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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' is a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's game 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 hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the full truth, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they became symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the very story Imu approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {