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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful figures in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently do not capture the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the story's best storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However not much is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as completely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {