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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, even for the most influential characters in this story's complex past. Oden was no silly performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

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

The series's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His affection for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque 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 God Valley, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign authorized to bury the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided 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 family resided, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks 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.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Elders' grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, even it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as completely truthful. The series may offer an reason later, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event excellently exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {