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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential characters in this world's intricate past. Oden was no silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's contest in search of flags and followers.

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

Myths frequently do not convey the full truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, 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 actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced 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 everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {