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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 integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often do not capture the complete truth, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate past. Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the full truth, including the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the story's finest storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government treats genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, 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 desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as completely truthful. The series may provide an explanation later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {