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The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to convey the full truth, even for the most influential figures in this story's intricate past. Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in search of emblems and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a warning story, advising audiences not to evaluate the individuals too quickly.

Myths often do not capture the complete reality, even for the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the God Valley event, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Beyond the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of figures like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His affection for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the genocidal "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Xebec was derived almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's approved narrative of events, the very narrative the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After facing the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how could Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is probably the cause Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this account as completely truthful. The series may offer an explanation later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {