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The saying 'History is written by the winners' serves as a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Popular tales often fail to convey the full reality, including the most influential characters in this world's complex history. Oden was no foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this idea. The whole God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often do not convey the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them before they became symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as written by the World Government and retold through hearsay stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the epic expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Five Elders, and even the existence of the world's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a Holy Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the globe and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the government's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a kindness compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the current timeline, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by Loki, covering perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation later, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event perfectly embodies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {