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The saying 'History is written by the victors' serves as a central theme that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has for some time integrated into the narrative. Legends frequently fail to capture the full reality, even for the most powerful figures in this world's intricate past. Oden was no silly showman dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and principle. Kuma wasn't a merciless antagonist who separated the Straw Hats, as well; he was doing them a favor. Similarly, the Davy Jones legend signified more than a buccaneer's game in search of emblems and crews.

In installment #1164 of the manga, we see the peak of this theme. The whole Divine Isle narrative acts as a cautionary tale, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too hastily.

Legends often do not convey the complete truth, including the most powerful characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, detailing the Divine Isle event, represents one of the story's best arcs to date. Apart from the excitement of witnessing legends in their prime, it's compelling to see them before they became icons — when their fame had still not surpass their human nature. History, as recorded by the Global Authority and retold through hearsay stories, shaped our perception of individuals like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and even Monkey D. Garp. But each of the government's records and the stories of those who were acquainted with them turn out to be untrustworthy, revealing only fragments of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Prior to the Myth

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that sparked a fresh era of buccaneering, but prior to he became the Pirate King, he was a youth governed by passion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they usually refer to his second voyage, the grand expedition in search of the Road Poneglyphs that point toward the final island. Yet not much is understood about his first journey, the one that shaped him before glory discovered him.

At that time, Gol D. Roger knew little of the world's secret history. His love for the barkeep guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the Global Authority's most sinister truths: the genocidal "contests," the grotesque forms of the Gorosei, and including the presence of the planet's hidden ruler, Imu. We haven't seen Roger's reflections about all that's happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the child of a Holy Knight on his vessel will lead him to understand his role in the globe and pursue the reality he glimpsed from Xebec's predicament.

The Truth About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we were aware of of Xebec came mostly from Sengoku's account, each to the viewers and to young Navy recruits. He painted Rocks D. Xebec as a despicable, power-hungry man bent on world domination, someone so threatening that Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to overcome him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at the Divine Isle; he was merely echoing the Global Authority's sanctioned narrative of events, the exact narrative Imu approved to bury the reality about Rocks D. Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a principled man who sought to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We don't know if he was motivated by lust for power, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's scheme to annihilate the land where his family resided, he gave up his ambitions of conquest to rescue them.

This devotion for his family proved to be his downfall. Upon confronting Imu, he lost his will and freedom, becoming a marionette controlled to their power. Currently, with what little consciousness remains, he begs with Gol D. Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he endures. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story narrated by the former Fleet Admiral, and the comic shows him in a positive manner during the God Valley events.

Is He Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec really meet his end? An intriguing theory is that he is still a slave to the ruler in the present day, acting as the scarred individual, maintaining the World Government's last ancient stone in constant movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Secret Rebellion

Another key figure of the Divine Isle incident is Monkey D. Garp, who has faced backlash from fans for a long time for doing nothing as Akainu murdered Ace. That feeling became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked everything to save the young Marine at Pirate Island, causing many to question why he couldn't do the same for his own grandson. Comparable questions have now resurfaced with the Divine Isle flashback: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Marines, knowing the World Government treats mass murder and slavery as entertainment for the elite?

The truth reveals something distinct. The moment Garp witnessed the Gorosei's grotesque forms, he struck immediately. His alliance with Roger wasn't to defeat some evil Rocks D. Xebec, but a bold act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to wipe out all in God Valley, including it seems, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is likely the cause Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be elevated to Fleet Admiral, answering straight to them.

History's Untrustworthy Storytellers

Even though the audience are viewing the Divine Isle incident through a flashback recounted by the giant, including viewpoints and occurrences he clearly wasn't present for, I believe we can treat this account as completely truthful. The series may offer an reason later, perhaps linked to the giant's still mysterious Devil Fruit. Nevertheless, the God Valley incident perfectly exemplifies the idea that history is recorded by the victors. This attitude is {