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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends often do not capture the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's complex past. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Legends often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's finest storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved version of events, the exact story Imu approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this account as completely accurate. The series may offer an reason in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {