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The saying 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures in this story's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

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

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

The series's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley incident, stands as one of the story's best storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay stories, painted our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him before glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even present at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's approved narrative of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. 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 save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how could Garp work for the Marines, aware the World Government considers genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and events he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the notion that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {