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The adage 'History is recorded by the winners' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic creator Eiichiro Oda has long woven into the narrative. Popular tales frequently fail to convey the full reality, including the most powerful characters in this world's complex past. Oden wasn't a foolish showman dancing through the roads of Wano; he behaved out of honor and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, the Davy Jones legend meant more than a pirate's contest in pursuit of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we see the culmination of this theme. The entire Divine Isle narrative serves as a cautionary tale, instructing readers not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Legends frequently fail to convey the complete reality, including the most influential characters.

The series's latest look back, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's best storylines to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing icons in their peak, it's gripping to observe them before they turned into symbols — when their reputation had still not surpass their humanity. The past, as written by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay tales, painted our understanding of figures like Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But both the government's accounts and the stories of those who were acquainted with them prove unreliable, showing only pieces of who these individuals truly were.

The Man Prior to the Myth

The future Pirate King may have been guided by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of buccaneering, but before he became the King of the Pirates, he was a young man governed by passion and wanderlust. When individuals discuss his myth, they typically refer to his later journey, the grand expedition in pursuit of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to glory found him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger was largely unaware of the world's secret history. His love for Shakky led him to God Valley, where he uncovered the World Government's darkest truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the world's hidden ruler, the mysterious leader. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will make him realize his role in the world and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Before this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came almost entirely from the former Fleet Admiral's version, both to the audience and to young Marines. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so dangerous that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to defeat him. But as it turns out, the strategist was not there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned version of occurrences, the very story Imu authorized to conceal the reality about Xebec and the incident itself.

In truth, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who aimed to topple the ruler and dismantle the decadent World Government. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a desire for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to eliminate the island where his family lived, he abandoned his dreams of domination to save them.

This love for his relatives proved to be his downfall. Upon facing Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, turning into a puppet enslaved to their power. Now, with what limited awareness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to end his life — believing that death would be a kindness in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The truth of Rocks D. Xebec is thus very different from the tale told by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic presents him in a favorable light during the God Valley events.

Could He Be Living Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the present day, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the World Government's only remaining Poneglyph in constant transit to keep the One Piece from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

A further protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Admiral Akainu killed Ace. That sentiment only grew more intense after the time jump, when he endangered everything to rescue the young Marine at Hachinosu, leading many to question why he was unable to do the same for his biological grandson. Similar questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle recollection: how can Garp serve the Marines, aware the Global Authority treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The moment Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His partnership with Roger was not meant to vanquish some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of rebellion, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was manipulating Rocks D. Xebec as a tool to wipe out all in the Divine Isle, including apparently, even the Celestial Dragons themselves. This incident is likely the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the present day and why he never desired to be promoted to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Storytellers

Although the readers are seeing the Divine Isle event through a recollection narrated by the giant, including viewpoints and events he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can consider this version as entirely accurate. The series may provide an explanation later, perhaps connected to Loki's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Still, the God Valley event perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is written by the winners. This mindset is {