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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not convey the full truth, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones meant beyond just a buccaneer's game in search 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 warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths often do not capture the complete truth, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the God Valley event, stands as one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into symbols — when their reputation had yet to outgrow their humanity. The past, as recorded by the World Government and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's records and the stories of those who knew them turn out to be unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that point toward the final island. However little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him before fame found him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His affection for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's version, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved version of occurrences, the exact story Imu approved to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, 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 guided by ambition, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the land where his family lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After confronting Imu, he lost his will and liberty, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a positive light during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

A further protagonist of the God Valley event is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp work for the Navy, knowing the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in God Valley, including it seems, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley incident through a flashback recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as completely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the Divine Isle event excellently exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {