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The adage 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the full reality, even for the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact story Imu approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may offer an explanation 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 written by the victors. This attitude is {