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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales frequently do not convey the full truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's game in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, advising readers not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, represents one of the series' finest arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay tales, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually refer to his later journey, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu 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 ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an attempt to halt Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {