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The adage 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this world's complex past. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in search of emblems and crews.

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

Myths often fail to capture the complete truth, including the most powerful figures.

The series's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's finest storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of seeing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of piracy, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not there at God Valley; he was only echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, turning into a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An interesting idea is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

Another key figure of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government considers mass murder and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The manga may provide an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {