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The adage 'The past is written by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not capture the full reality, even for the most influential figures in this world's complex past. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to convey the complete truth, even for the most powerful characters.

The series's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold attitude that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his myth, they typically refer to his second voyage, the epic quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's hidden history. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the audience and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact story Imu 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 ethical man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, revenge for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in continuous transit to keep the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandchild. Similar doubts have recently reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Garp work for the Marines, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be elevated to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I think we can consider this account as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {