🔗 Share this article

The saying 'The past is recorded by the victors' serves as a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this story's intricate history. Oden was no foolish performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he behaved out of honor and principle. Kuma was not a merciless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones meant beyond just a pirate's game in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we witness the culmination of this theme. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, advising audiences not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Myths frequently fail to capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they became symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the bold attitude that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they typically refer to his second voyage, the grand quest in search of the guide stones that point toward the final island. Yet little is known about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky guided him to God Valley, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the genocidal "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in God Valley, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will make him realize his place in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the audience and to new Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a vile, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not there at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact story Imu approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little consciousness is left, he pleads with Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is still a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous transit to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another key figure of the God Valley event is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That feeling became even stronger after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable doubts have now resurfaced with the God Valley flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Gol D. Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate everyone in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a flashback recounted by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The manga may offer an explanation in the future, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown paramecia ability. Still, the God Valley incident excellently embodies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {