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The saying 'History is recorded by the winners' serves as a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has for some time woven into the narrative. Legends frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's complex past. Oden wasn't a silly showman prancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless antagonist who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley story acts as a warning story, advising readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often fail to convey the full truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent look back, detailing the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best arcs to now. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Garp. But both the government's records and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the bold spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals speak of his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However little is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him prior to fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's secret past. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's thoughts about all that's occurring in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a Holy 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 predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact story the sovereign authorized to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to overthrow the ruler and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We don't know if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to eliminate the island where his kin lived, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his family became his undoing. Upon facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what little awareness remains, he pleads with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to end his life — thinking that dying would be a kindness in contrast to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to the ruler in the current timeline, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he was unable to do the same for his own grandchild. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to stop Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, including the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle event through a flashback narrated by the giant, including perspectives and events he clearly wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an explanation in the future, maybe connected to Loki's still mysterious paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {