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The adage 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently fail to convey the full truth, even for the most influential characters.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they became symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided 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 youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as completely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly embodies the idea that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {