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The saying 'The past is written by the winners' is a key motif that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to convey the full reality, including the most influential characters in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden was no silly performer dancing through the streets of Wano Country; he acted out of duty and principle. Kuma was not a ruthless villain who tore apart the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, Davy Jones signified more than a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and crews.

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

Legends frequently fail to capture the complete truth, even for the most influential figures.

The series's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, stands as one of the story's finest arcs to date. Apart from the thrill of seeing legends in their peak, it's compelling to observe them before they became symbols — when their fame had still not outgrow their humanity. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and recounted through hearsay stories, shaped our understanding of individuals like Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who knew them prove unreliable, showing only fragments of who these men really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

The future Pirate King may have been driven by mission and the bold spirit that sparked a fresh era of piracy, but before he became the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by passion and the desire to explore. When individuals discuss his legend, they usually mean his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the guide stones that lead to Laugh Tale. Yet little is understood about his initial travels, the one that shaped him before fame discovered him.

At that time, Roger was largely unaware of the globe's hidden history. His love for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the extermination "contests," the monstrous forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's unseen sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Roger's reflections about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe discovering the child of a God's Knight on his vessel will make him realize his role in the world and seek the reality he glimpsed from Rocks D. Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About Rocks D. Xebec

Prior to this recollection, what we knew of Rocks D. Xebec was derived mostly from the former Fleet Admiral's version, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man bent on world domination, someone so dangerous that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to join forces to overcome him. But as it turns out, Sengoku was not present at God Valley; he was merely repeating the World Government's approved version of occurrences, the exact story the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Rocks D. 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 motivated by lust for power, revenge for his family, or a wish for justice, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his family lived, he abandoned his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This love for his family proved to be his undoing. After confronting the sovereign, he lost his determination and liberty, turning into a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that death would be a mercy compared to the torment he suffers. The reality of Rocks D. Xebec is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Living Today?

But did Rocks actually meet his end? An intriguing idea is that he is even now a slave to the ruler in the present day, serving as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being found.

The Hero's Hidden Rebellion

Another protagonist of the God Valley incident is Garp, who has faced criticism from followers for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even stronger after the time jump, when he endangered everything to save Koby at Pirate Island, causing many to wonder why he couldn't do the same for his biological grandchild. Similar questions have recently resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Garp work for the Navy, knowing the World Government treats genocide and enslavement as entertainment for the elite?

The truth uncovers something distinct. The instant Garp saw the Elders' monstrous shapes, he attacked without hesitation. His partnership with Roger wasn't to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an effort to stop the sovereign, who was using Xebec as a tool to wipe out everyone in the Divine Isle, even it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Monkey D. Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to 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, including viewpoints and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can treat this version as completely truthful. The series may offer an reason later, maybe connected to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the Divine Isle incident perfectly exemplifies the notion that the past is recorded by the victors. This mindset is {