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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not convey the complete reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's game in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

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

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the series' best arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to save Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as sport for the elite?

The reality uncovers something different. The moment Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {