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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit 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 hastily.

Myths often fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they became icons — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However 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 world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very story the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he pleads 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 reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, knowing the World Government considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation later, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {