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The adage 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful characters in this world's intricate history. Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's game in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. 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 unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet little is known 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 guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an explanation later, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {