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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the complete reality, including the most influential figures in this story's intricate history. Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's game in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the complete reality, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved version of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandson. Similar questions have recently reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in God Valley, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this version as completely accurate. The series may offer an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {