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The saying 'History is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently do not convey the complete truth, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley story acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths often fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures.

The series's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by Loki, including perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The series may offer an explanation later, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {