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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the complete reality, even for the most powerful figures in this world's intricate history. Oden wasn't a foolish showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends frequently fail to convey the full truth, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' best storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the exact story the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by Loki, including perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this account as completely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {