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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends often do not capture the complete reality, even for the most influential characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts 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 truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very story Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family became his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing idea 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 constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The manga may offer an reason later, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {