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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often do not convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's hidden past. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact story Imu authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as completely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {