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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the full truth, even for the most influential characters in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends often do not capture the full reality, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest flashback, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they became icons — when their fame had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, shaped our perception of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at God Valley; he was merely echoing the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the exact narrative Imu approved to conceal the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives became his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what little consciousness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are viewing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, maybe connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is written by the victors. This attitude is {