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The adage 'History is written by the victors' serves as a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to capture the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Myths often fail to convey the complete reality, even for the most influential characters.

The series's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. 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 Man Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to the final island. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His love for the barkeep guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Before this recollection, what we knew of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, 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 Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The series may provide an reason later, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This attitude is {