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The adage 'History is written by the victors' is a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters in this story's complex history. Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends often fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and seek the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as completely truthful. The manga may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {