Warning: This piece contains reveals for One Piece issue #1164.
The adage 'History is recorded by the victors' is a central motif that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the story. Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most powerful figures in this world's intricate history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of emblems and crews.
In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.
Legends often fail to capture the complete reality, even for the most influential characters.
The series's latest look back, chronicling the God Valley event, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became icons — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these men really were.
The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the King of the Pirates, he was a young man ruled by passion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they usually mean his later journey, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that point toward Laugh Tale. However not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory discovered him.
At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's secret history. His affection for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest realities: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, and including the existence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but perhaps finding the child of a Holy Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and seek the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.
Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's version, both to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve world domination, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist was not present at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the very story the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Rocks D. Xebec and the event itself.
In reality, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his clan, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family resided, he gave up his dreams of conquest to rescue them.
This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle events.
But did Rocks really meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.
A further key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for years for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to save the young Marine at Hachinosu, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the identical for his biological grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Garp serve the Marines, knowing the Global Authority considers genocide and enslavement as sport for the upper class?
The truth uncovers something different. The instant Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the World Nobles in the present day and why he never desired to be elevated to Admiral, answering straight to them.
Even though the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection recounted by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as completely accurate. The manga may offer an reason in the future, maybe connected to Loki's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle incident excellently exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the winners. This attitude is {
