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The adage 'The past is recorded by the winners' is a key theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the story. Legends often do not convey the full reality, even for the most powerful characters in this world's intricate past. Oden was no silly showman prancing through the roads of Wano Country; he acted out of honor and conviction. Bartholomew Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, either; he was helping them. Similarly, Davy Jones meant more than a buccaneer's contest in pursuit of flags and crews.

In chapter #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this idea. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to judge the individuals too quickly.

Myths frequently do not capture the complete reality, including the most powerful figures.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the series' best arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of seeing legends in their prime, it's gripping to see them prior to when they turned into icons — when their fame had yet to outgrow their human nature. The past, as recorded by the World Government and retold through secondhand tales, shaped our understanding of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and including Monkey D. Garp. But both the regime's records and the narratives of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Before the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by mission and the daring attitude that ignited a fresh era of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically mean his later journey, the grand quest in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. However little is known about his initial travels, the one that molded him prior to fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he uncovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the monstrous appearances of the Gorosei, and even the presence of the planet's hidden sovereign, the mysterious leader. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in God Valley, but perhaps finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his place in the world and seek the truth he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Rocks D. Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the audience and to new Marines. He depicted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku was not present at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the exact narrative Imu approved to bury the reality about Xebec and the event itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to topple Imu and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he discovered the regime's scheme to annihilate the island where his family lived, he gave up his ambitions of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. After facing Imu, he lost his determination and freedom, turning into a marionette enslaved to their authority. Currently, with what limited awareness remains, he pleads with Roger and Garp to end his life — thinking that death would be a mercy in contrast to the torment he suffers. The truth of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the manga shows him in a favorable light during the Divine Isle incidents.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But did Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing theory is that he is still a servant to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to keep the ultimate treasure from being found.

Garp's Secret Defiance

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has endured criticism from fans for years for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the time jump, when he risked everything to rescue Koby at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the identical for his own grandson. Comparable doubts have now reemerged with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, knowing the World Government considers genocide and slavery as sport for the upper class?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Elders' monstrous forms, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Gol D. Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop Imu, who was using Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, including the World Nobles themselves. This event is likely the cause Garp despises the World Nobles in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, reporting directly to them.

History's Untrustworthy Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback narrated by the giant, covering perspectives and events he obviously wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an reason later, maybe linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {