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The saying 'History is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Myths frequently do not capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's finest arcs to now. Beyond the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a new age 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 usually mean his later journey, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's plan to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the tale narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the time jump, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp work for the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt Imu, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, even it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he not once desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback recounted by Loki, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this account as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {