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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' is a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Legends often fail to convey the complete truth, including the most powerful figures in this story's complex past. Oden was no foolish performer prancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and principle. Bartholomew Kuma was not a merciless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was helping them. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's game in pursuit of flags and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the culmination of this idea. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, advising readers not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Myths frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

One Piece's latest flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, represents one of the series' finest storylines to date. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through secondhand stories, painted our perception of individuals like Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Prior to the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. However not much is understood about his initial travels, the one that molded him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger knew little of the globe's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest realities: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque appearances of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Gol D. Roger's thoughts about all that's happening in God Valley, but perhaps discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his place in the world and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec came mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's account, each to the viewers and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it turns out, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely repeating the World Government's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign authorized to conceal the truth about Xebec and the incident 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 guided by lust for power, retribution for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family resided, he abandoned his ambitions of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a puppet enslaved to their authority. Now, with what little awareness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he endures. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the tale narrated by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley incidents.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, serving as the scarred individual, maintaining the Global Authority's only remaining ancient stone in constant movement to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

The Hero's Hidden Defiance

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for years for standing by as Akainu killed Ace. That feeling only grew stronger after the timeskip, when he endangered all to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, causing many to question why he couldn't do the identical for his own grandchild. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, aware the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Monkey D. Garp witnessed the Elders' grotesque forms, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger wasn't to defeat some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Xebec as a pawn to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even apparently, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp despises the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he never wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the audience are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously was absent for, I believe we can treat this version as completely accurate. The series may offer an reason in the future, perhaps linked to Loki's yet unknown paramecia ability. Nevertheless, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {