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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' is a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often do not convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Oden was no silly performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything occurring in God Valley, 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 Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, each to the viewers and to new Marines. 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, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact story Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really die? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, including perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {