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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's intricate past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant 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 story serves as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Myths often fail to capture the complete reality, including the most influential figures.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, painted our perception of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by mission and the daring attitude that sparked a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed by emotion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they usually mean his later journey, the epic quest in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him before fame found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of occurrences, the very narrative Imu approved 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 sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. 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 plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their power. Currently, with what limited awareness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a mercy compared to the torment he endures. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a positive manner during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in God Valley, including apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he not once desired to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the readers are seeing the God Valley incident through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The series may provide an explanation later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is written by the winners. This mindset is {