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The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a central theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the full truth, including the most influential characters in this story's intricate history. Oden wasn't a foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant beyond just a buccaneer's contest in search of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle story acts as a warning story, instructing readers not to judge the individuals too hastily.

Legends often do not convey the full reality, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, represents one of the series' finest arcs to now. Apart from the excitement of seeing icons in their prime, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their human nature. The past, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's accounts and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, revealing only fragments of who these individuals truly were.

The Individual Before the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been driven by purpose and the daring attitude that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a young man ruled by passion and wanderlust. When people discuss his legend, they typically mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame discovered him.

Back then, Roger knew little of the globe's hidden past. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister truths: the genocidal "games," the monstrous appearances of the Five Elders, and even the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's reflections about everything occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his place in the world and seek the truth he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's predicament.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, the strategist wasn't even present at the Divine Isle; he was only repeating the Global Authority's approved version of events, the exact story Imu approved to conceal the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, Rocks D. Xebec, whose true name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who sought to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was guided by ambition, retribution for his family, or a desire for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his kin lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to save them.

This devotion for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he pleads with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An interesting theory is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining ancient stone in continuous transit to prevent the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has endured criticism from followers for a long time for standing by as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandson. Similar doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how could Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the Global Authority treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he attacked without hesitation. His alliance with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to halt the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is probably the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Untrustworthy Narrators

Although the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a recollection narrated by the giant, covering viewpoints and occurrences he clearly was absent for, I believe we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may provide an reason in the future, perhaps connected to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is written by the victors. This mindset is {