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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales often do not convey the complete truth, even for the most influential figures in this world's intricate past. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's contest in pursuit of emblems and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The whole Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest look back, detailing the God Valley incident, stands as one of the series' finest storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing legends in their peak, it's gripping to see them before they became icons — when their fame had still not outgrow their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our perception of figures like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these men truly were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been guided by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals speak of his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden past. His love for the barkeep led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the extermination "games," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the world and pursue the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the viewers and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the exact story Imu approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the government's scheme to annihilate the island where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his downfall. After confronting the sovereign, he forfeited his will and freedom, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what limited consciousness is left, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness compared to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable manner during the God Valley incidents.

Could He Be Living Today?

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

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he endangered everything to rescue Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his own grandchild. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to eliminate everyone in God Valley, even it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection recounted by Loki, covering viewpoints and events he clearly was absent for, I believe we can treat this account as entirely truthful. The series may offer an reason in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the winners. This mindset is {