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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this world's complex history. Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole God Valley story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became icons — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {