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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this story's intricate past. Oden was no foolish showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, even for the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, including perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {