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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful figures in this world's complex past. Oden was no silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his family became his undoing. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the notion that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {