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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends often fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures in this story's complex past. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently do not capture the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware 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 genocidal "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as completely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {