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The adage 'The past is written by the winners' serves as a key motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the complete reality, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate past. Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's game in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved narrative of events, the very narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family became his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience 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 treat this account as completely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {