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The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the story. Legends often do not convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate past. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit 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 wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of events, the very narrative Imu authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle 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 sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Similar questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the readers are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The series may offer an explanation later, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {