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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales often do not convey the complete truth, including the most influential figures in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to convey the full truth, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative Imu authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true 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 motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {