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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the story. Popular tales frequently do not convey the full reality, including the most influential figures in this world's intricate history. Kozuki Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he acted out of honor and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless villain who separated the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified beyond just a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In chapter #1164 of One Piece, we see the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths often fail to convey the full truth, even for the most powerful figures.

One Piece's latest look back, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's finest storylines to date. Beyond the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to observe them prior to when they turned into icons — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the World Government and recounted through secondhand stories, painted our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Garp. But both the government's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these men really were.

The Man Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the King of the Pirates, he was a youth governed 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 lead to the final island. Yet not much is known about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

Back then, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's darkest truths: the extermination "games," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the existence of the world's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about all that's occurring in the Divine Isle, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the truth he caught a glimpse of from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from Sengoku's version, each to the audience and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the Global Authority's approved narrative of occurrences, the exact story Imu approved 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 ethical man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the corrupt World Government. We are unsure if he was motivated by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for fairness, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his undoing. Upon facing the sovereign, he forfeited his determination and freedom, becoming a puppet controlled to their authority. Now, with what limited consciousness is left, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to kill him — thinking that dying would be a kindness compared to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the story narrated by Sengoku, and the manga presents him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a servant to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, maintaining the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in continuous movement to keep the One Piece from being found.

The Hero's Secret Rebellion

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu killed Portgas D. Ace. That feeling only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered all to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar questions have now reemerged with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, aware the Global Authority considers mass murder and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The reality uncovers something different. The instant Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's grotesque shapes, he attacked immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to halt Imu, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to eliminate all in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the reason Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the audience are seeing the God Valley event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as entirely truthful. The manga may provide an reason later, maybe linked to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {