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The saying 'The past is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to convey the full reality, even for the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a pirate's contest in search of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, advising audiences not to judge the characters too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the series' best storylines to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into icons — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Now, with what limited awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some evil Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never desired to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as completely truthful. The manga may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {