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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's complex history. Oden was no silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in search of emblems and crews.

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

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

The series's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for the barkeep led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {