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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a central motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this world's intricate past. Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones signified 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 entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident 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 corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his relatives became his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for standing by as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the notion that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {