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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often do not convey the full truth, including the most powerful figures in this story's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and followers.

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

Myths often fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry 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 transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The series may offer an reason later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {