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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often do not convey the full truth, including the most powerful characters in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths often fail to capture the full truth, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's finest storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they became icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, 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 molded him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even present at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, including perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an explanation later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {