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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' is a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to capture the full truth, including the most powerful figures in this story's intricate past. Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The whole Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Myths often do not convey the full reality, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the notion that history is written by the victors. This mindset is {