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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' is a central motif that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Popular tales often fail to convey the complete truth, including the most influential characters in this story's complex history. Kozuki Oden was no silly showman dancing through the streets of Wano; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently fail to convey the full truth, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their fame had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but before he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by emotion and the desire to explore. When people speak of his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet not much is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret past. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the world's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in God Valley, 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 reality he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Before 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 painted Xebec as a vile, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned version of events, the exact story Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the government's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of conquest to save them.

This devotion for his family became his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus very different from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks really die? An interesting theory is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further key figure of the Divine Isle event is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The reality reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an attempt to stop the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp despises the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the readers are seeing the God Valley event through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this account as entirely truthful. The series may offer an explanation in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly embodies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {