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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends often do not capture the full truth, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate past. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a pirate's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the characters too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. History, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted 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, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as completely truthful. The series may offer an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {