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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' is a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, 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 overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {