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The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a key theme that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Popular tales often do not capture the full reality, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in search of emblems and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire God Valley story serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Legends often fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's finest storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the audience 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 Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's approved version of events, the very narrative Imu authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his kin resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp work for the Navy, aware the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may offer an reason in the future, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {