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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often do not capture the complete truth, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Oden wasn't a silly performer prancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. 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 culmination of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Legends often do not capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's latest flashback, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the series' best arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this flashback, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative 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 ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. After facing Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, including perspectives and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {