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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, including the most influential figures in this story's complex history. Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's contest in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Myths frequently do not capture the full truth, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms 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 maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact story Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated 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 interesting theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {