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The adage 'History is written by the victors' is a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the complete reality, including the most powerful figures in this world's complex history. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a pirate's contest in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their fame had yet to surpass their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them turn out to be untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by emotion and wanderlust. When people speak of his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret past. His affection for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and even the existence of the world's unseen ruler, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to overthrow Imu 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 regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family became his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his will and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their authority. Now, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as sport for the elite?

The truth reveals something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in God Valley, including it seems, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This event is likely the cause Monkey D. Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never wanted to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely truthful. The manga may offer an explanation later, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the winners. This attitude is {