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The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends often fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential characters in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths often do not capture the complete truth, including the most influential characters.

The series's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's best arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of 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 Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment 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 positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {