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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends often fail to convey the full reality, even for the most influential characters in this world's intricate past. Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently fail to convey the full reality, even for the most powerful characters.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's finest storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This love for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {